About Us! Our Mission & History

“There is no form of charity foreign to the society.”

~Frederic Ozanam

The St. Vincent de Paul Society is an international charitable lay Catholic organization established in 1833 by Frederick Ozanam, a student. Challenged to put his faith into action, Ozanam created the Society and named it after Vincent de Paul, a saint noted for his work with the poor.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society originated in the United States in 1845, in St. Louis Missouri. and has since spread to every state.

Each participating Catholic parish has a group of volunteers who meet regularly and do outreach. These church based groups are called Conferences. For your nearest SVdP Conference; call your local catholic church.

The first St. Vincent de Paul Conference on the Pacific Coast was established in Portland Oregon in 1869, gradually starting Conferences in cities around the state.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul began the Mid-Willamette Valley District located in Salem, Oregon in 1957.

Public Notification Policy

In accordance with Federal law and US Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.