St Vincent de Paul Society
St Peter’s Coolum Beach Conference
Our Mission
The mission of the St Vincent de Paul Society is to be the voice of the voiceless and the forgotten. We speak on behalf of those experiencing homelessness in our community, a number that continues to grow at an alarming rate.
Too many people are living in situations where they have no money for alternative accommodation, no family to turn to, and no safe options. Many are faced with the heartbreaking decision of remaining in or returning to unsafe housing.
Our Conference serves the community from north of the Peregian water tower, west to Mt Ninderry, and south to the Maroochy River.
Our History and Commitment
The St Peter’s Coolum Conference of SVDP was established 43 years ago. Since then, we have been proud to remain fully self-funded, not relying on financial support from head office. Every dollar raised or donated stays here in our local community, helping families and individuals in need.
Our guiding principle is simple: “a hand up, not a hand out.”
A Heartfelt Thank You
We extend our sincere gratitude to our parishioners and the wider community for their incredible generosity and support over the past year. Your contributions make it possible for us to continue providing practical and compassionate assistance to those in need.
How Your Support Helped in 2024–2025
Over the past 12 months, our Conference made 240 visits to homes and safe meeting points, supporting 697 adults and children who sought emergency assistance.
Together, we provided $49,359 in essential support, including:
- Food and basic essentials
- Travel assistance (Go Cards and fuel vouchers)
- Emergency accommodation, and
- Education support for families doing it tough
Education Assistance Program
Education can be life changing. This year, we provided $34,695 in assistance to 122 students. This included:
- Grants to cover back-to-school costs
- 6 bursaries for deserving students in Years 6–12
- Support for the purchase of student computers
we are deeply grateful to the Guidance Officers at each of the State Schools in our area for their invaluable support.
Christmas Hampers: Sharing the Spirit of the Season
Thanks to the generosity of so many parishioners, we were able to distribute 25 Christmas Hampers to our Companions and their families last year.
A special thank you to Fr Isaac for blessing the hampers and helping us bring the true spirit of Christmas to those we serve.
Sounds of Celebration Concert
Under the wonderful direction of Linda Gefkan, our Sounds of Celebration Concert has once again brought music, joy, and community spirit to Coolum. Featuring performances by the Waves of Harmony community choir, this uplifting event raised $3,527 to support our local initiatives. We look forward to making this event an ongoing tradition.
Membership and Involvement
Our St Peter’s Conference is made up of a dedicated, warm, and committed group of volunteers. Like many parish groups, we welcome and urgently need new members to help us continue this vital work.
The experience of supporting vulnerable people in our community is both meaningful and rewarding. If you’d like to learn more, please speak to one of our members or email us at sp****@*********rg.au.
If you are considering supporting our conference in the future, donations are always gratefully accepted through the Church Poor Box.
Thank You
On behalf of everyone at St Peter’s Coolum Beach Conference, thank you for your kindness, generosity, and continued support.
May God bless you and your families.
St Gerard Majella Conference, Maroochydore
Dear Parishioners,
Since our Foundation on 7 November 1982, we have supported families and individuals experiencing hardship, trauma and family breakdown with care and kindness. We are a team of 26 Members, 15 Associate Members, and 7 Associate Life Members—all volunteers and we are the largest Conference in Queensland. Our Support Office operates for three days with no paid staff. We are not the Vinnies Shop – we are St Vincent De Paul Family Support, next door to the Vinnies Shop.
Our Impact
Over the past year, we welcomed 1,305 Companions and their families through our doors and provided assistance to 2,947 people. Our support includes:
- Food parcels and digital food vouchers
- Pharmacy vouchers for prescriptions
- Emergency fuel cards
- Donated food, including from Aldi and Urban Angels (frozen meals)
- Telstra online support for those in hardship
- Vinnies cards for use in our shops
- Shower packs for homeless people to have a hot shower at a Council pool
- Furniture when needed
The total value of assistance provided for the financial year ending 30 June 2025 was $124,668.62.
How We Help
Each person who seeks our help receives a thorough interview to assess their needs. Depending on the situation, we provide food parcels, emergency vouchers, or arrange home visits. Some of our members also assist with collecting donations of food, manning the service counter, or inputting essential information into our CARE programme ensuring that assistance is provided efficiently and compassionately to those in need.
Our Role in the Parish
Many of our Vincentians are also active parishioners at Stella Maris Maroochydore, St Mary’s Buderim, and St Catherine of Siena, Sippy Downs. They serve in various roles such as; Ministers of the Word, Ministers of the Eucharist, Sacristans, Singers, Ministers of the Sick, Grief Support Ministers, Knights of the Southern Cross and Community Meals for the homeless and disadvantaged on Friday nights. We are proud to contribute our time and talents both within the parish and in the wider community.
We are very blessed to have Seminarian, Dylan Asmus as our Spiritual Advisor. We appreciate his spiritual guidance at our fortnightly Meetings.
Supporting Education
The Conference supports families with school-related expenses through the Smart Start for Students fund, which raised $4090.00. Special thanks to Tony Welsh and Shamus Conway and the team for their fundraising efforts at Bunnings Sausage Sizzles.
Statewide, the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland through its Children’s Education Fund supported students from low-income families with $912,000. Our Conference administered $18,590.00 of these funds to assist 38 local families and 70 children.
CEO Sleepout
The 19 June CEO Sleepout at Maroochydore Beach was successful, raising $178,000 for the Diocese. Christopher Byrnes, our new Treasurer, represented our Conference, raising nearly $9000.00. These funds will support homeless individuals on the Sunshine Coast with temporary accommodation and essential supplies. On a wider scale, there is social accommodation being built at Nerang and Toowoomba by the St Vincent de Paul Society. This has been possible with monies raised through the CEO Sleepouts throughout Queensland.
Appeals and Community Support
Our Winter and Christmas Appeals received incredible support from parishioners. The Mooloolaba-Alexandra Headland Kindergarten contributed warm clothing and battery-free toys, while our three Catholic schools donated toiletries, dry food and funds. Living Choice, Kawana, donated handmade wooden toys and funds for our Christmas hampers. Special thanks to Olga Girle and her team for distributing 126 hampers to families and individuals at this holy and festive time.
Global Outreach
As part of the global Vincentian family in 153 countries, we support two Conferences in India through our Twinning Program—both named St Anthony’s, located in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. We maintain correspondence and provide financial assistance to help them serve their communities.
Student Bursaries
We awarded SVDP Bursaries to students who showed compassion, care, empathy and respect for people in need and encouraging others to do the same.
- Siena Catholic College
Tertiary Bursary: Abbie Nield
- Siena Primary
Primary Bursary: Mikayla Fairweather
- Stella Maris
Primary Bursary: Georgia Hull
Vinnies Shop
Our local Vinnies Shop is one of five on the Sunshine Coast, managed by a paid staff member and supported by volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Jacqui, the Shop Manager, on 5451 7620.
Join Us
We are always looking for new members to help us continue our mission. If you’re interested in learning more, please speak to a Vincentian at Mass or email us on sg*****@*********rg.au
Thank You
Your unwavering support and generosity make our work possible. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and commitment to helping those in need. God bless you.
With sincere thanks,
Carmel Barbagallo