front row

dwyane wade

Excited to be part of SVdP’s spirit of changing lives one person at a time, the NBA All-Star and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is getting involved in “doing what God wanted us to do.”

Dwyane Wade and his mother Jolinda Wade (regular Phoenix Dining Room volunteer) make what is becoming an annual holiday appearance at the Family Evening Meal to distribute hundreds of gifts and other much needed items to families.

Thank you for all of your support Jolinda and Dwyane, and for being part of SVdP’s mission to change lives one person at a time!

children's dental clinic

Step into the hallways of our Children’s Dental Clinic. With over 400,000 children in Arizona having no access to dental care, our volunteer professionals are reaching out through local schools to assess more than 10,000 students’ dental needs. 

Spend some time with Dr. Ken Snyder as he gains the trust of his patients and performs those much needed miracles that will warm your heart with a child’s pain-free smile.

meadowlark lemon

Meet Meadowlark Lemon, formerly of the infamous Harlem Globetrotters, and now a regular volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul. 

Hear his inspirational story of "Visions and Dreams" and how he enjoys spending time in the service of others.  Join him in volunteering in one of our five charity dining rooms. The experience will move you!

ozanam manor

Come meet the residents of Ozanam Manor. 

Meet Carol and Heidi, real life stories that will hit much closer to home than will make you comfortable. Follow their journey from hopelessness to purposeful, as they rebuild their lives with help from the Ozanam Manor.

These women transform themselves and will transform you as well, when you share in their initial pain and ultimate joy in just a laugh...

stories of the homeless

"Charity must never look back, but always ahead...as the presesnt and future miseries it should alleviate are infinite."

This quote from Frederic Ozanam, founder of SVdP, introduces a montage of client and volunteer profiles.

Poignant and uplifting, these stories will touch your heart and validate Ozanam's vision of the need for infinite charity.

medical/dental clinic 1

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medical/dental clinic 2

Giving children better lives and brighter futures, empowering children with health education and exercise programs, and teaching kids how to make changes and live healthy lives—that is the work of the SVdP medical and dental clinic.

One smile at a time.

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medical/dental clinic 3

Eighty to ninety percent of children who come to the dental clinic are in urgent medical and dental need.

With kind, compassionate care in a kid-friendly atmosphere (there’s even a toy box!) children get the treatment they need while learning healthy habits for the future.

historic look at svdp

Only 25 men stopped in for a free, hot meal on the opening day of SVdP’s first charity dining room 1952, but as word spread, so did the generosity of volunteers.

Donations from local growers and merchants fed the growing numbers of visitors who came to dine.Through changing trends and turbulent times, SVdP has remained constant.

More than 30 million meals later, SVdP remains true to its mission—to serve where God shows the greatest need.

restoring hope

It can all change in an instant for a working poor family.

Illness, injury, job loss, family tragedy—these are all circumstances that can spark a dramatic and downward spiral leading to homelessness.

SVdP relieves the suffering and helps families regain self-sufficiency and self-respect.

a brief history

Which will prevail--the spirit of selfishness or the spirit of sacrifice?

This question, posed by SVdP founder Fredrick Ozanam, is as relevant now as it was when he spoke those words 175 years ago.

The Phoenix branch of SVdP was started in 1946 by a simple act of charity—the distribution of a few food boxes to families in need.

Today, thousands of dedicated volunteers prepare more than 1.4 million meals per year. And the caring extends beyond the kitchen; family assistance, job training and ministry to homeless and incarcerated get people off the street and back on their feet.

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kids' christmas shopping

Every year before Christmas, the Bell Rd. SVdP Thrift Store gives thousands of elementary school kids the opportunity to buy gifts for their family for only a dollar an item.

The excitement is palpable, and the joy contagious, as the kids overtake the store in a flurry of Christmas giving.

Everyone gets to feel like a child, as the stories touch the lives of the families and volunteers alike.

transforming lives

For more than 60 years, St. Vincent de Paul has been a trusted and caring friend to those in need. 

It is only through the help of generous hearts like yours that we can continue to serve the poor and transform lives. 

Here are the stories of a few of the people to whom we have been blessed to provide assistance.