At the heart of all St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) service is the traditional “home visit,” where trained volunteers, known as “Vincentians," visit those in need at their convenience to learn more about their needs.

Worldwide, Vincentians make thousands of in-home, person-to-person visits each year and are able to see first-hand, the exact situation in which a person is living. SVdP assistance is tailored to each person’s or family’s needs and may include food, clothing, furniture, rent, utility, transportation, medical, emotional or spiritual support.

When those in need are visited in their homes, they are assured that information collected will be kept in confidence. The home visit allows SVdP to offer immediate assistance and determine if those in need would benefit from other programs offered by the Society. The home visit preserves the dignity of the individual/family in need while making it convenient.

Often, in the Saint Louis conference, instead of a home visit we interact with a needy neighbor entirely via the telephone and culminate the interaction by providing the assistance they request, within our set financial limits.  The most common assistance is to pay rent or utilities.  We also provide the neighbor with several references to other organizations -- charities and government -- who also provide aid.