Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul West Central Province
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul West Central Province
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul West Central Province
"Human Trafficking happens in Southeast Asia, not here in the US". No, surprisingly to many people, Human Trafficking is occurring in Jacksonville, Florida and throughout the United States...learn more on page 6 in the May 2011 ASJ Newsletter
The Daughters and Vincentians open website for their advocacy efforts via their NGO status at the UN...visit the website
The faces of human trafficking: newborns, deaf mutes, migrant workers, Asian women and men in sweatshops, families fleeing worn torn countries. Human trafficking is the 3rd largest revenue producer next to guns and drugs...learn more on page 4 in the November 2010 ASJ Newsletter
Learn about slavery in our world today.
The acronym DREAM signifies “Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition”...full story
In 2009 people documented cases of human trafficking around the globe on SlaveryMap.org , passing the 1000 mark before 2010!!
This is a valuable tool showcasing real incidents of modern-day slavery around the globe. A resource which can now impact legislation, persuading the public and lawmakers alike of the prevalence of this issue in our world.
Visit SlaveryMap.org to view or contribute cases of human trafficking!
A new exhibit titled "Who Knows Tomorrow?" tells the stories of extremely neglected and rejected people from seven countries and how the Daughters of Charity work to assist them...full story
The Advocating for Social Justice Committee, with approval of the five US Visitatrixes, has endorsed the Interfaith Platform on Humane Immigration Reform...full story can be found on pg. 6 of June 2009 ASJ Newsletter
Dear members of the Vincentian Family – United States and Canada:
Vincent de Paul encourages us: “Proceed quietly, pray a great deal and act together.”
You are invited to register for the 2011 Vincentian Family Gathering, October 20-23, 2011, in Indianapolis, IN.
Our theme promises great opportunities for our service to persons living in poverty: Vincentian Family Together Building Bridges Out of Poverty.
The GOALS of the meeting are the following:
We will continue our commitment to systemic change through
Please click here to see the FACT SHEET . The link to the registration website is included on the FACT SHEET. We will be accepting registrations until August 31, 2011 – act now!
Thank you,
Vincentian Family Collaborators
Clermont Fortin, Fr. John Freund, Gayle Johnson, Kellie Willis, Fr. Lou Arceneaux, Mary Ann Dantuono, Maureen McMillan, Roger Playwin, Sheila Gilbert, Sr. Cj Willie, Sr. Catherine Mary Norris, Sr. Elyse Staab, Sr. Julie Cutter, Sr. Kieran Kneaves, Sr. Martha Garcia, Sr. Mary Ann Daly, Sr. Mary Matthew Labunski, and Sr. Pat Evanick
In recent Social Justice News, we shared information about the Daughters of Charity serving In Haiti. We also included information about the newly-formed Zafen effort to support sustainable, economic development projects in Haiti—an effort supported, in part, by the Vincentian Family. Sr. Carol Keehan, D.C., President and CEO, Catholic Health Association of the USA, would like to share some additional, encouraging news about Haiti...read Sr. Carol Keehan's letter
Gayle Johnson, President-elect Ladies of Charity USA, reflects on the US-Canada Meeting – Systemic Change, November 2010
Revisiting the “Ten seeds of Systemic Change” in the life of St. Vincent in Belleville was a source of inspiration and motivation to continue to move the Ladies of Charity forward in our journey of systemic change. The emphasis will be on education, collaboration, growing interpersonal relationships, and advocacy...full story
In 2009, the number of Americans living in poverty reached its highest level in 51 years. Where are America’s poor? Visit famvin.org where you will find an interactive map which allows you to roll over each state to see its poverty rate, along with those for children ages five through 17 and for children under the age of five.
Although the DREAM Act (S. 3992) had passed in the House on December 8, on Saturday, December 18, the Senate rejected a motion to bring the DREAM Act to the Senate floor for debate and vote. Sixty votes were needed to pass the motion; it failed by a vote of 55-41, dashing the hopes of immigrant students and their advocates.
While the failure of the DREAM Act is a huge disappointment, it was gratifying to see the faith community come together on this issue, and commit to continuing to fight for justice for immigrants. Thousands of young adult DREAMERS will continue to organize.
The legislation would have extended conditional legal status for five years to undocumented immigrants who were younger than 16 when they entered the country; have lived in the U.S. for at least five years; and have a degree from a U.S. high school, or the equivalent. Beneficiaries would have been able to apply for an additional five years of conditional nonimmigrant status if they had completed at least two years of higher education or military service. Afterward, they could have applied for permanent legal status. As a member of the Catholic Justice for Immigrants campaign, CHA supported this effort to make citizenship available for many younger immigrants. More information is available on the Justice for Immigrants website.
New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau have highlighted the worsening conditions for the poor and uninsured in the U.S. over the past year. The figures show a 9.4 percent increase in the number of people without health insurance in 2009, translating to some 50.7 million individuals. In addition, 44 million Americans lived in poverty last year, an increase of four million over 2008. In a press statement, CHA said the increase in the uninsured was not surprising given the economic downturn, but also expressed the hope that health reform will eventually enable 32 million people currently without any health coverage to obtain meaningful, affordable insurance.
