Category: Donations

We are Searching for a New Home

Posted on by Dhyana Kearly

Spring Newsletter

Search for New Home

The old Pioneer Hospital, our current home, was sold. We must vacate the building by May 1st. High Desert Christian Academy purchased the building and plans to have the building ready for classes this September. We are looking for 3,500 SF of climate-controlled space with floors capable of supporting food storage. Please pray we find a suitable space at an affordable price, and we will not have to move into temporary quarters.

About St. Vincent de Paul of Crook County

We are the largest, lay Catholic charitable organization serving Crook County. More than forty volunteers provide food and emergency services to neighbors in need.

Our Pantry served an average of 224 households with 554 individuals per month over the last 3 months.

Our guests’ primary sources of income: Social Security Benefits (19%), no income (17%), full time work (14%), Social Security Disability (12%), part-time work (12%), undisclosed (9%), family or friends (5%), retirement or pension (4%), Supplemental Security Income (2%), and other (6%).

Pantry guests reported their living situation as renting (45%), unhoused (31%), and own their own home (24%).

Emergency Services provided $67,200 in assistance to 156 households these last 6 months, 93% of which was spent keeping 112 families in their home by helping them with rent and utility payments. Primary reasons for needing help included: emergency, no family support, loss of income, and no savings. Their cost of housing generally exceeded 50% of gross income. Neighbor Impact and Thrive, the big regional players in the housing support market, ran out of funds in December and refer clients to us. A very generous donor who thinks Prineville is a very friendly town has sustained our ability to help the people of Prineville.

Volunteers Needed

Are you looking for a rewarding ministry serving others for 3 hours a week? Volunteers serve in the Pantry, the office, and Emergency Service. Please call 541-447-7662 if you are interested in volunteering.

 

“Meat the Need” Benefits St. Vincent de Paul

Posted on by Dhyana Kearly

500 Pounds of Beef to Support Our Community

This 2020 year has been especially hard on families who are suffering physical and economic hardship, and so we are profoundly grateful for the generous gift donated by the High Desert Livestock 4H Club.

As part of the Club’s “Meat the Need” community service project, SVdP received a black angus steer raised by Saul Nunez. The Club partnered with Quail Valley Angus Ranch & Butcher Boys which allowed our organization to have 500 pounds of ready-to-give cut and wrapped packages of prime beef.

The High Desert Livestock 4H Club is led by Dennis Hilderbrand and Mark & Casey McKinnon. The 4-H members are shown below (from L-R): Michael McKinnon, Ira McKinnon, Grace Flitner, Joann McKinnon, Jenny McKinnon, Easton Perrin, Cash Wells, Saul Nunez, Paisley Wood, Nehemiah Becker, Taylor Eschevarria and Seth Smith.

This “Meat the Need” 2020 project did exactly that and many in our community are grateful!

Donors Support Keeps Us Focused on Helping Those in Need

Posted on by Dhyana Kearly

We very much appreciate the financial support donors have provided St. Vincent de Paul of Crook County during the Pandemic.  These donations have allowed volunteers and volunteer staff to stay focused on helping those in need.

Food Pantry business jumped in March, serving over 1,000 household members as the Pandemic shutdown hit home. However, as federal benefits flowed in, visits to the food pantry dropped off, declining to their lowest in May.

Inspired by Virginia Hilderbrand, a Board Member, we started delivering food directly to residents of local mobile home parks, starting the end of May.  Many were either not aware of our services or afraid to access them.  We are now back to providing food to over 1,000 people per month.  We have traveled to 7 mobile parks and plan to visit several more.

Demand for Emergency Services was highest in December and January, then trended down to very little in April.  Starting in May, demand picked up, and where it goes will depend on continuing federal and state benefits.  We work to fill gaps in rent relief not covered by State grants administered by Neighbor Impact.  Those seeking temporary shelter are mostly fleeing domestic violence.  We served 37 adults and 20 children in May and June.  We allocate $2,000 per month for Emergency Services.  When demand exceeds that amount, we are spending cash reserves or unexpected donations such as yours.

Thank you for your continuing support.

Charles H Kurtz
President

St. Vincent de Paul wraps up 2019 with gratitude for community support

St. Vincent de Paul wraps up 2019 with gratitude for community support

Posted on by Dhyana Kearly

St. Vincent de Paul releases 2019 Statistics

There are over 23,000 people living in Crook County. Thirteen percent of these people have income under the federal poverty level. That means 3000 people in our County need help just to survive. St. Vincent de Paul Society of Crook County’s mission is to help these people meet their basic needs. We couldn't accomplish everything we do without the generous support of this community. Today we are sharing our statistics for the past year, with a special note of appreciation for all those volunteers, community members, donors and supporters who made last year a success.

Statistics from our 2019 Year of Operation:

  • Ave. Volunteers  each Month     31
  • Volunteer Hours Works                6,000
  • Volunteer Miles Driven                17,600
  • Food Received, pounds                162,000
  • Households Served                        2,700
  • Total Guests Served                      7,300
  • Equivalent Meals Provided          110,000  (3 meals/day for 5 days)
  • Value of Meals Provided              $165,000 ($1.50 per meal)
  • Emergency Help Provided           $16,940

Local Company Collects Tons of Food for Pantry

Posted on by St Vincent De Paul

Rosendin Electric Donates 11,000 Pounds of Food

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Crook County (SVdPCC) Food Pantry continues its mission to serve the local community thanks to the help and generosity of community sponsors and supports. Recent efforts by Rosendin Electric on behalf of SVdPCC will provide local families in need with emergency food during vulnerable times.

pallets of donated food

The employees of Rosendin Electric collected and donated an impressive 5.5 tons of food, filling 12 large, heavy pallets for transport to the food pantry. Ten Rosendin Electric employees, all dressed in pink (below), sorted shrink-wrapped cans onto nine very large pallets. Seven pallets of nonperishable food were then loaded into SVdP’s truck.  Rosendin Electric then brought the remaining two pallets and loaded a forklift onto a trailer for offloading the pallets at SvdP.

The employees of Rosendin Electric collected and donated over 11,000 pounds of food filling 12 pallets last week to our Food Pantry.

The plan was to unload the pallets and place them inside the building ready for SVdP volunteers to unpack and put the food away the following day. However, volunteers discovered that the pallets were too large to fit through the door and they were also too heavy for the floor. Rosendin Electric volunteers wasted no time calling for backup and a Fortis Construction crew of 30 people quickly responded.  Together the group then unpacked the pallets and placed the food inside on shelves under the direction of the SVdPCC's Pantry manager.

Many thanks to Rosendin Electric for donating and sorting the food, and to Fortis Construction for volunteering to move the food into the building.

About Rosendin Electric & Fortis Construction

Rosendin Electric is the largest electrical subcontractor working on the Facebook site in Prineville.  At peak, they employed 450 electricians on the job.  Rosendin Electric works for Fortis Construction, the prime contractor on the Facebook site.