September 23, 2026
Springfield’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) draws its mission from Catholic social teaching, calling us to “Welcome the stranger, protect vulnerable families, and uphold the dignity of every human person.” The Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers relief to ALL PEOPLE regardless of status, creed, race, or nationality. Because Springfield’s socioeconomic and cultural landscape has significantly shifted and emergency relief services are critical to our town’s well-being, volunteers provide humanitarian aid by combining poverty-relief with immigration-related services.
•We provide food, clothing, housing referrals, rent and utilities assistance, furniture, household, and thrift center provisions.
•We have offered interpretation, legal clinics and referrals, and various assistance regarding immigration and employment needs.
•We provide documentation for identification, (passports) for American children of immigrants to prevent family separation during immigration enforcement.
•The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has collaborated with Springfield advocates, to orchestrate ongoing community-wide immigration crisis response and support networks. This includes nation-wide relief and fundraising efforts to support local families as jobs and resources were lost.
How has the end of TPS affected the people that you serve at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul? The end of TPS has had a far reaching and extremely detrimental effect on the immigrants we serve and on those volunteers serving them. But we’ve also discovered untold riches and unexpected treasures among our community merely by loving and protecting our neighbors. We have become friends and family. We have invested in each other’s lives, collaborated with community ventures, and shared faith journeys, operated in solidarity.
Are guests less likely to come in person to Society of St. Vincent de Paul? The Community at SVdP has continued to grow, among immigrants and Americans alike, And the ecumenical spirit has blossomed as well. People from all denominations, Christians, Jewish, Muslim, Agnostic, people of good will come together as “Springfield Neighbors United” regularly to care for the needs of our marginalized neighbors.
What can well-wishers do to help their Haitian neighbors? The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) serves to relieve suffering, to foster stability and independent living, and to minimize disparities between social classes. SVdP services have included providing forms of temporal assistance and other necessities for independent living. SVdP provides emergency food, clothing, rent and utilities assistance, interpretation, passports, and court accompaniment. Many immigrants now need assistance to prepare for potential deportations.
SVdP will continue to assist all neighbors in need of these and other essentials. We greatly appreciate anyone interested in assisting with these necessities. Food and toiletries donations can be dropped off from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul, 2415 E High St., Springfield. Financial contributions for emergency assistance can be sent to P.O. Box 94, Springfield, OH 45501. For the Society of St. Vincent de Paul electronic giving, visit: WeSharegiving.org/app/giving/WeShare-2851. Churches and community groups around Ohio have begun initiating Food Box Assemblies and have been delivering them to Springfield SVdP and to other Springfield churches. Supporters interested in knowing more about this initiative, email: Director@svdpspfld.org.
Springfield Society of St. Vincent de Paul will continue building bridges between immigrant and non-immigrant communities, maintaining our focus on children and families. We pray that our country will choose a path that protects human dignity, preserves family unity, and reflects the values of compassion and justice that have long defined the best of America. We will continue to serve all people in this region; as we work together to facilitate independent living for those in need; and to model peaceful coexistence among us; as we live the values of spirituality, friendship, and service through acts of charity, solidarity, and social justice.
Casey Kelly Rollins
Volunteer Executive Director