By Thea Jarvis

This weekend, the annual collection for the metro-Atlanta S. Vincent de Paul Society will be taken up in parishes throughout the archdiocese.

In a time of severe economic stress, some may ask why they are being asked to dig into near-empty pockets for yet another "worthy cause."

The question is certainly fair. Yet, anyone familiar with the St. Vincent de Paul Society knows that it is a low-keyed, effective organization with a quiet but honorable history and a tradition of fairness and generosity.

Founded in Paris in 1833 by Frederic Ozanam, the St. Vincent de Paul Society is dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor -- those who have nowhere to turn, for whom money, food or time has run out.

In Atlanta, local parish St. Vincent de Paul conferences assist their needy. It is left to the metro headquarters of the society to serve the urban poor in the City of Atlanta and also to help fund local efforts when parish funds are running low.

As in parish situations, the metro St. Vincent de Paul Society confronts the gnawing, everyday economic problems that refuse to go away -- utility bills that are overdue and over-budget, growing young bodies in need of school clothes, family dinner tables with little or no food, men and women out of work and out of money.

Sharon Maddox is a caseworker at the downtown office, located in an old but spacious home on Howell Place a block or so from St. Anthony's Church in southwest Atlanta.

She faces the reality of contemporary poverty each day, sharing the food and finances that the people of the archdiocese, in their generosity, have donated to the society. Lately, the calls that have come in have reflected an increasing number of middle-income poor.

"We've always had a lot of calls. Most are people with low incomes," Miss Maddox commented. "But now there are a lot of middle class people with homes." Sometimes the request is for $300 -- mortgage money -- instead of a $50 utility bill.

Frequently, the St. Vincent de Paul Society cannot afford to issue large payments to single individuals or families because of the large numbers of people served. As an alternative, they sometimes help clients to look for supplementary assistance when this is appropriate.

One woman was referred to the society by the local Social Security Office. At 45, she had blood clots that prevented employment.

"You have to be disabled for a year before you are eligible for Social Security," Sharon Maddox explained. "She couldn't work, couldn't get Social Security. The bills were piling up."

The Vincentians were prepared to pay the woman's utility bills, but other debts were too large to carry. Instead, she was referred to the state's Department of Family and Children's Services which eventually helped her out of their general assistance fund specifically earmarked for the temporarily disabled.

The metro Atlanta St. Vincent de Paul Society recently worked with St. Paul of the Cross Church in Atlanta on a similar case.

A single working mother needed major surgery to deal with an illness that had left her without sick leave or pay. A six-week recuperative period was required following the surgery. She had found friends to keep her two children during this time, but did not know how she would handle mounting bills without a steady salary.

The society could pay for her utilities, but was still looking at a $200 per month rent bill that would take a considerable bite out of the Vincentian funds.

The answer came in the form of the woman's apartment management. Because the housing was privately subsidized and provided a rental scale based on income levels, "The apartment adjusted the rent from $200 to $16 per month" for the six-week recovery period, Sharon Maddox related. "We could then pay rent and utility bills. Everything worked out well."

This interaction between private and public agencies and the St. Vincent de Paul Society allows assistance for a wider segment of the poor and prevents funds from being funneled into one narrow area.

"We have a lot of families who wait, who get so far in the hole they can't get out," said Miss Maddox. She and the rest of the staff have found that dialogue and communication ease many a burden.

Direct funding and counseling of clients is but one way the inner city St. Vincent de Paul Society is working to relieve the plight of the poor. Some families need a little help with groceries in order to make it through until the end of the month when a check is forthcoming. To address this need, the society has pioneered a program that allows a pool of donors to stock a food pantry located in the Howell Place headquarters.

Participants in the Five for Food Program give $5 per month or $60 per year to supply food given directly to needy families. The food includes such staples as canned goods, dried peas, beans and noodles, chickens and hams.

"Usually (our clients) pick them up," Miss Maddox noted. "Sometimes we can make arrangements to have them delivered" for the elderly or disabled.

The metro branch of the society also subsidizes a free lunch program which is coordinated with St. Anthony's Church just around the corner. Hot, nourishing meals are offered in the church cafeteria for a nominal price. For those who cannot afford the cost, St. Vincent de Paul issues meal tickets which entitle bearers to eat at no charge.

The work of the metro headquarters is extended by one of its city conferences at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. There, the St. Francis Table serves free Saturday luncheon to the needy each week and draws volunteers from all over the archdiocese to help prepare and serve the food.

This coming year, 1983, marks the 150^th anniversary of the founding of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. It is a commentary on the human condition that the needs of today's poor are as great or greater than the needs of those Frederic Ozanam met in his travels through the streets of 19^th century Paris.

The work is ongoing; the numbers are ever increasing. This weekend, dig deep, and know that your gift is welcome.