Before covid the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Concord-Carlisle Conference would meet monthly in a small room in the church basement. The pandemic precluded these in-person meetings, but this did not stop us from continuing our mission to help our neighbors in Concord and Carlisle who need financial assistance. In fact, despite covid we have been able to grow our group and and increase our ability to assist our neighbors. During this time we were able to communicate via the telephone, email, and Zoom. We added a website for public outreach and a information portal for conference-only resources. Recently, we have held hybrid meetings with both in-person and online attendees. Finally, in June 2024 we were able to hold a fully in-person meeting, but we have outgrown our little basement room and had to move to a bigger space to accommodate all the members.
Prior the meeting, we enjoyed a pot-luck supper, which provided an opportunity to connect with each other on a personal level not possible via Zoom. 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.
