Interview

I thought I'd ask my community partner a few questions to help explain what we did this summer! Here is what Mary Meissner had to say:

Why do you think "home-visits" are a crucial part to St. Vincent de Paul?
The mission, which is to lead people to come together for spiritual growth & provide person to person service to the needy & suffering follows the tradition of the founder and also the patron, St. Vincent De Paul. I think the “home visits” are the means of “serving in hope” to provide for the poor and suffering directly – person to person. We are to help them to know these things by our example of being caring compassionate people, not judging them, but raising their hopes and self-esteem.

What do you think 'home-visits' teach the people who go on them?/ What have you learned from them?
It teaches different things for each person: Provides understanding of the difficulties many people face with being poor, hungry, homeless, alone, depressed, having pride & difficulty asking family members for help continually or going to the food pantry or using food share or begging landlords and public service for extensions on their financial responsibilities in order to feed their children or pay medical expenses.
- I have learned to see people as individuals with issues specific to them. I’ve learned to listen carefully and hear things that surprise me, such as someone asking for a visit for help to get a piece of furniture, when really they need food more than anything (starving as we visit), or that all they really wanted was for someone to take time to listen to them and pay attention.
- I’ve learned what real patience and endurance is from visits – how strong people are to face and endure their difficulties and still maintain some hope. I’ve learned how gracious and thankful friends are when we come to the door, that we are sometimes their only visitor or their only contact that has given them the time of day to find out what they need.

Do you think it is important for youth to get involved in volunteering?
It’s important for youth to experience first hand, the feeling of helping others. When they find out how much happiness and satisfaction they receive from helping others, it encourages them to be kind and caring to people in general and to be interested as they grow into adulthood to continue that kindness and caring for people less fortunate than themselves. They learn to appreciate what life has provided for them no matter how little.
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I don't think I could have said that any better :)

-S