Vinnies: Faith in Action
Ann D’Souza
Vinnies are the younger members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. They work with adult Vincentians to support the Society’s mission for human dignity and integrity, to seek to relieve those in need, and work to redress situations that adversely affect people.
In New Zealand there are over 15 Vinnies Youth Conference Co-ordinators. The Conferences aim to develop young people by encouraging them to meet, plan and take responsibility for their outreach activities.
Youth Conferences in secondary schools have junior and senior Vinnies who offer their skills, time and talents to help those in need of clothing and food, or who are lonely or living in poverty. The Conferences are supported by schools’ directors of religious studies, teachers and youth co-ordinators.
Every year more than 150 Vinnies from local secondary Catholic schools are involved in voluntary activities to reach out to community: – helping the homeless, the Soup Kitchen, the elderly, food appeals, the Night Shelter, the annual Caritas Lenten appeal, supporting new refugee children, fund raising for those in third-world countries, and supporting Challenge 2000.
- Vinnies from St Patrick’s College actively supported a classmate who passed away from cancer, through the ‘Relay for Life run’ to raise funds for his family and other cancer patients at Wellington Hospital
- St Mary’s College Vinnies donate baby clothing for pregnancy help organisations and teenage single mother shelter House of Grace.
- Bishop Viard Vinnies make cards for the sick and lonely at the local hospital, collect for the local food bank and help at Vinnies Op shop.
- Chanel College Vinnies fundraise for children to go on school camps. Sacred Heart Vinnies help with card-making, toiletry packages and food collections for the Homeless Women’s Shelter.
- St Bernard’s College Vinnies serve as collectors for Te Omanga Hospice, Catholic Social Services and visit and entertain elderly at local rest homes.
We hope our Vinnies who leave school will continue to serve at their local parishes, or at their universities to continue in the footsteps of Frederic Ozanam who founded the SVDP Conference at university with his group of friends.
Every year we hold national youth formations and we run an annual regional Vinnies Mass to bring together all the Vinnies in our region to celebrate. The next is at St Patrick’s College Kilbirnie in August this year.
Ann D’Souza is Wellington Vinnies Youth Co-ordinator.