[ FEAST DAY  |  27 SEPTEMBER ]

Vincent de Paul was born in the small southern French town of Pouy (later renamed Saint Vincent de Paul in his honour).

He ministered to the wealthy and powerful. However his appointment as chaplain to a poor parish, and to galley prisoners, inspired him to a vocation of working with people most marginalised and powerless.

The Society was named after Saint Vincent de Paul and follows his teachings and compassion for people in need. Saint Vincent de Paul is the international patron of the Society.

“Deal with the most urgent needs. Organise charity so that it is more efficient… Intervene with authorities to obtain reforms in structure… there is no charity without justice.”

Birth: 24 April 1581, Pouy, France  |  Death: 27 September 1660
Canonised: 16 June 1737

This year's A Call to Serve was held on Saturday 29 August 2026 at St Clare’s Catholic Church, Box Hill North.

The A Call to Serve project honours the contribution of our members and volunteers, who have been steadfast in delivering outstanding service to the people we assist.

We congratulate this year's honourees:
Mary Atkins, Margaret Gearon, Dennis Mirabella

Read their stories and watch their inspiring videos.

Pete* never imagined he could lose his job, his home and struggle to afford food.

After his marriage broke down, Pete’s mental health spiralled. He lost his job, then his home and eventually found himself going hungry.

Nutritious food and practical support helped Pete start rebuilding his health and his life.

This Spring, a warm meal can be the first step towards a fresh start.

The first Vinnies Shop opened on 1 October 1926 at 214 King Street, Melbourne.

Our presence in the City of Melbourne was short-lived but today, across Victoria, we have 119 Vinnies Shops with 6,200+ volunteers providing assistance to people in need, raising essential funds to support our good works and offering friendship to all.

Our Maribyrnong social housing project reached new heights and on 2 September, less than one year after breaking ground, the highest structural point has now been reached on the development.

This milestone was marked with a Topping Out Ceremony, bringing together the team and project partners to celebrate how far the development has come. Guests included Councillor Mohamed Semra, Mayor of Maribyrnong, Assistant Treasurer & Member for Fraser, Hon Dr Daniel Mulino MP, and Federal Member for Macnamara & Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness, Josh Burns MP.

The Maribyrnong development will provide 83 new social and affordable homes for Victorians experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 

Victoria's first Vinnies Wedding Pop-Up was a great success with 720 very happy customers, 1,800+ items sold and 1,000+ dresses found new homes.

Queues of people lined up outside and inside the shop for the fitting rooms but patience was a virtue. Our customers happily chatted while they waited and were not disappointed once they enter the shop.

Some customers made a huge effort and travelled from Wodonga, Sydney and Tasmania to get that special dress.