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First St. Vincent de Paul Society Scholarships Awarded

03/04/2020

Two students have received the inaugural St. Vincent de Paul Scholarships, scholarships made possible through a partnership between Saint Louis University and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul that places donation bins around campus in an effort to benefit local St. Louisans in need. 

People donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society using a bin near the Olive-Compton Garage.

Billiken donations have helped St. Louisans in need and have raised funds for scholarships on campus. Submitted photo

The revenue generated from the re-sales of SLU donations also funds the scholarship program.

The partnership began as a result of the GrowingSLU initiative, and initial bins were placed on campus during in fall 2017.

“These scholarships can take some stress from these students and enable them to focus on being successful in school, and the joy we feel comes from knowing that we’ve had a positive effect on their futures,” John Heithaus, director of Vincentian Member Services, said.

As part of the scholarship, the students, Daniel Moreno and Joy Ontman, will volunteer 40 hours during the semester with the society, which assists with every day and emergency needs of low-income individuals and families in the area.

Four Times the Impact

Typically, when donations are put in a bin, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul pays back a certain amount per pound of items collected to partnering organizations. But SLU’s partnership with the society is unique in that the funds generated by campus donations continue to grow through matching dollars from the University’s Go Further initiative and from the society itself.

"This is a true partnership in every sense of the word,” Caroline Kaikati, assistant director in the Office of Alumni and Donor Engagement, explained.

Want to Help Grow the Scholarship?

To continue to grow this scholarship, faculty, staff, students and friends of the University are encouraged to donate clothing, accessories and gently-used household items using one of the three bins located on campus:

Want to Apply for the Scholarship?

Students can apply for the scholarship during the University’s Winter Break in December via SLU’s Scholarship Suite.

For more information, contact Bobby Wassel, Ph.D., in the Center for Service and Community Engagement, or call 314-977-2041.

For additional information contact Caroline Kaikati in the Office of Alumni and Donor Engagement.

Submitted by Bobby Wassel, Ph.D.

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers nearly 13,000 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.