The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Northeast Ohio District Council is blessed to joyfully welcome our first SVdP Conference in Portage County, St. Joan of Arc – Streetsboro. With 10 active charter members, our new Conference joins our district council family having answered God’s call to serve their community neighbors in need. It is so fitting that our longtime, faithful friend and spiritual advisor, Father Frantisek Katrinak, Pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish, brought the opportunity to his parishioners to help grow a new conference. An invitation to their parish community was extended and many were moved to join. St Joan of Arc members had been looking for an opportunity to help and get involved with their community, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was a perfect fit. Todd Berczik, the St. Joan of Arc – Streetsboro SVdP Conference President shared, “There’s a strong need for more community involvement and for those of us who are more fortunate to help those less fortunate.” As the Conference begins their journey as Vincentians, they have focused their efforts on some initial goals: to get the conference up and running, allowing them to be more involved with their neighbors in need, and to eventually grow to have more conferences in Portage County which will allow even more neighbors to receive help through SVDP programs. These new members recognize a need for more community involvement, ultimately working to meet their neighbors in their homes with more services. St. Joan of Arc will explore programs such as meals on wheels for those not able to attend community meals or to visit some of the community food pantries.

Our new members hit the ground running in January as they kicked off their community meal program at the Stenson Center of St Joan of Arc.  They will serve a hot meal to the community the second Thursday of each month!  All are encouraged to come and there is no charge!  Doors open at 5:45pm and dinner is served from 6:00-7:00pm!