“Dallas Morning News readers were probably startled at the June 24, 1954, front-page story that appeared under the headline “Negro MD’s to Practice in St. Paul’s.” The story explained that the more than 300 white doctors at St. Paul’s, a hospital established and operated by a Catholic religious order, the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, had voted unanimously to extend privileges to five black physicians.” See the Dallas News for the full story
Daughters of Charity stand in solidarity with immigrants. The PBS video linked here describes the reality of persons living in Mexico, especially the city of Juarez. The Sisters in El Paso, Brownsville, and other border towns stand with them and call for comprehensive immigration reform as well as changed policies to protect those fleeing the violence.
Watch the story that PBS's Religion and Ethics did on the violence in Juarez. The story once again highlights the importance of some type of legal immigration relief for Mexicans affected by the violence and who have fled Mexico and entered the US. At the present time, the Department of Homeland Security is rejecting asylum petitions from Mexicans fleeing the violence on a wholesale basis. Tens of thousands of Mexicans are now living in hiding in El Paso and other border cities because there is no legal avenue available for protection.
In his announcement of the 350th Anniversary of the deaths of St. Vincent and St. Louise, Fr. Gregory Gay highlighted the need for a concerted effort to help the poor of Haiti. By pooling the resources fo the international Vincentian Family and the Haitian Diaspora, real change can be effected in the poorest nation in the western hemisphere.
We are enthusiastic about the myriad ways in which members of the Vincentian Family can become active in Zafen.org. The website offers you the following ways to get involved:
In response, please consider these opportunities:
The Daughters of Charity houses situated in Port-au-Prince have been severely damaged and the Sisters have become homeless having to sleep outside in tents. They are trying to give basic services (nursing care, nutrition and accompaniment) in the middle of the general chaos. As soon as the disaster struck Sisters from Santo Domingo and from Porto Rico left for Port-au- Prince to be available for the wounded. They also sent provisions, medical supplies and other aid by trucks from Santo Domingo and by small planes from Miami.
One of our Sisters - Sister Brigitte Pierre - died as a result of the earthquake and two other Haitian Sisters lost close members of their families. Moreover all the Sisters of the Province feel the sadness at the disappearance of so many people, the poor, friends, and benefactors, members of the Vincentian Family, Clergy, and Religious... The situation is heart-breaking.
In response to a call from the Company, several Provincials have offered Sisters who are nurses to go to Haiti as part of a DC Assistance Team. Each team will remain about three months and be replaced by others. The generosity of the Provinces has been extraordinary. On the 20th of January four Sisters (from the Provinces of Albany and Great Britain) arrived in Port-au-Prince, via Santo Domingo, to help the people. At the beginning of February, ten other Sisters (from the Provinces of Argentine, Bogota, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Madrid St Vincent, Pamplona and Seville) will join this team.
The first Sisters came to Port au Prince in January 1973 from Porto Rico. Currently, there are thirty one Sisters of ten nationalities – 14 of whom are Haitians – living in five local DC community houses. Four of these are situated in and around Port-au-Prince and the fifth is in Gonaives. The Sisters serve in schools, dispensaries, Social Centres and are engaged in Pastoral work.
by Sr. Carol Keehan, DC
President and CEO, Catholic Health Association of the USA
In health care, the voice of faith in the public square is more important now than ever before. Catholics and others must continue to insist that we use our collective experience, wisdom and sense of the common good to create a health care system that safeguards human dignity for everyone—from conception to natural death.
read full article: page 1 November 2009 Advocating for Social Justice Newsletter
by Sr. Elizabeth Greim, DC
Macon is a small city between Atlanta and Savannah. It is a very quiet southern town. The demographics are typical of the area, with a 36% poverty rate and issues with race relations. Macon has some wonderful features and some that are not so pleasant. But Macon would never have thought of itself as a haven for sex trafficking…until recently!
read part 1 on page 1 in the June 2009 Advocating for Social Justice Newsletter.
read part 2 on page 3 in the November 2009 Advocating for Social Justice Newsletter.
Daughter of Charity, Sr. Mary Jo Swift, presents information as part of her work with the South Texas Coalition on Human Trafficking.
In this video Sr. Elizabeth shares about how she got connected to the efforts to end human trafficking in Macon, Georgia.
Federal, state and local governments spend approximately 1.1 billion dollars annually on healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants, aged 18-64, or approximately $11 in taxes for each U.S. household. This compares to 88 billion dollars spent on all health care for non-elderly adults in the U.S. in 2000. Foreign born individuals tend to use fewer health care services because they are relatively healthier than their native born counterparts. For example, in Los Angeles County, “total medical spending on undocumented immigrants was $887 million in 2000 – 6 percent of total costs, although undocumented immigrants comprise 12 percent of the region's residents.”
(Source: The Rand Corporation, “RAND Study Shows Relatively Little Public Money Spent Providing Healthcare to Undocumented Immigrants,” November 14, 2006, http://www.rand.org/news/press.06/11.14.html; Dana P. Goldman, James P. Smith and Neeraj Sood, “Immigrants and the Cost of Medical Care,” Health Affairs 25, no. 6 (2006): 1700-1711)