St. Vincent de Paul Louisville, a lay Catholic organization, serves individuals and families in need including those who are homeless, living in poverty, suffering from addiction, enduring mental illness or experiencing acute economic crisis. Founded in 1853, SVDP offers a continuum of care that includes food, shelter, affordable housing, counseling, quality out-of-school time programs for at-risk youth, and emergency financial assistance with rent and utility bills. Our organization assists people, regardless of their background or faith, with the goal of helping each person achieve self-sufficiency.
St. Vincent de Paul Louisville operates a community kitchen (Open Hand Kitchen), a client-choice food pantry, Ozanam Inn men’s emergency overnight shelter, domestic violence services, three local thrift stores, an enrichment center serving at-risk youth in an after-school setting (Family Success Center), as well as supportive housing for homeless families and adults. Our downtown campus has grown to address the varied causes of chronic poverty and homelessness including disability, addiction, and mental illness.
We provide shelter and permanent housing for up to 600 individuals including families both on campus and in scattered-site housing.
Mission
We house, feed, and support those in need with compassion and dignity.
Vision
We strive to build a community where opportunity and hope are available to all.
Values
- Respect – We respect the dignity and worth of all people
- Relationships + Engagement – We promote family, community, and participation
- Human Potential – We offer resources and opportunity for personal growth
- Accountability – We promote personal engagement and responsibility
- Collaboration – We partner with community to address unmet needs
- Spiritual Growth – We see Christ in those we serve, and lead by our Faith
- Equity – We strive to build an equitable environment for our clients, staff, donors, and community partners
By the Numbers (2021 Outcomes)
Housing
Permanent Supportive Housing (Downtown Campus and Scattered-Site Housing)
- 464 people found permanent housing
- 24% of the people served had three or more disabling conditions
- 76% of people exiting our permanent housing programs did not return to homelessness
- 82% of people we served were housed more than a year
- 34% of the people served increased their income
- 86 families with 192 children were served
Ozanam Inn and Veterans Programs
- 409 men were served in the overnight shelter for a total of 25,220 bed nights
- 19% of the men using the overnight shelter found housing through our services
- 54 men were served in the Veterans Program
- 78% of the men in the Veterans Program found housing
Feeding
Open Hand Kitchen
- 2,500 lunches and 3,500 dinners on average were served each month
- 72% of those served were satisfied with their meals
- 73% of people served were satisfied with the nutritional value of their meals
Food Pantry
- 450+ families each month received food from our Food Pantry
- 100% volunteer-managed program
Case Management and Other Support
- Our strength is in Case Management and Housing. Case Management is the primary component of real change in the lives of our clients. It is what differentiates us from other local shelter providers and is the most critical component in successful “Housing First” program delivery.
- Services need to be provided holistically to break the generational repetition of poverty and homelessness.
- Having been homeless is having survived a life-threatening traumatic event.
- 60% of SVDP clients have unmet mental health needs.
- The Veterans Administration has a significant unmet need for additional homeless services for men, women, and individuals struggling with addiction.
- The residents of Smoketown/Shelby Park are in clear need of assistance. As one of the most stressed census tracts in the Louisville area, 44% of families residing in Smoketown/Shelby Park live below the poverty line. Poverty rates for families with children present, with a female head of household jumps to 64%.
Serving
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program
- 455 households served by the program
- 97% of participants in individual counseling reported progress as a therapeutic goal
Family Success Center
- 105 children were served over the course of the 2020/21 school year, a time of pandemic
- During the summer program,
- 57 children were served in collaboration with JCPS in June, and SVDP served 33 children over the month of July
- 33 children registered for our summer camp, and 29 participated consistently, 16 of those children were new to our programs
- During the 2020-21 school year, we served 34 students who received support with Nontraditional Instruction (NTI)
- 93% of students completed all assignments during NTI, and 75% of students increased or maintained their grades
