The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is 175 years old this year. The international charity was founded by Frederick Ozanam, a twenty year old law student at the Sorbonne University in Paris. He and his fellow Catholic students were frustrated by the impotence of government and church institutions in the face of the abysmal poverty in the time of “Les Miserables.”

Their mission was simple—fulfill the admonition of the gospel found in Matthew 40:24

“Whatsoever you do for these, the least of my brethren, you do for me.”

The Society has been working for the poor in Juneau for 24 years. Like all councils of the Society, the Juneau Council is independent of the national and international organization. We are linked to all other St. Vincent de Paul councils in the world by our common commitment to the needy, but depend solely on our own community and competitive grant opportunities to support our work.