St Vincent De Paul Society Tumut opens new space

Members of the St Vincent de Paul Society Tumut officially opened their new space, the Blessed Rosalie Rendu House, with a blessing from Father Percy VG.

Located on Merivale St, the new premises were made possible by a generous bequest from local community members, Ian and Sadie Barbour.

“These new, large premises allow our Vincentians to expand the services they can offer the community,” said John Feint, President of St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn.

“We know that, across the country, almost half of the assistance Vinnies provides is in the form of food. We now have space for a larger food pantry, and these new premises also provide better privacy for our companions seeking assistance,” he said.

“The larger space also allows us greater creativity in the manner in which we provide assistance. We want to create community and social space; a place where people can come together and support each other, and learn new skills,” Mr Feint added.

Last year, the members of the St Vincent de Paul Society Tumut assisted 113 households in the region, providing $12,709 worth of assistance to people in need.

“By opening this space for community use, our members will be able to reach even more people. Through the extension of Vinnies good works, our members in Tumut are bringing Ian and Sadie Barbour’s wishes to fruition, when they said they wanted to help everyone, not just one or two,” said Mr Feint.

“The new Vinnies premises will be named Blessed Rosalie Rendu House after one of the Society’s founders. Sister Rosalie Rendu was a Daughter of Charity in the early 1800s in France. Her dedication to working with the poor led to her being known as the ‘good mother of all’.

“So known was she for her work with those in need that when Frederic Ozanam and his friends wished to start an organisation to serve Christ in the poor, they sought out Sister Rosalie Rendu for her advice and support.

“And so it is that the works of Blessed Rosalie Rendu became the footprint for how members of the St Vincent de Paul Society visit with people and offer support and assistance with love, respect, justice, hope and joy. She was a great teacher for going out and helping people,” he said.