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Our Lady Star of the Sea Conference 

SVDP OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA CONFERENCE

REFLECTION - June 2020

"All beginnings are somewhat strange; but we must have patience, and little by little, we shall find things, which at first were obscure, becoming clearer." ~ St. Vincent de Paul

Have you ever had the experience of pondering something for days and can’t quite come to an answer?   I was in that mode for the past week or so, trying to figure out the message of this Reflection.  There have been so many impactful changes experienced by individuals and organizations over the past months and many vagaries that accompany them.  Thankfully, we are now able to move forward into the second phase of pandemic recovery, which for us includes reopening the SVDP Thrift Store and re-establishing some “normalcy” to our services.  All the while we must also comply with the social distancing and COVID-19 guidelines.  But truly, where are we going from here?

The answer to my pondering came in the context of the Homily offered during a livestreamed Mass this past Sunday.  My attention to the message was peaked as the Homilist started out with a reference to a passage from the popular “Lord of the Rings” trilogy written by J.R.R. Tolkien: 

In the story, there was a conversation between Frodo (the Hobbit) and Gandalf (the Wizard) about the evil sweeping through Middle Earth.  “I wish it had not happened in my time”, said Frodo.  “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times.  But that is not for them to decide.  All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

During this pandemic, followed immediately by an event which has given rise to deep social unrest and protest, we are all probably feeling like Frodo.  We wish it had not happened to us and, especially, not now.  And yet, here we are facing unparalleled struggles.  It is up to us how we will use the time and gifts given to us to go forward. 

At SVDP, we recognize that the needs of our neighbors will be different.  People who have lost jobs will require assistance beyond what is offered through the food bank or support in paying rent and/or utilities.  We also, unfortunately, anticipate that some Vincentians will be slow to return to their volunteer activity in the Conference because of the risk caused by the spread of the virus.  From these challenges also comes the opportunity to identify and employ the gifts given to us by God. 

Our hope is to use this time wisely, to be adaptive and effective in our changing world, providing useful service related to current needs. Foundationally, we must adhere more closely to our mission to grow spiritually in love and service to those in need and to each other, as well as provide others with the opportunity to share our mission of service.

I will close with some additional words of St. Vincent de Paul (1657):

“After the love of God, your principal concern must be to serve the poor with great gentleness and cordiality, sympathizing with them in their ailments and listening to their complaints, for they look on you as people sent by God to help them.  You are therefore intended to represent the goodness of God in the eyes of the poor.”

Lin Krell

President, Conference of Our Lady Star of the Sea

It is amazing to see God work through our mission here at St. Vincent de Paul. Although the pandemic, and very recent social crisis, represents our current environment we have diligently applied ourselves each day here in faith. I think that faith and perseverance are key during times like this to stay the course. Our course has been to keep serving our community by providing much needed food, assistance, shelter, and keeping our staff employed as long as absolutely possible. During the month of May we served 1,797 more Kitsap County residents with over 40,700 lbs of food. The Birkenfeld-Stella Maris House women's shelter kept in full 24/7 operation with modifications as outlined by the CDC and local health authorities. 

Community and Teamwork continue to be hallmarks of our service. In May we partnered with a local non-profit, Seeds of Grace, to prepare a community garden in our vacant lot between the Assistance Office and Thrift Store on N Callow Ave. Our community garden will be used by our local residents, our shelter residents, SVDP Staff and Volunteers, to provide food for our foodbank and local homes. Gleaning from the spirit of Victory Gardens that were planted during times of crisis in years past we hope to increase moral, inspire those around us, and help beautify our community. Contact our Assistance Office if you would like to reserve a plot, we begin planting on June 6th!

We love our volunteers and would not be able to operate without them! In May we saw 27 diverse new faces join our team. With their help, we kept our foodbank in fool swing through our innovative drive-through social distancing experience. 

During the pandemic we opened our new on-line store and we know that some of you took advantage of this new feature. Even though we had to close our Thrift Store for a short time, we took advantage of the closure to conduct some good old-fashioned Spring cleaning! Our store has never been so bright and now boasts a new layout. We moved electronics, luggage, and several household items up to the Annex. We increased our clothing area and provided a better showcase for our beloved dishes.  But the wait to shop in person is now over, we opened our doors once again on June 1st under full Phase 2 compliance. Stop by and see your "new" and improved Thrift Store and enjoy our Grand Re-Opening sales!

Joseph Crain

Executive Director

St. Vincent de Paul, Bremerton

DONATIONS NEEDED

Although St. Vincent's in Bremerton has needed to modify it's operations to comply with safe hygiene practices during the Corona Virus outbreak, we still have the ability to provide assistance through our Conference Office and Women's Shelter. Many in our community are seeking assistance for their basic needs and are hopeful that St. Vincent's will be able to help them during this very difficult time. Please consider donating through this website and with your prayers we will be able to continue our mission of serving those in (great) need. 

Please pray for our volunteers and employees who are continuing the work to provide for those we serve in our community. And of course, pray for those who are in need. May this be a time of spiritual discernment when people turn to the Lord and give their lives to Him.

 Starting in February 2020

All Active Duty or Retired Military will receive a 20% discount at our

Thrift Store & Furniture Annex

Monday through Saturday as a Special Thank You for your Service.

Must show ID. 

This offer will resume when the Thrift Store Re-opens

 SVdP Thrift Store - See Us on FACEBOOK

                       A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO                                                         EAST BREMERTON ROTARY CLUB                                              FOR THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE                        BIRKENFELD STELLA-MARIS WOMEN'S SHELTER

A Short Video on the Work of St. Vincent's 

CLICK HERE for more information from the SVdP National Website

Find Us Here

Cash donations can be made here. Thank you.

If you prefer, you may specify where you would like your donation to go when filling out the dontation form. please specify in the note area: Conference General Fund, Assistance Office, Women's Shelter, Thrift Store or for specific needs (rental, utility, funeral expenses, etc.) Thank You!

Assistance Office

Thrift Store

Stella Maris Shelter

Friends of Stella Maris

 Birkenfeld - Stella Maris    Women's Shelter

  Current Needs

The Birkenfeld-Stella Maris needs “Celebrity Cooks”. If you have time to spare and would like to serve by preparing a meal for our women and children please contact Chellie at (360) 373-4505. Contact the Housing Solutions Center at (360) 473-2035 for more info about bed availability.

Thrift Store Donations   Click here to see Current Donation Information

Thrift Store

Current Needs

The Thrift Store needs volunteers ASAP! Click here to see our monthly calendar and available Volunteer positions, or call the Thrift Store and talk to Melinda or Debra at (360) 377-2929, extension #3. Volunteering is a great way to “Help Us Help Others”.

Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish Website

Holy Trinity Parish Website