St. Vincent de Paul assistance Whatcom County and Bellingham.
Get free items, financial help, transportation services and more from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Bellingham and Whatcom County. The SVDP parish, and the volunteers that work for it, try to help the poor and low income pay their rent, utility bills, food and other expenses. It can be direct aid or referrals. Note the assistance from the Society of Saint Vincent is generally a last resort - other local charities or government aid should be tried first.
The Society of Saint Vincent is based at Sacred Heart Church. All resources, whether funds to pay for housing or food from a pantry, the resources are very limited. Most of the programs rely on donations and/or contributions from volunteers and businesses in the Whatcom County region.
SVDP financial aid in Whatcom County
The are various forms of assistance that may be provided by St. Vincent de Paul. All resources are limited though. They include the following.
- Emergency bags of food, an article of clothing or a hot meal at the pantry.
- Low cost furniture from the thrift store. But clients of SVDP at Sacred Heart Church do need to pay for this.
- Possible funding for bus tickets or gas vouchers for local medical appointments or a job interview.
- Vouchers for prescription drugs.
- Information on utility as well as emergency rental assistance.
- Government and charitable homeless prevention. Find more details on homeless prevention and rapid rehousing in Washington.
When found qualified for aid, the funds maybe issued in one of two ways. In both instances, the money is not given to the applicant. But instead the cash will be transmitted to the party that is owed money.
- Loans may be used in some cases, but the repayment rate is favorable.
- Some clients of Society of Saint Vincent are given a grant for their bills, and this will not need to be repaid.
Free basic needs, food, clothes, and material goods
The Free Food Pantry is one of limited in capacity, but the assistance program is always in demand at Whatcom County St. Vincent de Paul. The charity as well as its many members are concerned by issues of hunger and poverty in the region, so the center was created to help address the needs of people who are struggling to put food on their tables.
In its current operation, the food pantry is staffed mostly by volunteers and relies on donations, contributions from Feeding America and other resources. It feeds hundreds of low-income families of all backgrounds from Bellingham as well as Whatcom County. It is a resource for all who struggle from surrounding communities.
Sacred Heart Church and the SVDP food pantry is a member agency of the Feeding America affiliations and receives most of its food from this source as well as private donations. In addition, the pantry relies on churches, the Salvation Army and United Way, community groups and individuals to help keep its shelves stocked.
Other basic needs and/or free vouchers may be provided too. They all rely on donations. Some are combined with financial aid (see above) and others are one-off, based on needs. Examples may be a free greyhound bus ticket for local travel to a job. Or money for a gasoline tank. There may be free winter clothes, hot meals for the homeless, and other goods. The Saint Vincent de Paul can also give referrals to clothing and furniture banks.
Applying to St. Vincent in Whatcom County
In general, referrals are given and the application process will take time. Programs are a last resort. The Saint Vincent de Paul Sacred Heart Church is located at 1110 14th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225. Call 360-734-2722.
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