Grounded in faith, Vincentians help those in need

By Enedelia J. Obregón | Senior Correspondent

Before the COVID-19 pandemic sent unemployment through the roof, one in seven Texans –– 14% of the population –– was food insecure, meaning they lacked consistent access to enough food to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.
Today with unemployment numbers at record levels, local food pantries and their main supplier the Central Texas Food Bank are overwhelmed. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Austin (SSVdP) is among the Catholic organizations trying to help those in need.
On a recent Saturday morning, people lined up at the food pantry at the Vincentian Family Center in northeast Austin. They included elderly people, young women with toddlers and babies, and men and women in their prime who had lost jobs. Volunteers helped those who were there for the first time to fill out forms. Some of the volunteers handing out food were also first timers.
Maria and Brian Levin, parishioners at St. Theresa Parish in Austin, started volunteering after seeing a notice in their church bulletin.
“We have to do something,” Maria Levin said. “People who can’t help with money can at least help here.”
Maria Levin said the Vincentian Family Center has the infrastructure in place, making it easier to volunteer.
Brian Levin considers himself fortunate to be able to work from home.
“There are an endless number of people who can’t work from home and are jobless,” he said. “Last weekend we had some Uber drivers who ... had been able to work until recently. This is all new to them.”
Michael Tullius, client services coordinator at SSVdP, said they saw a slight increase in people needing food prior to the stay-at-home order on March 24. That order led to immediate layoffs for people in the service industry such as restaurants and hotels.
“We had been seeing 130 people every week,” Tullius said. “Then it increased to about 160. Now it’s 200-plus –– 240 to 260.”
Clients can come for food every other week, Tullius said. They do not have to be Catholic to receive help.
The Vincentian Family Center gets food from the Central Texas Food Bank as well as from area grocery stores. It has been difficult to get food from grocery stores lately, he said. The center gets about 98% of its food from the food bank.
Staples such as eggs, milk, frozen meat and fresh produce are given out every week. This particular weekend bakeries had donated Mexican pan dulce, cupcakes, cookies and cakes.
“My daughter will like this,” said one woman as she admired a decorated cake. “Her birthday is this week.”
As of mid-May, only the food pantry is open at the center. Requests for help with rent and utilities are referred to the client’s nearest conference. Across the diocese, the SSVdP is organized into 41 parish-based volunteer groups, called conferences, with more than 1,000 volunteers serving those in need.
SSVdP leaders said larger conferences are helping smaller conferences that may not have as many resources.
At St. Joseph Parish in Killeen, six of the 56 members of the conference are providing food to those in need. If people cannot come to the tiny food pantry, volunteers drive to people’s homes to deliver the food, said Yovanna Browne, conference secretary.
“Many people don’t have transportation,” she said. “When they come to the building, we give out food bags. We’ll take food to those who are home-bound.”
Many of the volunteers are older, and the fear of contracting COVID-19 has kept most of them at home, Browne said. So the Killeen conference has reduced the pantry’s hours to Thursdays from 3-5 p.m. Six volunteers is just right, otherwise the pantry would get too crowded, she said.
Donations to the conference have remained steady, Browne said, and they can still help people with utilities and rent.
Roz Gutierrez, executive director of the diocesan SSVdP, said conferences are reporting a huge increase in the number of calls for help with rent and utilities. The society is able to help because they receive money from the Austin Energy Plus 1 Fund that sets aside money for people in need of utility assistance. Austin Energy customers can donate to the fund by checking a box on their utility bills and adding an extra dollar with their utility payment.
The society works closely with other food pantries, Gutierrez said. If one gets too much bread, for example, they will share with another pantry that did not get enough.
While clients in the past were able to select their food, COVID-19 has changed that.
“We can’t do that now,” Gutierrez said. “We prepackage it and give it out,” she said. “People also go through the line faster.”
It also makes it easier on clients, she said. People are walking up to the pantry after being dropped off at a nearby Capital Metro bus stop. Some come on bicycles. Sometimes two or three families carpool to the center.
She said people are having to make tough choices about their finances. Do they pay rent, utilities, other bills such as car payments or pay for groceries?
“People are also having to re-examine what is a need and what is a want,” she said, noting that it can be difficult.  
With so many unknowns, the SSVdP will continue to help people as best they can.
“They are the face of God,” Gutierrez said. “It’s not just about giving them food and meeting their needs. We listen and pray with people. God is calling us to be present to each other. This is what my faith calls me to do.”
The food pantry at the Vincentian Family Center is located at 901 W. Braker Ln. in Austin. It is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Monetary donations and volunteers are needed. Visit www.ssvdp.org or call (512) 251-6995 to help.