Gas South Partner Spotlight: St. Vincent de Paul Georgia

Every fourth Saturday in October, people across the U.S. celebrate National Make a Difference Day, a time when everyone is encouraged to step up and take action toward creating positive change in their communities.

It’s a more-than-familiar concept here at Gas South, as our purpose to Be A Fuel For Good® means we give back 5% of profits each year to help support children in need—millions of dollars each year to area nonprofits that focus on childhood basic needs, education and health.

To make the most difference, we narrowed our focus last year to 10 charitable partners that receive the lion’s share of our donations—about $3.7 million in 2023 out of a total charitable spend of more than $4.5 million. One of those important nonprofits that make a difference each day was St. Vincent de Paul Georgia (SVDP).

“Being one of Gas South’s Fuel for Good Allies is an affirmation of the value of the St. Vincent de Paul mission,” said SVDP Senior Philanthropy Director Bea Perdue. “Their banner in our ceiling is a testament to the impact of organizations and people united in generosity to help our neighbors in times of crisis. On behalf of our neighbors whose utilities are still on, who have housing stability, who can adequately feed their families, and those who have moved from need to self-sufficiency, gratitude is our strongest feeling.”

Although Gas South works to help support SVDP Georgia, the organization as a whole has a long international history stretching back to 1833 Paris, where it was founded by a group of students who wanted to help those in need. In 1903, SVDP set up shop in Georgia, founded here by parishioners from the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception of Atlanta.

Since then, SVDP Georgia has steadily grown and now operates numerous initiatives, though it predominantly focuses on three key areas: decreasing hunger and food insecurity, increasing housing stability and increasing access to healthcare. The organization has proven to be a vital resource for thousands of residents, offering help and hope to those in need, and Gas South is honored to have played a longstanding role in SVDP Georgia’s success.

“Gas South’s financial and public support have expanded our capacity to serve Georgia neighbors in need,” Perdue said. “They’ve been instrumental in the growth of our Motel to Home Program, moving families from hotel rooms to safe and stable housing they can truly call home. Their support of our community engagement efforts has elevated our public profile and influenced support of our mission within the corporate community and beyond. Each year, their support has been crucial to our ability to increase our response to neighbors who seek to find Help and Hope at St. Vincent Paul when they need it most.”

Thanks for reading our blog about this important nonprofit. If you’re interested in making a difference for your community through SVDP Georgia, check out how you can get involved and about ways to give.