The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a nonprofit organization that provides direct assistance to needy men, women and children in Alameda County.

The organization, founded in 1938, exists to meet the needs of the poor and the homeless. Following the tradition of Frederic Ozanam, founder of the International Society of St. Vincent de Paul, SVdP serves anyone in need, regardless of race, creed or origin.

This past year, SVdP served more than 150,000 needy people throughout the county. SVdP’s Special Works division provides:

• Free Dining Room serving daily hot meals to the hungry
• Food Bank that provides groceries for food pantries around the county
• Drop-in resource centers for homeless and very low-income people
• Health clinic, computer lab, educational classes
• Culinary academy and job training

SVdP’s Social Enterprises division helps keep Alameda county green and offers job training for the poor. Our four thrift stores, an auto donation program and an electronic waste collection business divert hundreds of tons of material from local landfills. The enterprises provide income to the organization while providing employment for participants in our job training programs.

In addition to these programs, SVdP coordinates a network of 800 volunteer Vincentians who operate across 38 Catholic parishes in Alameda County. These volunteers help 30,000 people per year by offering access to food, clothing, temporary shelter and emergency financial assistance.

Starting with compassion and basic needs, SVdP aims to improve life opportunities for our community’s most vulnerable residents.

SVdP Core Values
SVdP History
SVdP Finances
SVdP Strategic Plan 2012-2015