Saint Vincent de Paul: General Assembly Report, May 4th, 2025
Saint Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Society of Roseville, founded in 1983, is the largest privately funded supplier of human services in South Placer County. St. Anna’s Church has been actively assisting SVdP for over sixteen years. Our main contribution is providing volunteers from our parish to assist in their food kitchen eighteen times a year. We also take leftovers throughout the year from our parish luncheons, potlucks, and festivals to be served during their Sunday meal.
SVdP’s food kitchen offers a hot meal five times a week for those experiencing homelessness or financial hardship. No questions are asked and no I.D. or paperwork is required. Anyone can receive a lovingly prepared meal! It is served restaurant style with personalized touches and a welcoming atmosphere. It brings a sense of humanity and community to those going through difficult circumstances.
We serve 9:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m., the second Tuesday of every month plus the first Thursday of every other month. Our work includes preparing and serving a meal for approximately sixty clients and cleaning up. We use Signup Genius via our website to organize volunteers for this ministry. Three to four participants are needed each workday; no experience is required, but the volunteers must be over the age of fourteen. The link is also in the church bulletin each week.
Recently, we have had some of our volunteers come up with meal ideas. John Mayne, the SVdP dining room manager, will obtain the necessary ingredients through various grocery stores or the SVdP warehouse. During the Thanksgiving season, some of our parishioners made a delicious turkey chili, which was much appreciated by the clients.
The past year we have had a steady stream of seasoned volunteers, many trained by Markella Magliola of blessed memory, along with new parishioners. It has been a wonderful way to engage in both fellowship and service within our church family. Beginning in December 2023, we were able to move from the pandemic restrictions of bagged lunches to serving the clients hot meals. Oftentimes, this is their only meal of the day. John has commented that the clients really enjoy interacting with our group.
In February 2024, we began a new initiative called Saint Anna’s Helping Hands. We conduct an ongoing collection of toiletries, such as travel sized shampoo, deodorant, and body wash. Socks and hats for the winter have also been donated. Each month the items are delivered on our service day for the volunteers to put bags together. Some of our parish youth also do service projects to collect these items. John then distributes the bags with the meal. The bags are graciously received and highly appreciated by the clients. Items can be donated in a bin next to the coffee after each Sunday liturgy.
SdVP and John Mayne have created a safe, predictable, and influential service in Roseville for over two decades. It has been an honor to be the organizer for the Saint Anna chapter of this ministry. Being able to witness first hand the impact these meals have on members in our community has been extremely impactful. I truly appreciate all the efforts of our volunteers this past year! And we are always very excited to welcome new volunteers.
With love,
Annie Moore
____________________________________
Young Adult Fellowship Group Update – May 4, 2025
St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church – Roseville, CA
The Young Adult Fellowship group, serving members ages 18 to 35, has seen encouraging growth and engagement in recent months. Since January 2025, when the group welcomed a new coordinator, membership has increased from approximately 48 to 63 individuals.
The group meets monthly for fellowship, social connection, and spiritual enrichment. While gatherings were paused in March and April due to a combination of school schedules, work obligations, weather, and the observance of Great Lent, enthusiasm within the group remains high. The most recent event — a game night hosted at a member’s home — saw an attendance of 16. Looking ahead, a lake BBQ for May has already received over 30 RSVPs, signaling strong interest and continued participation.
Additionally, several members took part in a special visit to San Francisco earlier this year, where they toured the historic Old Cathedral of the Holy Virgin under the guidance of Bishop James.
The group continues to thrive with minimal challenges and is looking forward to a full and meaningful summer season of fellowship and growth.
