The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Concord-Carlisle Conference
We are neighbors helping neighbors in our Massachusetts communities of Concord and Carlisle. Our Conference is part of a lay Catholic charitable organization comprising 800,000 volunteers in 140 countries. We provide short-term emergency financial assistance through trusting, empathetic, and confidential connections with our neighbors. If you or your family needs our help, please contact The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Concord-Carlisle Conference, at (978) 369-7442 extension 229 or email us at [email protected]. We can only provide assistance to residents of Concord and Carlisle MA.
Announcements
Help Us Help Others
The Concord-Carlisle Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul kicked off its annual outreach effort on the weekend of September 21-22, 2024. We began with a short presentation after every Mass at Holy Family and St. Irene parishes, followed by one-on-one discussions with interested parishioners. Our goals were to
- Raise awareness of the Conference mission
- Recruit new members for the Conference
- Solicit donations
We are off to a great start, but there is still time to make a donation or volunteer. Click the button below for more information.
Car Donations Needed
We have partnered with Second Chance Cars to bring affordable basic transportation to our neighbors-in-need in Concord and Carlisle. Now Second Chance Cars is in desperate need of gently used cars. Please help with this effort. This is an opportunity to help change someone’s life.
When you donate a car to Second Chance Cars, you will be invited to attend the car award ceremony and meet the recipient and all the people responsible for preparing the car. This is a uniquely gratifying experience.
For more information, please contact us at (978) 369-7442 extension 229 or email us at [email protected]
SVdP Concord-Carlisle Conference June 2024 Meeting
For the first time since the onset of the covid pandemic, our Conference was able to gather together for a pot-luck supper and working meeting. There were lively discussions of our neighbors-in-need, available in-town resources and collaborations, and anticipated future assistance needs. We left the meeting with a renewed sense of fellowship and mission.
Migrant Crisis Update
The clothing drive has been successfully completed and the donated items have been delivered to the processing facility in Stoughton.
Second Chance Cars
If you are a resident of Concord or Carlisle, are in need of a car to get, keep or grow your job, and cannot afford one …
New Address
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
c/o Concord-Carlisle Parish Center
70 Monument Square
Concord, MA 01742
How we help
We believe in putting compassion into action. Our members visit neighbors in need in their homes or virtually, listen to their stories to learn the nature of their financial emergency, and develop plans to help. For example, our Conference:
- Helped with rent and found a retraining program for a family member who lost his job.
- Paid an unexpected large auto repair bill, allowing a person to continue to be able to work.
- Assisted a family by paying home heating bills and helping with budgeting.
- Provided holiday meals and grocery gift cards for a domestic violence survivor until she was able to financially support herself.
- Purchased holiday gifts for the children of a family when the primary caregiver passed away unexpectedly.
- Helped a first generation college student with college entry expenses, a laptop, filling out applications, and finding a summer job.
If you know of a family that needs our help, please contact us at (978) 369-7442 extension 229 or email us at [email protected].
The need for assistance
Local families are affected by job loss, illness, divorce, and unexpected repair bills. There is a need for emergency financial assistance to help these families pay their bills for the basic necessities of shelter, transportation, food, utilities and health care. The chart on the left provides a snapshot of the breakdown of assistance provided by the Concord-Carlisle Conference in calendar year 2023. Each year we provide aid to more than 50 families.
How you can help us help others
Our work is solely reliant on private donations to provide temporary financial assistance to our neighbors in need. Your donations enable us to quickly respond to requests for assistance in paying critical household bills such as food, utilities, and rent. We provide this assistance to our neighbors regardless of their faith, background, or personal circumstances. Please consider making a donation today.
You can also help by joining The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul as a Vincentian volunteer.
What’s New
Fall Outreach 2024
Our annual outreach effort began on September 21-22, 2024. Goals included raising awareness, recruiting new members, and soliciting donations.
Second Chance Cars Award Ceremonies
A unique aspect of the Second Chance Cars approach is the award ceremony that marks the presentation of the car to its new owner.
SVdP Meeting June 2024
The SVdP Concord-Carlisle members met in-person for the first time since the onset of the covid pandemic.