St. Vincent’s Awarded $673,000 Faith-Based Grant
By Brian Hom – Director of Communications

   St. Vincent de Paul Village, as a nationally recognized homeless
rehabilitation agency, received one of 21 national grants aimed at developing systems to instruct smaller agencies and groups on how to provide services most effectively to the homeless and needy.

   The Compassion Capital award is the first national funding endeavor for the Office for Faith-Based Initiatives, which will distribute $25 million to worthy organizations around the country. Funded by the Department of Health & Human Services, the $673,000 local grant will allow St. Vincent de Paul Village to partner with churches and other small outreach groups, providing them with the framework and skills to change the lives of our less-fortunate neighbors.

   While channeling such funding through existing agencies is a new approach, the idea of training others to follow solid examples is something that St. Vincent de Paul Village has advocated and been engaged in for some time.

   “We’ve been doing this for years, hosting teams from homeless agencies around the world,” said Father Joe Carroll, Village President. “They visit to learn about our uniquely successful approach, and how they can replicate it in their own communities. We’re happy to have the recognition – and the money – that allows us to reach out within our own community, and utilized the abundant goodwill of San Diego’s faith-based organizations to help our ever-increasing homeless population.”

For more on the Faith-based and Community Initiatives and the Compassion Capital Fund, please visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci.