Episode S3:08: Paul Kaiser
Paul Kaiser, President, St. Vincent de Paul
“We are all here to assist each other in reaching our full potential.”
Paul Kaiser is president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Punta Gorda local chapter, or “conference”, St. Vincent de Paul Sacred Heart Conference, Inc. The Sacred Heart Conference is the largest in the world. They have 400 volunteers. The Sacred Heart Conference is unique in not having a store. Funding to maintain its ministries is sustained by donations.
St. Vincent de Paul conferences and the church are normally organized in a close locale to a Catholic church; but are not part of the church. St. Vincent de Paul in Punta Gorda, which is located at 25200 Airport Road, receives 35 to 50 clients, “neighbors,” per day to receive assistance, when they are open. During the summer, this summer increases to between 45 to 70, because of the loss of the seasonal employment in the hospitality industry.
The Sacred Heart Conference offers food, clothing, housewares, furniture, financial assistance with rent and utilities, education and home repairs. A very effective program that they offer is in providing assistance for education. They have found that if a person can gain new skills or a trade, they are less likely to need their services.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in Paris in 1833. It is now in 140 countries, with about 800,000 members who operate through conferences. A Conference may be based out of a church, school, community center, hospital, etc. and is composed of Catholic volunteers who pursue their Christian growth in the service of the poor. The society’s first conference in the U.S. was established in 1845 in St. Louis. In 2015 the nation’s membership exceeded 97,000 in 4,400 communities. Revenue is raised through a large network of thrift stores for some conferences. In Charlotte County there are four conferences: St. Maximillian Kolbe, San Antonio, St. Charles Borromeo and Sacred Heart. Collectively they comprise the District Council of Charlotte County, and within the Catholic Diocese of Venice, there are 10 counties: Charlotte, Hendry, Glades, Sarasota, Manasota, Lee, Collier, DeSoto, Highlands and Manatee.
The St. Vincent de Paul Sacred Heart Conference is located at 25200 Airport Road, Punta Gorda. Their phone number is (941) 575-8770.