More Than Putting Food on the Table
It’s 9 a.m., and Steve Zabilski, executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, has just sat down for a breakfast interview at First Watch in downtown Phoenix. He, with 20 volunteers, has already served breakfast to 500 people at one of the five St. Vincent de Paul dining rooms in the greater Phoenix area.
Before the day is out, the organization will have served 3,000 meals to hungry families and individuals in the Valley who otherwise would not have enough to eat. The working poor. The homeless.
They repeat the process Monday through Friday all year long. They serve lunch seven days a week, and two of the facilities serve dinner as well.
There’s more to St. Vincent de Paul than food, Zabilski explains. The organization recently purchased a 15-passenger van to provide transportation for those who would find the trip to a dining room difficult. It has dental and medical clinics, and 17 thrift stores in the Valley. It has a transitional shelter where families might stay from two months to a year.
Seven days a week Vincentian volunteers deliver food boxes to people in their homes or apartments. Often they pay people’s rent or utility bill, help them get a car fixed or write a voucher for a thrift store. One program is for transient services – helping someone get to their family in another state, where they have a support system.
It’s a leg up.
“We provide millions of dollars of financial assistance to keep people from becoming homeless in the first place,” Zabilski says.
Founded in Paris, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is nearly 200 years old and is in 147 countries throughout the world. The first chapter in the United States was established in St. Louis in 1845, but of the 300 or so cities in the U.S. where there is a St. Vincent de Paul chapter, the Phoenix organization is the country’s largest.
The credit, Zabilski says, should mostly likely go to the 13,500 volunteers throughout central and southern Arizona.
Others might disagree: Surely the volunteers deserve credit, but so does the man at the helm.
“Steve Zabilski is a wonderful friend and one of the most caring and passionate givers I have ever met,” says Derrick Hall, Arizona Diamondbacks president.
“He is truly a saint and is in the perfect line of work where he can help others. He is a selfless community leader and has taught me so much about humility and goodwill.”
The word “saint” seems to be uttered often when others speak of Zabilski.
Zabilski has been executive director for 15 years. He came to his position after working a combined 15 years for KPMG Peat Marwick, an international CPA firm, and Transamerica insurance company. At St. Vincent de Paul, fundraising is one of his primary roles, and he has the ability to rally support for the cause, especially among the corporate community, where the organization has 400 corporate partners.
First Watch is one among those. The restaurant supports the organization financially through volunteering and in-kind donations. Once a year, First Watch serves free omelets all day long. Those who enjoy them generally make a financial contribution.
The Arizona Diamondbacks also give faithful support. “The Diamondbacks have been strong and proud supporters of St. Vincent de Paul,” says Hall.
“St. Vincent de Paul has been a recipient of our Grand Slam awards in the past, and our employees volunteer time preparing and serving meals to the homeless and working poor.”
Fry’s, Safeway, Bashas’ and Walmart: Competitors, yes, but united as they support the organization with food drives.
Unfortunately, the number of people who come to St. Vincent de Paul for help far exceeds the organization’s resources. Every day, Zabilski says, they have to make tough decisions on who is most needy, and that’s true now more than ever.
On Nov. 17, St. Vincent de Paul will host Restoring Hope, its ninth community breakfast, a thank you for the community's support. Hopefully it will also inspire guests to give. Because of the Arizona Biltmore’s generosity, the event has low overhead.
Hall and his wife, Amy, serve as chairs of this year’s breakfast. “Amy and I are so proud of the work of St. Vincent de Paul,” Hall says.
“We were honored to be asked to chair the breakfast and will do all we can to raise money for such a worthy organization. St. Vincent de Paul saves lives every day, while providing hope, faith and unobtainable resources.
Hall and his wife also roll up their sleeves in the dining room. “My family serves dinners there often. There is nothing more rewarding and eye-opening than having your children help others while counting their own blessings.”
Success stories? So many, Zabilski says. “It’s not just servicing the poor and they remain poor. America is still a place where you can grab a rung on the ladder and pull yourself up.
“That’s the mission that St. Vincent de Paul does very well.”
– C.Miller