Young Adults Walk in St. Vincent’s Shoes

They come for breathing time before starting a career. They come to reconnect to their faith. And they come to experience living simply. They come for different reasons, but they all leave united in the experience of finding themselves in the service of others.

“They” are young adults who have participated in the Vincentian’s youth outreach programs.

“In my search for the monumental ways to serve and know God, I have encountered Him time and time again in … ordinary moments, small glimpses of God that inspire and encourage us to continue loving and serving,” said Suzette Smith in a reflection on her year of service with Gateway Vincentian Volunteers (GVV), which concluded in May.

Yearlong Programs

Based in St. Louis, the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers, like its progenitor in Denver, the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers, offers young adults ages 21 to 30 a yearlong experience of living in community and working with the poor in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul.

A unique aspect of the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program is that volunteers live not only in community with one another, but also with Vincentian priests and brothers, who occupy the same apartment building.

The programs run from August to June, providing volunteers a small stipend while they work directly with the poor through partnership with area service agencies. They might be assigned to work in health care, homeless programs, schools and daycare programs, emergency assistance centers, or with seniors. Volunteers are matched to programs by interest, ability, and need.

Some of the volunteers have just graduated from college and want to spend a year in service before entering the work force or pursuing further education. Others have been working for a while since graduation, but feel a call to service and a desire to learn more about themselves and what they want to do in the future. All the volunteers have a desire to grow spiritually.

“We want to instill in young adults a lifelong commitment to serving the poor and marginalized in our society,” said Jim Ryan, program director of GVV. Comments posted on the website of the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers reveals the impact of the experience on participants.

Kathy Temple wrote, “Honestly, this has been the best year of my life. The ups far outweighed the downs, but even the downs were life-changing, learning experiences. You can’t even consider the struggles downs because of what I gained from them. “The Vincentian vision is a vision I never want to lose sight of – I want to take it with me through life and remain passionate about things, enough to speak out more for the poor,” Temple wrote.

Weeklong Experiences

Young adults who want to actively connect to their faith through hands-on service to the poor don’t have to commit to an entire year, however. The Southern Missouri Project (SOMOPRO) and Vincentian Outreach Young Adults (VOYA) offer other options.

SOMOPRO is a long-standing program in which volunteers roof and paint homes for the poor in New Madrid, Missouri. New Madrid is one of the poorest counties in the United States, said Father Ron Hoye, CM, who is involved with SOMOPRO and founded VOYA.

For five days each summer, young adults ranging from high-schoolers to 30-somethings get up at 5 a.m., work hard all day, enjoy community and celebrate Mass each evening before dinner. They sleep on the floor of a local grade school.

“If it sounds tough, it is,” said Bob Burke, of Chicago, who has attended SOMOPRO for five years running. “It’s funny, but you forget how hard the work is,” he said. “It’s so rewarding to be outside, doing something really physical, and sharing time with people who share your values.”

The program takes about 25 participants, who come from all over the Midwest. Burke takes part in a caravan that starts in Chicago, winds south to St. Louis and then rolls into New Madrid as a group.

Burke enjoys seeing the results of his efforts. “The condition of some of these homes before we start is pretty bad. I like to see the finished product, how you made something better for someone else,” he said.

VOYA also offers hard work and rewards, with two weeklong sessions offered each year, one in summer and one in winter. In July, over 30 young people attended Project Louise in New Orleans, helping victims of Katrina gut and clean out their homes.

Fr. Hoye said he started VOYA in response to the desire of young adults who wanted to experience the Vincentian charism and put their faith into action.

“Many of our volunteers are looking for unique ways to engage their faith,” said Fr. Hoye. “Some are attracted to the hard physical work while others are more drawn to the community, reflection and prayer. In either case, the outcome is the same—young people on fire with the Vincentian spirit and recommitted to their Catholic faith. I think St. Vincent would be proud.”