St. Vincent de Paul

Established in 2008, St Vincent de Paul Cabrini Conference is locally operated and funded Catholic lay organization the mission of which is to provide basic human needs services in Wausau area.  We collaborate with the United Way's 2-1-1 help line, Catholic Charities and the Marathon County Basic Needs Interagency Group to help individuals and families in need.  We also operate a successful thrift store that helps fund our mission and supplies the bulk of our "in kind" giving.  In addition, the store also offers grate opportunities to do meaningful and enjoyable volunteer work.  During the year of 2016, we distributed over $90,000 in financial support, food, transportation, clothing and household goods to those in need.

St Vincent's unique contribution to charity is the "Home Visit."  When we receive a call for help, we schedule a home visit, send in two of our members to meet with the "friends in need." During a home visit we often identify additional needs that have not been previously communicated by the person or family.  For instance: no stove to cook on, no beds to sleep in, broken windows, an empty pantry. We get many requests that are out of the ordinary such as repairing frozen pipes, paying for a car repair, helping people to move, paying for classes at NTC and many others.  Out mission's efforts are intended to "empower" rather than to "enable" those we service, to be a "hand up" rather than a "hand out." The financial aid we typically provide $400 and sometimes more. Monetary assistance is always paid to the verified provided, i.e. the landlord, the electric company or the auto repair shop and never directly to the friend in need.