Fatima is going into her first year in college and is from Macon, Georgia. She began volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul when she was a freshman in high school. Fatima attends meetings at her Adult Conference and is in charge of making Hope Cards for our Friends in Need. She handwrites and designs all of the cards, estimating about 200 given to our Friends in Need. For her St. Vincent de Paul was “like my interpersonal gateway into highschool as to finding myself and everything because at first I was not even sure what I wanted to do, but I knew there were a lot of homeless and so I knew I wanted to do something about that and so when I was introduced into them, I loved St. Vincent de Paul.”
Aside from her role in creating Hope Cards, Fatima has taken the initiative to expand the Society’s reach. She actively promotes SVdP by delivering pulpit talks at her Church and collaborating with her high school founder of extracurriculars to ensure more students will continue to have Youth involvement, service hours, and an impact on their community by staying connected to the Adult Conference Fatima is a member of, even though Fatima will be in college.
When asked about the needs she sees in her community, among other things, Fatima recognized the need for more young people within the Society and mentioned how she has encouraged others to join her. She also sees the significance of preserving our Friends in Need’s dignity as she wants to “help them in a way that is love. We do not want to force them to say yes because they are in poverty, but help them in a way that they know they are family and are respected.”
Fatima also greatly appreciated the Conference meetings; she said they felt “like a second Sunday after Sunday because our meetings are typically on Mondays.” She understands the significance of the essential element of spirituality and finds joy and regard for integrating spirituality and the Vincentian charism in her daily life. Fatima cherished her time with her Adult Conference, and their help in her spiritual growth: “St. Vincent de Paul…has enriched my faith so much, and it was kind of like a God-send; it was the little nudge, like this was my place.”
As she transitions to university life at Georgia Tech, where she plans to study Business Administration, Fatima’s commitment to SVdP remains unwavering. She wants to stay connected with the Society and is considering starting a University Conference. With art and writing being her passions, she aims to contribute by creating websites and social media content to promote St. Vincent de Paul and the impact of our mission. Her dedication and continuity in service are truly admirable.
Rooted in spirituality, Fatima has gone above and beyond to serve those in need, embodying the Vincentian charism and the values of Christ-centered living. Her joy, enthusiasm, and selflessness are clear and will help her achieve her goals, not only in her future endeavors but also at St. Vincent de Paul.