With the COVID-19 pandemic, the St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria found itself in an extraordinary situation. Our 167-year tradition of face-to-face, hands-on approach suddenly became an issue which needed to be refreshed due to the new government guidelines regarding limiting social contact. And that is exactly what we have done! Rest assured, we are here and we will continue to play a vital role in helping people who need it most.

Our critical services will remain true to the Society's mission, while also keeping the health and wellbeing of our members, volunteers and employees top of mind.

• Our Welfare Assistance Line is open.
• Our Vinnies Soup Vans are operating under our new service delivery model.
• Our Vinnies Shops are open. 
• Our Vinnies NILS (No Interest Loans Scheme) team are still taking calls.
• Our Bushfire Assistance service continues to help people impacted by Victoria's recent fires.
• Our Box Hill reception (03 9895 5800) is open. 

Yes, our services are a little different at the moment but we are still providing assistance to people and communities in need, just as we have throughout our long history in Victoria. We are here for you.

Changes to our current works are:

Conference Home Visits

STATUS:	SERVICE OPEN	WELFARE ASSISTANCE LINE	1800 305 330
		MONDAYS-FRIDAYS	10.00AM-3.00PM

 

 

Our conferences are open with a staggered return in 2021.

Vinnies Soup Vans

STATUS:	SERVICE OPEN

 

MELBOURNE METRO		Our Fitzroy, Collingwood and Footscray Vinnies Soup Vans are delivering hampers to our friends on the street and people experiencing food insecurity in hotels, boarding house, towers and other residential areas.
Fitzroy Soup Van		Now running one street stop. When: Every Friday from 22 January 2021 at 7.30pm Where:  Federation Square COVID-safe plan: We will be managing the queueing system so that people will be quickly moved through and encouraged not to congregate. Our dedicated Vannies (Soup Van volunteers) will be helping to manage social distancing and will be distributing face masks, hand sanitiser and water bottles. We will have limited toiletries and other material aid, but will be taking down details of any additional requirements people have which can be delivered directly during our day-time service.
REGIONAL		Operations are open.

____________________________________________________

 

Vinnies Shops

STATUS:	OPEN FROM 18 FEBRUARY	CHECK MY LOCAL SHOP
	CHANGES TO OPERATION	NEW SHOP HOURS
	METROPOLITAN SHOPS	REOPENED CHECK HOURS
	REGIONAL MONDAYS-SATURDAYS	REOPENED CHECK HOURS
	SUNDAYS	REOPENED CHECK HOURS

MELBOURNE METRO		Most of our Melbourne metro Vinnies Shops are open. Please check your local shop hours by  by searching here.
REGIONAL		Regional shops operating normally. Please check your local shop hours by searching here

DONATIONS:
We thank you all for sorting your donations during lockdown and keeping them safe. Vinnies Shops will be gratefully accepting donations, which will need to be quarantined. In some cases we may need to temporarily cease accepting donations as we are anticipating a high demand and our volunteer-run teams will need time to sort through donations safely.

SHOPPING SAFELY:
To assure the health and safety of all our loyal customer and volunteers, we have COVID Safe plans with hand sanitiser, sneeze screens at our service counters, socially-distancing floor stickers and a maximum capacity at each of our Vinnies Shops. While mask-wearing is not mandatory in spaces less than 2,000 sqm, as per the Victorian Government guidelines we recommended wearing a face mask if you cannot maintain 1.5 m distance from other people.

Every second change room will be open.

You can still visit our eBay store.

We thank you for your understanding. Our volunteers are ready and waiting to safely welcome you back through our doors.

Remember: It is through your generous donation of goods and finances that we are able to provide our services. We do not receive any government financial assistance. 

 

Welfare Call Centres

STATUS:	SERVICE OPEN	WELFARE ASSISTANCE LINE	1800 305 330
		MONDAYS-FRIDAYS	10.00AM-3.00PM

 

 

Assistance Centres

STATUS:	SERVICE CHANGED	Interviews are to be arranged on an appointment-only basis.

MELBOURNE METRO		Remain closed.
REGIONAL		Remain closed or operating as a modified service.

 

Bushfire Assistance

STATUS:

SERVICE OPEN

CALL 13 18 12

 

MELBOURNE METRO		No change - Call centre remains remote on 13 18 12
REGIONAL		No change – remains a member assessment by phone

Vinnies NILS (No Interest Loan Scheme)

STATUS:	SERVICE OPEN	PHONE INTERVIEWS	03 5229 8829

 

 

The Vinnies NILS team are here to help if you need a safe, fair and affordable credit alternative to purchase goods or services that will improve quality of life for individuals and families on low incomes.

Phone interviews will be conducted or you can visit https://www.vinniesnils.org.au/ for further information.

Changes to this service are due to the government’s COVID-19 health directive to limit social contact which will reduce the risk to people we assist and to our volunteers.

Rest assured, that once this crisis is over, our services will be back to normal.

Material Assistance

STATUS:

SERVICE OPEN

CALL 13 18 12

 

Education Programs

STATUS:

SERVICE ONLINE

EMAIL US TO JOIN

linette.etheredge@svdp-vic.org.au

 

MELBOURNE METRO		No change – remains an online offering only.
REGIONAL		No change – remains an online offering only.

We are still here, but our Vinnies Education Programs have changed.

All our Education Programs are running via zoom with primary, secondary and VCE programs running on both Tuesday and Thursday 3.30-5pm.

Each week we will offer you six activities, we will ask you to send us something and then we will finish with a song. Most activities will have links to online videos to help and guide you along.

If you and your children would like to receive our education activities online each Wednesday please email linette.etheredge@svdp-vic.org.au and the education team leader will add your name to the email list.

Changes to this service are due to the government’s COVID-19 health directive to limit social contact which will reduce the risk to people we assist and to our volunteers. 

We hope to resume our normal programs in 2021.

Youth Services

STATUS:	SERVICES ON HOLD	QUERIES	YOUTH@SVDP-VIC.ORG.AU
			SCHOOLS@SVDP-VIC.ORG.AU

 

 

School workshops, services and programs are also currently on hold. We are being adaptable with the changes and are pleased to offer Skype sessions for interested schools. 

Want us to host your next Mini Vinnies virtually? Or run through a Vinnies workshop? Please contact the Youth Engagement Team to book in a session via schools@svdp-vic.org.au

We anticipate a return (Teen Camps, Kids Day Out, College Open Day and Roadshow) will be back to normal.

Should you have any queries at this time please contact the Youth Engagement Team via youth@svdp-vic.org.au

Prison Visitation

STATUS:	TEMPORARY HALTING AND
	STOPPING OF SOME SERVICES

 

• Prison face-to-face visits to cease.