Society of St. Vincent de Paul Rapid City Diocese District Council
Founded in Paris in 2016, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Rapid City Diocese District Council is an organization of lay Catholic volunteers in the greater Black Hills area of South Dakota. The Rapid City Council consists of five local conferences: Lead/Deadwood, Piedmont, Rapid City, Spearfish/Belle Fourche, and Sturgis/Newell; the volunteers offer person-to-person service to neighbors in need. Although The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a Catholic organization, we offer support and services to persons of any faith in our communities.
How can we help you?
Our local conferences offer person-to-person assistance with personal challenges, provision of temporary assistance in emergencies and we also support identifying long-term needs and connecting friends with suitable professional agencies.
Our volunteers meet with friends requesting assistance with a personal home visit to get to know you (and your family) in a comfortable environment. If meeting at your home isn't possible, other arrangements are possible.
Assistance offered by the local conferences may include:
- Access to food
- Personal needs such as diapers, hygiene supplies, etc.
- Education programs to assist in making life changes
- Connections to other resources that offer assistance services
- Help with housing and bills
Love INC is hosting a Getting Ahead program presented by the St. Vincent de Paul Rapid City Conference. This program is supports friends in making life changes to move out of a cycle of poverty.
Lead/Deadwood
The St. Patrick/St. Ambrose Conference provides assistance to friends in Lead, Deadwood, Nemo, Central City, Cheyenne Crossing and other nearby communities.
Contact the Lead/Deadwood Conference at 605-717-6860
Piedmont
The Our Lady of the Black Hills Conference provides assistance to friends in Piedmont, Somerset, Black Hawk and other nearby communities.
Contact the Piedmont Conference at 605-389-6739
Rapid City
Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (including the St. Therese The Little Flower and Blessed Sacrament parishes) Conference provides assistance to friends in Rapid City, Hermosa, Box Elder, Ellsworth Air Force Base and other nearby communities.
Contact the Rapid City Conference at 605-718-5896
Spearfish/Belle Fourche
The St. Joseph/St. Paul Conference provides assistance to friends in Spearfish, Belle Fourche and other nearby communities.
Contact the Spearfish/Belle Fourche Conference at 605-269-0676
Sturgis/Newell
The St. Francis/St. Mary Conference provides assistance to friends in Sturgis, Newell and other nearby communities.
Contact the Sturgis/Newell Conference at 605-519-8583
Membership
Members join the Society, not because they are perfected in their faith, but because they seek to develop faith by living it both individually and communally with other members. Progress, not perfection, is what is desired in a member. The Society is for people who acknowledge the need to improve their living of the Gospel life and want to do so through the Society.
Our local conferences always welcome new members to join our ministry; membership is not limited to Catholics and there are no special skills or experience required. There are two types of Members in the Society of St Vincent de Paul: Active and Associate Members; we strive to have a diverse group of members to provide services in the diverse communities of the Black Hills of South Dakota.
- Active Members are those who participate regularly in the prayer life, meetings, and person-to-person service of the poor. Active Members are Catholic and are Members of a Conference.
- Associate Members are men and women who would like to serve but may not have the time to participate regularly in the meetings and works of the Conference, or are not Catholic.
If you are interested in becoming a member of a local conference, contact the leadership at the number above.
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
The Rapid City Diocese Council operates a Thrift Store in Spearfish to provide goods at discounted prices, employment opportunities, and financial support for the local conferences.