To help 3000 poor families, Vincentian Church of Paul in Indianapolis performed miracles of "multiplication of loaves" from the generous hearts of benefactors, from the commitment to manage the work of the benefactors. volunteers, from everyone's strong faith....
Vincent de Paul Church in Indianapolis has the largest relief depot in the Midwest, or possibly the largest in the United States, providing food to 3,000 needy families each week.
The impossible becomes possible
There are no miracles here, maybe the impossible is made possible thanks to the combination of organization, ingenious resourcefulness, generosity, strength and faith of volunteers. John Ryan, president of the Paul Vincentian Society in Indianapolis, says his organization always has enough food for their poor customers. It is thanks to the generosity of benefactors. "There hasn't been a day that we haven't had enough food for them," he said.
Customers choose their own food
A well-organized system ensures the best efficiency in the work of the Society, from the entrance to the parking lot. Customers who enter are given a ticket with a number and the same number on their cart, so that they can recognize it as their vehicle and load the goods from the vehicle onto their own vehicle for delivery. go home. After receiving the vouchers, they went through the canned food aisles, the food boxes, to choose the foods. Customers can choose their food from 150 different options. Mr. Ryan said that in the customer-selected grocery store, the amount of food wasted is reduced by 40% because customers actually choose what they want to eat and his Society provides them with what they want to eat. .
Before Thanksgiving, the Indiana grocery store received 200 fried turkeys. Volunteers choose a day to distribute and so these 200 chickens "fly" out of the warehouse that day.
Miracles through resourceful contemplation
The Society's budget for food purchases is about $330,000, which means an average family only gets $2 a week. But the reality is that each week, families receive food packages that cost between 50 and 70 dollars, according to the price purchased at the store or supermarket. This may be a “miracle” that turns out to be as much of a biblical one, but it is made possible by the resourceful leadership that employees have gained from decades of negotiation and knowledge of the market.
Miracles of generous hearts
Some of the food the organization receives from food vendors for charities or donated by benefactors. Others were purchased at very low prices from the Indiana ball food banks. Others are bought in bulk at flea markets. Sometimes the delivery trucks can't enter the supermarkets, instead of having to take them away, they call the organization to give to the poor.
The Modern Disciples of Jesus
The Paul Vincentian Society of Indianapolis operates entirely on volunteers. These individuals, with their own unique abilities, do everything from organizing food distribution to directing traffic to tax inquiries. A main group of about 20 volunteers, mostly retirees, runs the entire operation; They work from part time to full time. About 300 more people join the work once a week. Thousands of non-permanent volunteers, including those working in schools and business organizations, find opportunities to participate in general services.
“I think it is the Holy Spirit who works when he draws people or sends them to our organization,” said Ryan. He is also a volunteer at the food depot. He also believes that it was the Holy Spirit who helped the Paul Vincentian Society have enough money to carry out its activities. He estimates that about 6,000 benefactors contribute to the Association's charity fundraisers, which are held every three months.
Despite the large number of people the organization serves each year, its leaders do not get caught up in the numbers. Mr. Ryan said he combats cynicism simply by understanding poverty and trying to reach out to those living in poverty. “I can tell you the number in my head,” he said. I can tell you that one in seven people in Indianapolis live in poverty. I can tell you that a third of these, about 35%, are children.”
Mr Ryan also added: “The number has no meaning. You go to these people, look them in the eye, they are just as kind, grateful and generous as anyone you meet.” He also asserted that the poor just want to hope and pray to God for that gift. If the mountains of food being delivered by the Vincentian Society each day is any sign, then God is certainly at work among the poor of Indianapolis, it's just that His disciples wear jeans. greens and distributes fried turkey rather than raw fish.
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