Ministries

St. Vincent de Paul Society

St. Thomas Aquinas Conference 062

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a nationwide nonprofit charitable organization serving the poor around the world.  The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church responds to the needs of the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the homeless in our community.

We receive generous gifts from our parish family at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and distribute them to those in need.  Our SVdP Conference at St. Thomas Aquinas has 36 compassionate volunteers, men and women who generously give their time to serve others.  Our volunteers work in the food pantry, financial assistance ministry, and Pack-and-Sack program for students. 

Our Services

Food Pantry

Our food pantry is open two days each week: Monday and Thursday, 9:30 – 11:00 AM and 1:30 – 3:00 PM

We provide groceries and essential food items to about 120 families each month.

Financial Assistance

Our Financial Assistance team serves three days a week by managing our call line (727-372-8600 ext. 142).

We assist families experiencing financial hardship with:

• Utility bills
• Gas cards
• Bus passes
• Job search resources
• Other support services

Pack-and-Sack Program

Our SVdP team partners with other organizations to provide weekend snack bags for 50 students at Gulf Middle School.

Our Spiritual Support

The SVdP team at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church embraces the spiritual dimension of service. We express the love of God through our actions, attitudes, and words.

We pray before each service opportunity and listen carefully to those who come to us for help. When appropriate, we pray with families who visit our pantry or receive assistance. During home visits, we share faith, encouragement, and hope.

We also take prayer requests and include them in our conference prayer list. Our members meet twice each month, and during those meetings we pray for the people we serve.

Our mission is to serve the poor as we would serve the Lord, and through our service share the infinite and unconditional love of God with others.

Finally, our SVdP team would like everyone to know that the parish family at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church is a welcoming, loving, caring, and generous community. Whenever we ask for help, our parish responds with open hearts.

Our Funding

Our ministry is supported through the generosity of parishioners in many ways:

• Monthly collections at the church doors
• Financial donations and gift checks
• Food donations placed in the narthex, pantry, or parish office

To support our mission financially, checks can be made payable to:  SVDP at St. Thomas Aquinas Conference 062.