 |
 |
Project Spotlight
|
Welcome to Givewell's Project Spotlight. Each month we highlight a project for which a charity is currently seeking funds. We also provide details on how to give directly for this project.
Background Information: The St Vincent de Paul Society is one of the oldest charities in Australia and works continuously to assist people in need and combat social injustice across Australia. The Society in Australia was founded in Victoria in 1854, just 21 years after the founding of the first conference in Paris. Today in Victoria the Society has over 300 conferences, consisting of dedicated men and women providing hope, comfort and dignity to disadvantaged Victorians, trapped by their circumstances due to sickness, job loss, mental illness and family breakdown. Project Description: The Soup Van program provides a hot meal, a kind word, friendship and referral services to over 550 of Melbourne’s homeless every night. The Society’s four Soup Van Services travel to where people accessing the service are living, such as boarding houses, laneways, parks and public housing. It provides assistance to more than 629 people each night and serves over 207,800 meals per year. For many of the socially isolated using this service, disability, illness or a lack of finances means they can't access other centralised food services. The Soup Vans are therefore the only means of connecting with these people. Project Aims: The Soup Van Service provides a critical point of engagement where staff can encourage and support these people to move out of a life of homelessness and back into mainstream society, and get referrals to other services which can help them achieve this goal. The relationships developed through the Soup Van programs offer an opportunity to provide links to other relevant assistance including health and transitional housing and referrals to other sources such as Vinnies shops and homeless services. Effect of the economic downturn on demand for services: The economic downturn has had a significant effect on unemployment and rent prices in the Melbourne area. Higher unemployment rates, rising rent prices and the continuously increasing cost of food has seen an increasing number of people become dependent on the services of the Soup Van. In particular, volunteers working in the program mention that their clients now include higher numbers of the “working poor”. Can donors/grant makers give directly for this project? Yes, by mentioning the Soup Van program on the online payment/donation form. If so, how? All donations over $2 are tax deductible and can be made via:
Ms Claire Nettley, Major Donor Coordinator Ph: (03) 9895 5877 Email: claire.nettley@svdp-vic.org.au Web: https://vinnies.org.au/soup-vans-vic Previous Project Spotlights
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |