Today a good friend sent me some wise words about the pain of rejection and healing powers of communion with people. This was timely since today I finished up the appeal to the International Office of suspension from the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP). SVDP is the largest lay Catholic organization in the world and is dedicated to serving God’s blessed, people in need. To be rejected by the Society would be, among many, the largest rejection I have received from an organization. I say I can handle it but with each rejection there is pain.

I have written to local and national members of the Society a final appeal called Cry of the Poor to St. Vincent de Paul Milwaukee but like my other petition and requested it was ignored. The very small group of local staff and leaders are too hard of heart to hear or respond to this message but out of love for the Society I cannot ignore it. Here is an Amendment:

Amendment of Final Appeal of Cry of the Poor to St. Vincent de Paul Milwaukee

Dear SVDP members and staff in Milwaukee, USA National Office and International office,

A priest friend recently reminded me of the legal phrase Quaestio facti precede quaestio iur. It means questions of fact must be answered before question of justice or right can be addressed. In my many efforts to work within the means provided by the Society I have always tried to make statements based on facts and asked you, if I was incorrect, to please correct the facts of the statements. However, as revealed in the 81 pages given to the appeal committee and International President my statements of Vincentian principles and facts of how the poor were being neglected were consciously ignored by SVDP central office staff and small and select group of members, led by local President.. Instead efforts were made to ignore, marginalize and suspend me while ignoring the messages. I have forgiven the people involved in this uncharitable act of injustice and hatred but still feel compelled to correct statements on fact that I made that are not correct.

I have said Milwaukee was one of the “poorest cities in the USA” but new data states that Milwaukee is the second poorest city in the USA, 2nd only to Detroit. Milwaukee remains the most racially segregated city in the USA and with the largest incarceration of African Americans in the State which is number one in USA and USA is number one in the world. (See M.A.P.S for data http://www.nonviolentworm.org/Main/MAPS )

I stated the “central office budgets” of Society in Milwaukee has gone up to around 3.5 million dollars with only about .03% of this budget is used for ‘direct services’ like food for meal program or money to needy conference”. My math was wrong. If you take the money for direct for services by members to people in need in the central office budgets the correct number is 4.5%, not .03%.

There is no factual basis to ‘fact’ in new fundraising brochure that 91.5% of every dollar went directly to support people in need.” SVDP Manuel clearly states:

“Councils may receive funding requests from charitable organizations outside the Society. Funds donated to the Society, however, must be used only for works that involve the personal service of Society members. The Society does not raise or contribute money for activities, no matter how praiseworthy, in which its members are not personally and substantially involved. We must honor the intentions of our donors, who have chosen to give to the Society, rather than other organizations, with the expectation that their gifts will be used for Vincentian work and no other purpose.” (Manuel of St. Vincent de Paul Society of USA p. 37)

Even if Milwaukee SVDP could count taxes paid to city of Greenfield, condo fees, interest and payments on loans
for new store and compensation for forty employees serving the people in suburban store in white Greenfield (where household income is twice that of Milwaukee}, the number does not equal 91%.

After the last meeting I attended before suspension a member, now the Secretary on the Board told me that my statement “SVDP conferences have to pay the Thrift stores 100% of retail value of donated clothes, household items and new beds” was false. I have researched this information with store fact sheets, treasures of conferences and store officials and it remains true. I have checked with councils throughout the USA and have not found one that requires conferences to pay 100% of retail value, except Milwaukee.

The fact that the number of calls to central office by people in need, the number rejected since SVDP no longer serves certain areas of poverty or the conferences do not have access to funds donated to council and central
office has been removed from eyes of members as the purpose of SVDP thrift stores primary mission to “Serving Christ’s needy, does not change the Mission of the Society.

You can chose to ignore the amendment as you did to Cry of the Poor to St. Vincent de Paul and many other appeals by members based on the Rule and Spirit of the Society. Indifference or Ignoring people and facts is the “opposite of love” but that is your choice. The poor and those who serve them cannot afford to ignore the question of facts behind the questions of justice.

May the Blessings and Grace God only gives to the poor and marginalized be with you,

Bob Graf
Member of Society of St. Vincent de Paul from 1992 −2015 and Catholic Worker since 1967

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