In June of 2021, St. Vincent de Paul Society’s St. William and St. Peter Conferences started the Homeless Backpack Program as a way to provide food for the homeless in the East Naples area. Since that time, the program has expanded to provide so much more than food. Available goods now include:
- toiletries
- clothing
- camping gear
- home-cooked meals
- bicycles.
Community support systems are made available as well, including:
- housing
- food stamps
- identification
- medical care
- financial assistance
- counseling
- substance abuse treatment.
Recently retitled SVdP Naples HOMe (Homeless Outreach Ministry etc.), this comprehensive program is designed to mitigate the suffering that the “unhoused” experience every day. Each Tuesday from 10am to 4pm, Vincentians open the doors of the HOMe program, located at 3174 Tamiami Trail E., to approximately 50 neighbors and meaningful, tangible, and spiritual assistance is provided. Vincentians who provide this care see that their helping hands make a difference for each homeless neighbor, one neighbor at a time. In our Catholic tradition, HOMe is acting as the helping hands of our dear Lord.
An article in Naples Florida Weekly points to the pandemic as a major cause of the increase in homelessness. “Whether they lost household income because of unemployment or through a family member dying, or whether they fled escalating domestic violence when cooped up amidst stay-at-home orders, some people are newly homeless or are teetering upon the brink.”
Thank you to our partners, Catholic Charities & the Homeless Coalition, in helping this program provide…
Consider supporting the vital work of HOMe in our community.