University of Dallas News

Issue date: 9/16/08 Section: News

Dinner and Discourse on Tuesday, Sept. 9, featured representatives from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Dallas and Fort Worth. Executive Director Liz Disco-Shearer and Associate Director Jim Butler shared their experiences with the organization in a talk entitled "How does the Church help the poor?"

This title goes all the way back to the foundation of the society. In 1833, a French student named Frederic Ozanam and his friends (all Catholic) were posed this same question by a critic of the Church. Frederic was especially touched by this question, and he and his friends formed a small group to help the poor of all religions by giving them food and fuel for their homes. He also wanted to enhance the spiritual lives of his friends (and others) by having them actually perform charitable works instead of merely discussing the problems of the poor.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been in the North Texas area for over 50 years, helping people pay their bills and buy food. They also provide emergency disaster relief, and though they are not usually first responders, they are sometimes called in times of great need. Recently, Disco-Shearer, Butler and two others were sent to Baton Rouge, LA to help residents survive the power outages left in Hurricane Gustav's wake. They brought two truckloads of "critical goods" like diapers, baby formula, sanitizers, water and non-perishable foods.

"The area looked like a war zone," Disco-Shearer said of Baton Rouge. "But I was amazed at the tenacity of the residents. As we sat among the broken power lines, damaged homes and uprooted trees, I remember one resident saying, 'It could have been worse, we are alive!' Our SVDP Dallas Team felt so blessed to be able to help those in need during one of their most trying times."

Volunteers are always needed, especially in the areas of adult education, and simply collecting donations. Disco-Shearer emphasized that the society was not only concerned with "giving hand-outs, but also hands up" by addressing the causes at the root of poverty. Those interested in volunteering can email their questions to ldisco@svdpdallas.org.

The society will also be sponsoring a Friends of the Poor walk at UD on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be a 1k and a 5k walk to raise awareness of the daily challenges faced by the poor.

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