About SSVP Toronto
Content
For 170 years, the volunteers and staff of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in the GTA have been helping those in need in their homes and ours.
Our diverse outreach addresses food insecurity in local communities, and includes professionally run shelters, recovery programs, summer camps and much more.
Content
Governance
Related to the International Vincentian Family, the Greater Toronto Central Council is an independent corporation operating within the Archdiocese of Toronto. Voting members of the Corporation are the Presidents of the Conferences and Particular Councils and members of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is responsible for the oversight of the Corporation, working with Committees and staff in carrying out our mission.
Content Columns
Mission Statement
The Greater Toronto Central Council of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul provides shelter, financial assistance and related programs throughout the GTA, to address the human impacts of poverty, while providing leadership, coordination and support to its local volunteers, and advocacy on behalf of those we serve.
Values
Compassion, integrity, trustworthiness, honesty, transparency, teamwork and accountability, as set out in the Rule of the International Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
Content
The Logo
The fish is the symbol of Christianity and, in this case, represents the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.The eye of the fish is the vigilant eye of God seeking to help the poor in our midst. The crossing at the tail or the tie-knot represents unity and oneness among members and also the union with the poor. The circle bounding the logo signifies the global or worldwide stature of the SSVP, an international Society. The words serviens in spe mean to serve in hope, the hope that comes from Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Content
An International Organization
With over 900,000 volunteer members in 139 countries, the Society has remained true to its roots – providing assistance and addressing the root causes of poverty since it was founded by Frederic Ozanam in 1846.
Founded in France by Frederic Ozanam in 1846, the Society has grown to encompass over 900,000 volunteer members in 139 countries.
Vincentian outreach is consistent across the globe. Members work in small groups of about 10 to 20 organized called Conferences. Ordinarily, Conferences are associated with Roman Catholic parishes, but each Conference is directed by a lay person elected by the members. Most Conferences receive moral and spiritual support from the parish clergy and financial support from the parishioners.
The fundamental principle of the entire organization is subsidiarity: each level has only the responsibilities that those on the lower level cannot or should not assume. This fosters a spirit of initiative at the levels closest to the needs of those we serve.
The Conferences are connected through a network of larger organizational units called Councils. A group of 6 to 12 Conferences in the same geographic area is called a Particular Council and is directed by a President elected by the Presidents of the Conferences of which it is composed. Similarly, there are Central, Regional, National and International Councils whose roles are to provide support and direction and undertake work and projects that are beyond the legal or practical scope of the smaller groups which comprise it. In appropriate situations a Council will establish a legal corporate entity to manage the complexities of a specific outreach which is usually termed a “Special Work”. That Corporate entity will be subject to the civil laws of the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated.
Throughout the world, close ties unite the Saint Vincent de Paul Conferences with other Vincentian Family organizations, notably the Daughters of Charity, the Congregation of the Mission and the Confraternity of Charity (AIC), as well as the Brothers of Saint Vincent de Paul.
