Mission

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) of Alameda County provides direct assistance to needy men, women and children in Alameda County. In 2008, SVdP served more than 100,000 needy people throughout the county. SVdP's Special Works division provides: Free Dining Room serving daily hot meals to the hungry; Food Bank that provides groceries for food pantries around the county; Drop-in resource centers for homeless and very low-income people; Health clinic, computer lab, educational classes; and Culinary academy and job training. SVdP's Social Enterprises division helps keep Alameda county green and offers job training for the poor. Our four thrift stores, an auto donation program and an electronic waste collection business divert hundreds of tons of material from local landfills. was established in 1938 and provides direct assistance to needy men, women and children. SVdP provides tangible assistance to persons in need through person-to-person contact. A key strength of SVdP is in the personalized delivery of help which makes it unique in its role as a charitable organization. The aid provided to the people we serve may take the form of intervention, advocacy, consultation, or often through the direct dollar or in-kind service. SVdP, at the same time, recognizes that it must assume a role of advocacy for those who are defenseless or unable to speak for themselves.