Give money
You can be part of this compassionate work without leaving your chair – make a contribution online through our secure payment facility.
Give time
Join our team of members and volunteers who are ‘the hands and feet’ of Jesus – bringing comfort and relief to suffering people in their communities.
Give later
Leaving a bequest to SSVP is the painless way to give. It costs nothing now –only when you no longer need your money does it pass on to us.
Give useful items
Food, toiletries,second-hand clothing, blankets, household items, fabric, knitting wool, building materials and paint are always needed.
Being poor isn’t the worst thing
Even when you’re hungry or have no shoes to wear.
What hurts the most is the feeling that you are ‘invisible’.
People you pass on the street look straight through you, as if you aren’t even there. You’re not worth a second glance … a smile … or a friendly greeting. In an instant, your self-respect shrivels and dies.
On World Day of the Poor, Pope Leo challenges us to really ‘see’ poor people … and to think about our commitment to justice, solidarity and human dignity.
Rich or poor, we are all human. We all have hopes and dreams, fears and worries. And we can all understand the pain of being unwanted, ignored and feeling worthless.
As World Day of the Poor approaches, we challenge you to notice and acknowledge the beggar on the street corner … the old woman searching through garbage for something to eat … the car guard hoping to make enough tips to buy some food.
And if you can, please consider making a donation to SSVP towards our outreach programmes that bring so much hope and comfort to underprivileged people.
On 15 November – World Day of the Poor – Vincentians across the country will be out and about, visiting poverty stricken communities to bring fellowship and nourishing food to those who need it most.
With your help, we’ll cook up huge pots of stew and rice, and mountains of sandwiches to hand out to poor people at taxi ranks, street corners, and churches.
Because helping the poor is not just an act of charity, it is a matter of justice and solidarity. We are all equal in the eyes of our Lord. In the words of the Holy Father: “As Christians, we cannot remain indifferent to the many who stand at the door but remain invisible to those who are shut within their own walls.”
Please join our efforts to reach out, ‘see’ and relieve the suffering of poor people.
May God Bless you for your understanding and kindness to those who carry the burden of poverty every day of their lives.
Heart of our work
Our core work involves alleviating the worst human suffering in areas of abject poverty – where families live in homes made of cardboard or thin plastic … where unemployment and malnutrition is rife … and where parents are dying and leaving children to care for one another.
We help the hungry, the homeless, the sick, vulnerable children and destitute aged.
And because most of the work is done by volunteers, almost every cent you donate goes directly to helping those in need.
Recent News
SSVP Conferences out and about on World Homeless Day
Providing food for homeless people is one of our core activities. It was encouraging to see youth from Regina Pacis in Ladysmith getting involved, serving cooked food from Food for Life to needy people in their community on World Homeless Day.
“When I was in prison, you came to visit me” – Matthew 25:36
On Wednesday 7 October, a team from St Thomas More, Vryheid Conference spent time with female prisoners at Ncome Prison. We appreciate the love and compassion they showed in interacting with the inmates.
SSVP SA 170th Anniversary celebration in Cape Town
On Sunday, 27 September, the SSVP in Cape Town celebrated the 170th Anniversary of the Society in South Africa, which was founded by Alexander Wilmot at St Mary’s Cathedral in Cape Town in 1856.
Turning donors into volunteers … and friends
Calls for donors to help provide soup ingredients and other food items, empty margarine and yoghurt containers, and even pots of cooked food are answered with enthusiasm by the parishioners of st Joseph’s in Goodwood.
Get your 170th Commemorative Candle before stocks run out
On 17 November, 2026, the Society of St Vincent de Paul will celebrate 170 years of love in action and service to the poor in South Africa.
Get your beautiful commemorative candle to mark the occasion for just R130.
Mid-year treat – new school shoes for growing feet!
When your family has very little money, longing for a new pair of shiny shoes to wear to school is a dream that seldom comes true.
Unless, kind donors support our SSVP volunteers … selfless, committed Christians who see Jesus in the face of the poor people they meet.
Kindness by numbers
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What we do
Inspired by the compassion of Jesus Christ, we work with the poor and disadvantaged – irrespective of race, colour, creed or status – to provide relief and support.
Our desire is to offer a hand up rather than a hand out – so as to enable those we assist to break free from the cycle of poverty.
Online Donations
St Vincent de Paul Society is a Public Benefit Organisation (NPO 003/193) and all donations are tax deductible.
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