Frequently Asked Questions

We are here to help if you, or someone you know, is in need. We provide support for people and families across Queensland by offering food and essentials, disaster relief, housing and homelessness, community support services, Aged Care services, financial wellbeing and youth support. 

To get help, simply call us on 1800 846 643 for assistance. Alternatively, you can complete our online help form here.   

You can donate to us in just a few minutes. You can make an online donation here, or call us on 13 18 12. Donations of $2 and more are tax deductible.  

Donations of clothing, furniture, and household goods can also be made at your local Vinnies shop. This donation will go towards helping people in need in your local area. 

Want to donate to a specific area of our work?

When you donate to a specific Special Work of the Society, we ensure that your gift goes directly to where you want it. We make sure that all funds donated are used specifically for what they are intended.

Across Australia we have over 45,000 Members and volunteers across the country and provide support to people and families in need through over 200 programs and services. 

From emergency housing and homelessness support to disaster recovery, home visits, and providing food, our help is delivered on a local level throughout the community. 

To find out what services are available in your local area, head here.  

We have a number of volunteering opportunities across Queensland and we’re always looking for more volunteers to help us continue to do our good work. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, simply fill out the volunteer registration form here and you will be contacted by one of our team members. 

Some roles may require a Blue Card (work with children) or a national Criminal History Check. Driving roles require a Driver Declaration form. We will facilitate the application process and cover the costs if required.  

For more information on volunteering with us head here, call us on 07 3010 1000, or email us at volunteer@svdpqld.org.au 
 

To volunteer with us you need to be 16 years or older. Some roles may require a Blue Card (to work with children) or a national Criminal History Check. Driving roles require a Driver Declaration form. We will facilitate the application process and cover the costs if required.  
 
For more information on volunteering with us head here, call us on 07 3010 1000, or email us at volunteer@svdpqld.org.au

A member of the Society is a volunteer who joins a conference and takes an active part in the work of the Society and helps their community through charitable works. Members will attend regular meetings which can include scripture discussion, prayer, reflection, and discussing how to improve service provision in the local conference area.

To learn more about becoming a Society member, head here.

We appreciate that the level of involvement our members and volunteers can commit to will vary depending on their personal circumstances; such as study, work, and family commitments.  

For this reason, we have three forms of membership:  

1. Conference Members: who are committed to living out our mission to serve those in need and attend regular conference meetings. 
2. Associate Members: who are committed to living out our mission to serve those in need but do not attend conference meetings.  
3. Volunteers: who support our mission through acts of voluntary service in any of our programs or stores. 

To become a Society member head here or to find out more about volunteering with us head here. 

A Conference is a group of Society Members who come together to fulfil our mission in accordance with the Rule. A Conference may be established within any community such as a parish, town, suburb, school, university, workplace, ethnic or social group. 

Conferences belong to one of 8 Diocese, which are specific regions throughout Queensland.

If you would like to learn more about become a Society member, please head here or call us on 1800 846 643. 

The St Vincent de Paul Society’s members and volunteers help the most vulnerable people and families in our community through our Conferences, Special Works and Vinnies shops. Members and volunteers help people in need and do not discriminate against cultural, religious or political beliefs.

Our members and volunteers work hard every day to support people in need and help combat social injustice across Australia. We are there to support any person or family in our community that needs us.  

We provide the following services across Queensland:  

• Food & Essentials Support
• Disaster Relief Support
• Housing & Homelessness 
• Community Support
• Aged Care Services
• Financial Wellbeing 
• Youth Support 

We have a number of volunteering opportunities across Queensland and we’re always looking for more volunteers to help us continue to do our good work. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, please head here to learn more or complete our online enquiry form.

Our good work is mainly carried out by our dedicated, amazing members and volunteers right across Queensland. They are supported by our team of professional staff who work across the state.

The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international organisation. We operate in 153 countries and have over 800,000 members worldwide. That’s a lot of people helping people in need!  

We have a presence on every continent in the world (apart from Antarctica) so you can always rely on us to get support when you need it. 

Each year in Queensland we support more than 215,000 Queenslanders through our services – that’s more than 580 people every day. We have more than 2,500 members, 4,900 volunteers and 600 staff working together towards our united vision to support Queenslanders in need. 

The St Vincent de Paul Society logo is used in many countries and is recognised everywhere as a symbol of hope and goodwill. The logo has three components: the hands symbol, the text and the slogan.  

The three hands signify the following 

• the hand of Christ blesses the cup 
• the hand of love offers the cup 
• the hand of suffering receives the cup 

Have a look at our logo and see how the three hands work together. 

Our slogan – Good Works – encompasses all the good work we strive to do every day in local communities. It underpins every interaction and every conversation we have with people and families in our community.  

Our core work is carried out by our amazing members and volunteers and does not receive government funding – this includes our home visitation program and Vinnies shops. These services are funded solely through donations, local fundraising activities, and enterprises run by the Society.  

Some of our essential services and Special Works do receive government funding – for example, our Aged Care services, housing and homelessness services, and supported employment services for people with disabilities.  

We do not receive any direct funding from the Catholic Church, so we rely on generous donations from the public and the government funding listed above. Your ongoing generosity enables us to continue to provide much-needed support and services for those most vulnerable in our community. 

You can make an online donation here, or call us on 13 18 12. Donations of $2 and more are tax deductible.  

The St Vincent de Paul Society was first founded in Paris in 1833.

The St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in 1833 by Frédéric Ozanam, a 20-year-old French university student. Born in French-occupied Milan on 23 April 1813, Frédéric Ozanam was inspired by Saint Vincent de Paul’s legacy and decided to name the Society after the famous French saint of the poor.  

Frédéric Ozanam died on 8 September 1853 at the age of 40. He was beatified in Paris by Pope John Paul II on 22 August 1997. 

Saint Vincent de Paul is the international patron of the Society, and is the special patron of all charitable associations. Frédéric Ozanam was inspired by Saint Vincent de Paul’s legacy and decided to name the Society after the famous French saint of the poor back in 1833. Today, the Society still follows his teachings and compassion for people in need. 

Quality donations are sold at our Vinnies stores to support people in need. Donated goods deemed unacceptable for resale such as damaged or soiled items, are recycled where possible.

Our Vinnies shops are run by volunteers and generate funds to help us continue our good work within each local community. 

Every day our team of members and volunteers help people in need and work together to combat social injustice across Australia. At St Vincent de Paul QLD, we are there to help any person or family in our community that needs us.  

We provide the following help:  

• Food & Essentials Support 
• Disaster Relief Support 
• Housing & Homelessness 
• Community Support 
• Aged Care Services 
• Financial Wellbeing 
• Youth Support 

Want to help us help people? We are always looking for more volunteers to help us continue to do our good work. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, please click here to learn more or complete our online enquiry form.

Donations are priced by our volunteers, who utilise pricing guides in-store. We aim to offer a value price for each item, but do so with the understanding that each sale is going towards helping people in need. 

If you’re ready to declutter and donate, we would love to receive your goods! Here are a few simple steps: 

1. Check it – Check that all your items are in good condition, and suitable for donation.   
2. Wash it – Make sure your items are clean and in sale condition.   
3. Bag it – If you’re donating baggable goods, enclose them in a bag ready for donation.   
4. Donate it - Visit your local Vinnies shop and give your donation to a Vinnies volunteer.  

For more information on our Vinnies shops, head here.