St. Vincent de Paul Society

 St. John Church & Student Center

St. Vincent de Paul Society – St. John Church & Student Center

The St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. John’s helps neighbors in need through a variety of projects.  We welcome all members of the St. Thomas-St John parish community to join us in serving others:  as an occasional or frequent volunteer, as a member of our conference, or by way of supporting us through in-kind or financial contributions. 
Our current ministries include:

Food Cupboard:  Operating more than 40 Saturdays throughout the year, we annually provide more than 1,500 bags of groceries (dry-good and personal care items), produce and a $10 Meijer gift card to neighbors in need.  Additionally, during the 2021-22 academic year, a Mobile Food Cupboard delivers food and personal care items to needy MSU students and their families at multiple campus locations. If you would like to learn about volunteering, clickVolunteer Today!  
To support the work of the St. John Food Cupboard:  DONATE TODAY!

Returning Citizens:   Our ministry to those re-entering society after being released from prison currently focuses on providing food and personal care items.  We are actively seeking volunteers to help us offer additional assistance (e.g., mentoring, sharing an occasional meal shared with a returning citizen, etc.).

Feeding the Homeless:  Members and volunteers help prepare monthly meals at two locations in the city of Lansing, with as many as 150 guests served each month. Meals are prepared for guests of Advent House and Homeless Angels’ Sunday dinner in the park. Volunteers are also given the opportunity to share in fellowship with the guests.

Christmastime Assistance and Blessing Bag Projects:  Over the years, the St. John conference has coordinated various types of assistance to needy families at Christmas.  A new project for the conference is the assembly and distribution of “blessing bags” (snacks and personal care items).


History and Membership.   The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 by Blessed Frederic Ozanam in Paris, France.  Today, there are thousands of St. Vincent de Paul Society conferences in parishes across the world.  Membership involves an annual commitment to the founding principles of the Society as laid out in The Rule, 1.2:  The vocation of the Society’s members, who are called Vincentians, is to follow Christ through service to those in need and so bear witness to His compassionate and liberating love. 

If you feel called to serve neighbors in need while growing in your faith, we invite you to join us at our meetings held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.   Email us at St.JohnSVdPS@gmail.com or call Chuck Roboski (517) 281-4372) or Liz Pahl (989) 430-1932.