MADISON — March 13 saw the Madison Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) break ground on a new construction project.
The Society has been in the Williamson St. neighborhood since the 1940s, and they are thrilled to be able to expand while remaining in that location.
The new renovation seeks to not only update and expand store space but also provide a better location for their Seton Suites — a program designed to support families who recently struggled with homelessness as they transition to permanent housing.
Supporting the work
The event saw many local community leaders turn out to support the work of the St. Vincent De Paul Society.
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison, who serves as the national episcopal advisor of the Society, blessed the project, and Madison Deputy Mayor Christie Baumel was there to express Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s support.
Jen Plants, president of the Marquette Neighborhood Association, who was there dressed entirely in clothes from St. Vinny’s, commented, “St. Vincent de Paul is not only an anchor in our neighborhood, but in many ways, it’s a beating heart of our neighborhood. It is a place where all people are welcome. It is far more than its buildings and services that it provides, and the clothing and books that you can buy there. They’re very much about people. Everyone who walks through those doors is treated with respect and warmth and kindness. And I think as a neighborhood we could learn a lot from their example and we’re delighted that you’re going to be here for many years to come.”
Widespread support
The heartfelt support is indicative of how much good the St. Vincent de Paul society does and how vital to Madison its work is.
In addition to the local support, many employees of both the local Madison and national Society attended for the celebration.
Ralph Middlecamp, who was formerly the executive director of the Madison council before becoming the national director, commented, “Just from a national perspective, Madison really is one of the leaders . . . Around the country, Madison is known for the service we do, and per capita, I can easily say there’s no city in the United States that has better services and more dedicated members than we do right here in Madison, Wisconsin. I’m always proud to be part of that.”
The Madison programs will continue in the same location but in a wonderfully updated space.
The Seton program, in particular, is now in partnership with Catholic Charities and the YWCA of Madison.
SVdP is also committed to keeping the store running during construction.
The profits of the store are put right back to work by the Society and are kept local.
Madison area residents know that their support of St. Vinny’s will help our local community.
This helps explain the generous local support — the location of the celebration was even provided by former SVdP employee James Montgomery, who owns the Marquette Cafe where the speeches and toast were held.
A photo op with shovels preceded the actual groundbreaking where a trained construction operator took a sledgehammer to the wall. That marked the beginning of construction.
Those there to celebrate returned to the cafe for snacks and conversation, while the crew, members of Advanced Building Corporation and Dimension IV Architects, got to work.
A worthy endeavor had been given a proper welcome.