​Community  2025-2026
Back 2 School Program

Please help spread the news! August 12th from 5 to 8 pm, Culvers is helping our Back 2 School program!

Come and Make Your Meal Matter! or Buy a Gift Card!  Much Gratitude to Marinette Culver's for their 15% support of all sales!

Our Vincentian volunteers will be bussing food orders, cleaning tables and greeting guests to welcome you, thank you for your support and share about our Back 2 School event!  Distribution of backpacks is August 21st at The DAR Boys and Girls Club in Menominee from 10 am to 2 pm by appointment.  Help us spread the word to your family and friends via email, text, or your social media accounts!

May the light of Christ shine in our hearts and radiate out to the world, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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 REGISTRATION - June 1st to July 15th: 

SJC-SSVdP covers Marinette & Peshtigo School District
Call  715-732-0147  or  leave message 715-735-9100 Ext 106

Salvation Army covers Menominee & Marinette Counties
Call 715-735-7448 or via website at https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/marinette/ 

Menominee County Dept of Health & Human Service FIP/FAP Recipients only - Call 906-290-2215

Distribution of filled Backpack for new school year is

Thursday, Aug. 21st, 10 am-2:00 pm
at the Menominee MI DAR Boys & Girls Club

Info from 35+ Local Resources for families - 
Climbing Wall - Blazing Bear Petting zoo -
Fishing Pond - Healthy Snacks -
and other Activities/Gifts at each Resource table 

Major Grant Sponsor: Provident Health Foundation

Co-Providers:  Menominee County Dept of Health & Human Services, St Joseph Conference -Society of St Vincent de Paul and The Salvation Army

Support Us

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St Joseph SSVdP Conference (SJC-SSVdP) will be 107 years old on October 22, 2025.  We were formed at St Joseph Parish on October 22, 1918 - during the first "Spanish Flu Pandemic".  The International Society of St Vincent de Paul was formed April 23rd, 1833 and was 192 years old in 2025. 

When there were three local conferences, the Marinette District Council was formed on June 9th, 1961.  The District provides assistance for their four current conferences in Marinette, Menominee, Oconto and Crivitz-Wausaukee areas:   
     1) Community food pantry
     2) Thrift Store providing recipients with vouchers [at no cost to Those in Need for clothing, furniture and household items]
     3) Sponsors the local "Getting Ahead" program for area adults wanting to create stability for their families and themselves.

For over 100 years, your local SJC-SSVdP conference has provided Basic Needs to Those In Need:
          heat, electricity, water, rent/mortgage,
          emergency shelter if  permanent shelter is planned, 
          gas cards for work during the 2 weeks prior to getting first paycheck, or gas cards for medical or school purposes
          work boots and whatever else is needed by our families and individuals.
          basic needs for car repairs under $250 and if someone has a regular income or if hard times have fallen upon them. 

Each year, in collaboration with the UW-Extension office, we review the needs of Those We Serve - we then develop collaborations with other local non-profits:

    a.  work with local Veteran groups to provide Basic Needs for our local Veterans and their families.  Forty-two of our families were led by a female Veteran so we applied to Women's Giving Circle for $$ to assist these female Veterans.

     b. collaborate with Dorothy's Haven of Hope to provide shelter for single adults;

     c. provide transportation in cooperation with Northland Village for their residents to attend medical, grocery or shopping needs; 
   
      d.  Collaborate with The Salvation Army for our Community wide Back 2 School program - providing filled backpacks for our youth from Pre-K to 12th grade.

Our fiscal year starts October 1st each year and ends September 30th of the following year. From October 1st 2024 to June 1st, 2025, we have received 699 calls for help; affecting 1991 total persons of which 1047 were children.  We paid $15,979 for Rent, $7430 for WPS Heat/Elec, $6681 for Water, $5747 for Other - work boots for two different persons, storage unit prescriptions and $4504 in gas cards - total Friends In Need $40,470.  Also we wrote District Store Vouchers clothing - 85, mattresses - 2 , food - 5,  furniture - 12, and household items - 21. 

Most Recent SURVEY Results: 
          The 2024 Back To School Bash had a great turn out. With over 250 families signing up to receive school supplies and 115 responses generated from those families who were able to pick up their backpacks and school supplies in person on August 17th. 115 responses were collected on August 17th. According to the
survey, 93%, 107 families, who utilized the Back To School Bash event pick up day reside in Marinette County. 36.5%, 42 caregivers, have lost and/or quit their jobs due to lack of childcare.

2023 B2S Survey had the top three highest ranking responses for most impactful barriers on families were heat and electricity, food assistance, and transportation. The two highest scored least impactful barriers on families were affordable day care and diapers/feminine products.

2021 Christmas Survey Results:
#1 Need from 172 recipients AFFORDABLE HOUSING/RENT ASST
#2 Need from 70 recipients ENERGY ASSISTANCE
#3 TIED need:
        3.A from 54 recipients VEHICLE REPAIRS/TRANSPORTATION
        3.B from 54 recipients FOOD ASSISTANCE TO BE NOTED:
#4 was Feminine Products/Diapers and
#5 was Affordable Day Care.

Thank you for your continued financial, prayer and service support.  Together we serve Those In Need in our Marinette and Peshtigo Greater areas, especially during our Community Wide Back 2 School Event and our SJC-SSVdP Christmas Gift program!

In Gratitude, 

St Joseph SSVdP Conference 
Contact us: 
www.helpushelpsothers.org    [email protected] 
To make donation - NOTE in Check Memo Line:  SJC-SSVdP
Send envelope to PO Box 563 - Marinette WI 54143-0563  
On-Line donation:
  https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/Mzk5ODA=  

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​About Us

National SSVdP USA MISSION:  “A network of friends, inspired by gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need.”     ​​The conference provides direct person-to-person service through home visits to families, elderly, disabled or other residents who are in need of rent, utilities, medication, transportation, fuel, or other basic needs assistance.   ​ 
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St. Joseph Conference - Marinette of the Society of St Vincent de Paul began on October 22, 1918 during the "Spanish Flu Pandemic" - the first worldwide pandemic.  Our Conference was aggregated on October 24, 1920 at Paris France by the International SSVdP office. 

​Who We Serve

​The Conference serves families, elderly, veterans, disabled or other residents with limited incomes in our 22,000-population service area of the City of Marinette, City of Peshtigo, Town of Peshtigo, Town of Porterfield, and Town of Grover.  We serve our community without distinction of race, creed or culture.  

​Need Help? Call us on our help line at 715-735-9100 Ext 106

Through home visits we provide financial assistance, connection to community resources including mental health resources, and emotional and spiritual support.  Decisions regarding amount of assistance is decided on a per case of individual/family.  If there are federal or state program dollars available, they must apply for this before receiving our assistance. We collaborate with other local agencies and resources to provide needed services for those in need. We are NOT an agency; we are simply a group of faith-filled local resident volunteers wanting to assist those in need!