Walk for the Poor FAQ Page

 

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN AND PURPOSE OF THE WALK FOR THE POOR?

Each year, Conferences and Councils of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul host the Friends of the Poor® Walk, which raises funds and awareness for the Society’s work serving people living in poverty. Since 2008, the FOP Walk® has raised more than $27 million for those in need across the country. Last year (2025) was our first Friends of the Poor Walk in Scituate; we raised $30,000.00 and to date in 2026 have assisted neighbors in need with over $28,000.00!

While we walk on September 26, 2026 in solidarity with the National SVDP Organization, ALL funds raised by the Saint Mary of the Nativity SVDP conference will be used directly to assist our Scituate neighbors facing hardship.

 WHAT IS THE SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY (SVDP)?

The SVDP Society is a Catholic charitable organization dedicated to serving people experiencing hardship, poverty, or social isolation. It was founded in 1833 in Paris by Frederic Ozanam and a group of university students who wanted to put their Christian faith into action.

Our vocation is to follow Christ through service to those in need and so bear witness to His compassionate and liberating love. We are a  network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through person-to-person relationships with those we serve. Vincentians serve in hope.

 WHERE DOES SVDP PROVIDE ASSISTANCE?

The SVDP Society is active in more than 150 countries worldwide! Local groups are typically organized through local Catholic parishes. Each conference responds to the needs of their own community, so services can vary from place to place. The St Mary of the Nativity SVDP Conference has been serving our Scituate neighbors in need for over 65 years!

 HOW DOES SVDP FULFILL THEIR MISSION AND UTILIZE THE FUNDS RAISED?

The SVDP core principles of action are:

1: Person to person assistance:Vincentian volunteers meet directly with individuals to offer personal connection and understand their needs.

2:  Respect and Dignity: The Organization aims to help without judgement, treating each person with the utmost compassion and confidentiality

3: Practical Support: SVDP assistance may include food, clothing, rent and utility assistance, car repairs, transportation, disaster relief, and referrals to other services to name a few!

4: Spiritual Mission: While rooted in the Catholic faith, all Vincentians strive to see the face of Christ in all their brothers and sisters and provide them assistance regardless of religion, background or personal beliefs.

 DO YOU HAVE A FOP WALK GOAL?

 YES! We have a multifocal goal for the FOP Walk:

 1: RAISE AWARENESS: by asking all participants to become Fundraisers, they will be our key means of spreading the word to others of what we do to help those in need. This will lead to more referrals to our group as well as assist in raising much needed funds that make support possible.

2: RAISE FUNDS: We invite all participants to make a donation to the Walk, but most importantly to ask all friends and family to support their efforts to raise money for those in need by donating to the Walk on their behalf. No amount is too small!  Neighbor requests for aid were averaging about $300-$700. This year, we have seen the requests jump to $1500-$2000. Our needs are growing as the numbers of neighbors asking for assistance increases along with the cost of their needs getting higher and higher. We hope the 2026 FOP Walk is another huge success so we can continue our mission of helping all those in need!

3: ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY: by encouraging friends, family, co-workers, teammates, fellow parishioners and neighbors to come together and participate in this fun event, we build community but deepening relationships, building new friendships, and working together to alleviate hardship, sadness and the needs of our neighbors facing unforeseen difficulties. EVERY STEP COUNTS AND EVERY PERSON MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

4: LIVE OUT THE VINCENTIAN CALL TO SERVE: by visibly promoting compassion, solidarity and practical acts of charity, we show that Christ’s command to serve others is being responded to with enthusiasm, hope and love.

 AN I HELP?

Thank you for your interest!! Please consider joining us at the Saint Mary’s FOP Walk  on September 26, 2026! There will be 2 scenic loops to choose from, and you are also welcome to turn around at any point along the way.

As a walker you have the opportunity to solicit sponsors (reach out to family, friends, neighbors and co-workers and tell them about SVDP and what we do! Ask them to donate on your behalf, or in memory of a loved one. Consider forming a team  with family, friends or co-workers!

 If you are not able to join as a Walker, please consider volunteering, sponsoring or donating to this wonderful event! You can find us here:

https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Scituate/FriendsOfThePoorWalkStMaryOfTheNativityConference