The St Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Society is a lay Catholic organisation that aspires to live the Gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope and joy, and by working to shape a more just and compassionate society.
It has more than 60,000 members and volunteers, who work hard to assist people in need and combat social injustice across Australia. Internationally, the Society operates in 140 countries and has over 800,000 members.
The SVdP Society was founded by a 20 year old student named Frederic Ozanam in 1833. It was established by like-minded individuals who wished to put their faith into action. This compassionate outlook, enthusiasm and vision continues today in Australia. There are thousands of people who every day share their time, care for humanity and energy to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged people all around the country.
The SVdP Society has a large presence in the Diocese of Wollongong, offering special works and services in the areas of homelessness and crisis support, emergency relief, mental health and isolation support, education support, food services, disability support, accommodation options and referral pathways.
In 2017, there were 33 parish-based conferences consisting of 434 members conducting 18,539 home visits to vulnerable people in the diocese. Additionally, they have 1,457 volunteers in the diocese who assist in various special works in SVdP Centres and in other capacities. In 2017, members clocked up 7,691 hours serving the mission through volunteering.
The SVdP Society run 25 centres of charity in the diocese where donated goods are collected, sorted and either given to people requiring assistance or sold at reasonable prices to our customers to support our charitable works. They also run 3 bulk container deposit centres as part of the NSW Government’s Container Deposit Scheme. These facilities help community members, schools, organisations and businesses take advantage of the Return and Earn program to raise funds in support of their operations. Vinnies’ participation in the program helps to support the many services provided by the Society through additional revenue, with a handling fee earned for every container processed through the facilities.
The SVdP Society in the diocese also operate holiday units at Gerroa and Mollymook providing respite for families/individuals experiencing difficulties.
There are also SVdP high school conferences and “Mini Vinnies” in a number of diocesan primary schools involved in charitable works of different kinds. They also run a young adult conference and group involved in activities for disadvantaged children, fundraising and advocacy.
General enquiries
Not sure what you need?
You can contact the Vinnies Helpline on 13 18 12 or visit www.vinnies.org.au.
Coniston House—specialist support to people who are experiencing (or at risk of) homelessness. Includes a community centre with showers, toilets and laundry facilities. Also includes case management and welfare assistance
Provides medium to long-term accommodation for men experiencing homelessness who are dealing with ongoing drug and alcohol issues, mental illness and emotional disturbances.
Specialist homelessness service assisting women and their children who are experiencing (or at risk of) homelessness, or are escaping domestic or family violence. Includes crisis accommodation services, case management, support and advocacy.
Support centre in Campbelltown for people and families experiencing crisis. Support includes food vouchers, financial assistance with bills and clothing, advocacy support and a community kitchen—The Open Door Café (open for Lunch Tuesday & Thursday 12:00pm-1:30pm and Dinner Wednesday 5:30pm-6:30pm).
Home visitation program in the Macquarie Fields social housing estate and others who are experiencing social exclusion with limited access to community services.
Free university supported education program at the Nagle Centre with a library, computers, internet access, printers and learning partners for the students.
St Therese Immaculate Conception (STIC) Young Adults
A group of young adults from the parishes of St Therese West Wollongong and Immaculate Conception Unanderra keen to grow in faith, fellowship and service.
Groups of young people across the diocese, living the Society's mission through helping the disadvantaged, visiting prisoners and the elderly, helping with emergency visitation and deepening their spirituality and friendships.
Account means the account held at your financial institution from which we are authorised to arrange for funds to be debited.
Agreement means this Direct Debit Request Service Agreement between you and us, including the direct debit request.
Business day means a day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a listed public holiday.
Debit day means the day that payment is due.
Debit payment means a particular transaction where a debit is made, according to your direct debit request.
Direct debit request means the Direct Debit Request between us and you.
Us and we and our means the Catholic Development Fund.
You means the customer(s) who signed the direct debit request. Your financial institution is the financial institution where you hold the account that you have authorised us to arrange to debit.
Debiting your account
By submitting a direct debit request, you have authorised us to arrange for funds to be debited from your account according to the agreement we have with you.
We will only arrange for funds to be debited from your account:
As authorised in the direct debit request; if the debit day falls on a day that is not a business day, we may direct your financial institution to debit your account on the following or previous business day. If you are unsure about which day your account has or will be debited, please check with your financial
Changes by you
If you wish to stop or defer a debit payment you must write to us at least 5 business days before the next debit day.
This notice should be given to us in the first instance.
Your obligations
It is your responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient clear funds available in your account to allow a debit payment to be made.
If there are insufficient clear funds available in your account to meet a debit payment:
you or your account may be charged a fee and/or interest by your financial institution;
you or your account may be charged a fee to reimburse us for charges we have incurred for the failed transaction;
you must arrange for the payment to be made by another method
Please check your account statement to verify that the amounts debited from your account are correct.
Dispute
If you believe that there has been an error in debiting your account you should call us on 1800 047 703 and confirm the details in writing with us as soon as possible so that we can resolve your query quickly.
Accounts
You should check:
with your financial institution whether direct debiting is available from your accounts offered by financial
your account details which you have provided to us are correct by checking them against a recent account statement; and
with your financial institution before completing the direct debit request if you have any queries about how to complete the direct debit
Warning: if the account number you have quoted is incorrect, you may be charged a fee to reimburse our costs in correcting any deductions from:
an account you do not have authority to operate; or
an account you do not
Confidentiality
We will keep any information (including your account details) in your direct debit request confidential.
We will make reasonable efforts to keep any such information that we have about you secure and to ensure that any of our employees or agents who have access to information about you, do not make any unauthorised use, modification, reproduction or disclosure of that information.
However, we may use your contact details to provide information about the fund. Should you wish this not to be the case, please advise the fund in writing.
Our diocesan logo is theologically rich and very succinct. As a hand, it depicts our mission as a diocese and as individuals within the diocese, of bearing (bringing, carrying) Christ’s love to one another and to the world around us. In this, we are the hand of Jesus Christ, and we are offering ourselves to him so that he might work through us.
We can be the bearers of his love only as a response to his call and in the strength of his grace. We are reminded of this in two ways—through the symbol of the dove (the Holy Spirit) also present in the logo, and by the incorporation of the cross that segments the logo. The presence of the cross is a reminder that bearing the love of Christ will inevitably cost us if we live it authentically. However, in the way that the Cross is the portent of redemption and life—an echo of the tree of life in the book of Genesis—so becoming bearers of the love of Christ will also bring us to life.
The four fingers of the hand also represent the four regions of our diocese. The first is bluerepresenting the beautiful water of the Shoalhaven. The second is a blue and green combination representing the waters and escarpment of the Illawarra. The third is greendepicting the hills and plains of the Macarthur. The fourth is dark green illustrating the forests of the Southern Highlands.
