ABOUT US

The St. Vincent de Paul Society is an international Christian voluntary organization formed in Paris in 1833 by Frederic Ozanam. Placed under the Patronage of St.Vincent de Paul, it is inspired by his thinking and work. It seeks, in the spirit of justice and charity, to help those who are suffering poverty in whatever form. He wanted to prove that our faith is not dead but lives in charity work and public life.

In Slovenia the organization was founded in 1876 under the name of Vincent's Society and operated in small groups called Vincent's Conferences. For a long time it was the only lay representative of charity work in Slovenia.

The organization effectively addressed various problems of that time helping the most disadvantaged. It also played the main role in delivering help during the Ljubljana earthquake. Soon after the World War II, the association ended.

In 1994, it came into existence again. Today, it is called the Association of Volunteers of St. Vincent de Paul. It has a status of humanitarian organization and has provided a compassionate response to the needs of the most vulnerable in Ljubljana and other communities since 2006.

Meeting the needs

The criticism that our faith is dead is still present today. When the Association of Volunteers of St. Vincent de Paul was founded, we tried to find out who the people in need are and who could we encourage to work with us.

The most obvious sign of poverty can be seen on the streets of Ljubljana. With no doubt, the homeless represent the bottom end of our society. However, homeless people are not the only to be socially disadvantaged. The problem of social deprivation is in fact much more complex as it may look at first sight.

What causes povertyč How to find an answerč While we were trying to find the right answers to these questions, it was getting clearer that homelessness was just the tip of the iceberg of a much bigger problem. In fact, homeless people are products of dysfunctional families and broken homes. Homelessness which today has a different image - substance dependence - shows that family wounds deeper and the need for healing is greater today. Thus, our task is to build a home wherever we are and to create a network of relationships based on strong foundations in order to prevent a breakdown.

Consequently, we do not work only with thehomeless but we are also dedicated to educate all generations, fromchildren to parents. Our work is always aimed at building up trusting relationships based on the gospel. In this spirit we have made a manual for confirmands called Največja pa je ljubezen (Love is the greatest) and we plan to make one for parents as well.

We also provide marriage counselling and therapy which is based on creating genuine relationships.

The Volunteer Training Program which is developing through an active work with the homeless, youth and children offers young adults an opportunity to develop their working skills in a friendly environment wherethey can develop personal growth and resolve their inner conflicts. 

The President of the Association of Volunteers of Saint Vincent de Paul: 

dr. Peter Žakelj (040 226 884), peter.zakelj@siol.net

Day Centre Manager and volunteer coordinator:
Simona  Stegne (040 753 425)

Public Relations:
Nuša Zavašnik 040 346 487
Tjaša Nemec 051 238 045

Head Office:
Društvo prostovoljcev Vincencije zveze dobrote Miren 216 5291 Miren

info@drustvo-vzd.si 

Dnevni center za brezdomce: Plečnikov podhod 1 1000 Ljubljana

CHECKING ACCOUNT AND TAX NUMBER: 

Checking account: SI56 6100 0001 6125 821 
Tax Number: 93926383