Home » BSC St. Vincent de Paul Society

Blessed Sacrament Cathedral St. Vincent de Paul Society

The Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVdP) is a member of the Diocesan Central SVdP Council of Greensburg. Our conference sponsors various projects and events each year to assist our neighbors in need.  We are supported by the Parish Social Ministry, parishioners’ donations, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of goods through the Greensburg St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store.

Thank you for your continued support of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and our Greensburg neighbors in need.

Events and Projects

Home Visits/Assisting Neighbors in Need
We schedule home visits with our neighbors in need, assesses their situation and provide assistance where we can.  Our assistance will generally focus on helping with utility bills, food, clothing, medical costs and other basic family needs.  We will also provide information on where to and to whom our neighbors may reach out for additional help.
Betty’s Back to School Project
This program provides a new backpack, a shoe voucher and various school supplies for the children at of Our Lady of Grace Food Pantry.  We purchase these items during sale periods in order to get the best value for the funds we have budgeted.  The backpacks are provided to the families attending the August Food Pantry.
Coat and Accessory Drive
We coordinate a Coat and Accessory drive at the Cathedral each fall to collect winter coats and accessories donated by our parishioners.  The donated items are delivered to the Greensburg SVdP Thrift Store and are available for our neighbors in need, at no cost.
Food Pantry
In partnership with St Paul and Our Lady of Grace SVdP Conferences, and the Westmoreland County Food Bank we serve an average of 280 families per month at the SVdP Food Pantry located at Our Lady of Grace Parish, Greensburg.  Our conference sponsors a food station and the paper product station each month and our members volunteer time to serve those in need.  Distribution is normally the first Saturday of the month.
Magi Ministry
With the generous support of our faithful parishioners, other churches and business partners we are able to provide gifts and food for our neighbors in need during the Christmas Season.  The gifts and food are distributed to the families attending the December Food Pantry distribution.  Through this ministry we have been able to help meet some of the needs of our neighbors who are less fortunate.
Operation Fresh Express
We work with the Westmoreland County Food Bank to coordinate an outdoor food distribution six times a year.  The SVdP Conferences from Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Our Lady of Grace and St Paul parishes provide volunteers to assist in distributing the food at these events and also cover the minimal cost of getting the food to the location.  The Food Bank continues to provide thousands of pounds of food to those in need.
Paper Product Drive
The last weekend of each month the St. Vincent de Paul Society collects paper products (tissue, toilet paper, paper towels) for the poor in our community.  Baskets for donations are located in the Cathedral vestibule.  Paper products cannot be purchased with food stamps.  Many of the people we serve have few dollars beyond their food stamps each month.  Therefore, what we give them really helps.  We have an average of 280 families per month.  Based on parish donations alone this allows each family two items a month (two rolls of toilet paper or two package of paper towels).We appreciate all the paper products that you are able to give. Parishioner donations have been low, therefore, the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Conference supplements this by purchasing toilet paper each month. This money comes from the money that we receive each month from the Parish Social Ministry donations.
SVdP Thrift Store
The Greensburg Thrift Store is staffed with volunteers who sort and assist with the sale of donated items.  Goods are sold at nominal prices or given at no cost to those who cannot afford them.  The proceeds from the store are distributed to the Greensburg area SVdP conferences at different times throughout the year, which we in turn use to help our neighbors in need.  Clothing, shoes, and small household items may be dropped off at the store. If you have large items/furniture, please call the store before donating (724-836-1077).  The store is located at 126 S. Main St., Greensburg, PA.
Clothing Bins
This project is sponsored by the Diocesan Central SVdP Council of Greensburg, and involves the bulk collection of clean, gently-used clothing and shoes, not associated with the Greensburg Thrift Store clothing collection.  The clothing collected in these bins are delivered to a warehouse, managed by the Diocesan Central SVdP Council, where it is packed and sold in bulk.  The proceeds from these sales help support all the SVdP conferences in the Greensburg Diocese.  The bins are located in the parking lot of St. Emma Monastery on Harvey Avenue and the Knights of Columbus building on North Main Street in Greensburg.