SSVP Brant understands the value of a good Christmas, especially to families with young children. So we support Brantford Food Bank in its Christmas Baskets program as they serve our neighbours in need.
News
Congratulations, Meghan!
In her last year as a student at Assumption College, Meghan Josling did a work placement at the St. Vincent de Paul Valu Shoppe in Brantford. Because she made such a connection with her fellow volunteers, Meghan returns to help out on holiday breaks from her schooling at Mohawk College.
Meanwhile Meghan continues her pursuit of excellence in sport. Check out this most recent news from the Brantford Expositor, Friday, February 9, 2018:-
SSVP Brant supports Soup for the Soul
Our community partnerships are very important to us. We support St. Andrew’s Soup for the Soul Program in their service to our neighbours in need.
A Bed for Every Child
The Bed for Every Child project was conceived to help alleviate some of the ill effects of poverty on children in the Brant/Brantford community. The goal is to provide a new bed to a child in an underprivileged home who would otherwise not have a bed in which to sleep. These children are currently sleeping on the floor or carpet or couch or are sharing a bed with parents and/or several siblings. The living conditions in these homes are personally witnessed by SSVP Brant home visitors, who engage in home visits to determine the extent of the need within these families.
Each conference (our Society’s groups) decides which family(ies) has(have) a child in need of a bed. Then, two members of a conference make a home visit and complete a Demographic Sheet for this family as well as a voucher for a new single bed when they feel it is appropriate. The completed Demographic Sheet is returned to the Particular Council President, who turns it in to the bed allocation coordinator. The completed bed voucher is left 
with the client who will redeem it at the store and arrange for delivery of the bed. For purposes of accountability, and in order to ensure that we are good stewards, the bed allocation coordinator keeps track of the money we are given for beds to ensure that it is spent on beds for children. The bed allocation coordinator also maintains a data base of those who receive a bed.
The need was first recognized 4 years ago, and various groups (mainly 1 local high school) have engaged in various fund-raising activities including pilgrimage walks, all-night sleep-overs, school dress-down days etc. that allowed the program to be established and sustained. The approximate cost per bed is $100. To date, over 280 beds have been given to these very under-privileged children. The provision of beds to these children has made a profound difference in the lives of the children as well as their families, which is of course part of our mission as Vincentians.
Steve Rigby Food Drive
On Saturday, April 8, 2017 over 10,000 pounds of food was collected to be distributed to the neighbours in need served by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul as well as Why Not Missions in Brantford. A very generous donation of Kinder Eggs and chocolate valued at over $10,000 retail was received from Ferrero. Various other companies and businesses provided large collections of food and cash leading up to the Steve Rigby Memorial Food Drive day.
Steve Rigby and his wife Clare, owners of Freshco on Clarence Street, Brantford have run a food drive with the help of Brantford Police Constable Scott Gibson, High School Resource Officer with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board for the past two years. Tragically, Steve Rigby died suddenly and unexpectedly two weeks ago however; his wife Clare, although understandably grieving his loss, insisted that the event carry on in her husband’s name because she knew that is what Steve would have wanted.
Officer Gibson was pleased and grateful, “I know that this event was near and dear to Steve and that is why I am so grateful to his wife Clare, her staff, and the Vincentian and student volunteers for working so hard. I want to thank all of the people who purchased a bag of groceries, donated cash and food, and the businesses that supported the event especially Ferrero.”
Peter Giordano, Vice President (Youth) and Kristine Paul, Volunteer Coordinator with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul expressed their mutual satisfaction, “We know that the neighbours in need that we serve will be very grateful for the food they receive.”
Officer Gibson with a crew of fellow Brantford Police officers, Vincentian volunteers and a number of students from St. John’s College Leadership class were there to help with the heavy lifting of water donated by Officer Gibson. They also loaded over 100 bags of groceries prepared by Freshco that were purchased by generous customers and other food donations from Freshco customers into the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul delivery cube van. As well, several people walking and driving by made cash donations. Two very generous, anonymous donors gave $500 and $100, respectively.
Inspired by this year’s event, Clare Rigby and Scott Gibson look forward to staging the Steve Rigby Memorial Food Drive again next year.
