The Friday before Thanksgiving I received a call from a local small business owner. He told me that he had an employee who was in the hospital, and was expected to be there through Thanksgiving, his wife and 3-month-old child were home and their rent was due. "Can you help them"? After checking with my Social Service director, he was able to get them qualified and we were able to cover their rent for November. Within 15 minutes of the original call, I called the business owner back, he told me he just got off the phone with his employee's wife who was choked up. The business owner said to me "I've known you for years, I've heard you talk about St Vincent de Paul but have never really known what you do. This is what you do!" Puzzled I asked "what do you mean?" He said "this is what you do! You help anyone you can help if you're able to." I replied to him "it's what we do."

As I enter my sixth year as executive director of St Vincent de Paul North Idaho I am very proud of the work we do, the ability to help anyone who walks through our doors and the amazing staff and volunteers I get to work with every day. While we will be serving literally 2,049 individuals in 2013, it is amazing to me how many people have no idea what we do. St Vincent de Paul North Idaho has served our community for 68 years. Over those years we've provided more than one million services to family members, neighbors or someone else you may know, mostly at no charge, regardless of religious background nor do we require any religious belief to receive help. That is not how we operate or serve.

St Vincent de Paul North Idaho is like a four-legged chair when it comes to what we do. The first leg and most well-known are our Thrift Stores. We have three great thrift stores in Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and in Osburn. We are blessed to receive your clothing, furniture, pictures and dishes. We've even had a baby grand piano come though the Coeur d'Alene store. One hundred percent of the money we make from our stores stays in our community to serve those who need help in our community. It's the "how we do." The "what we do" are Social Services, Housing, and Spirituality.

Just mentioned above is our second leg, Social Services. While we never just give money away, people have to either qualify or earn our assistance; this is where the money goes. "No act of charity is foreign to the society." In 2009 we opened a one-of-a-kind center, the HELP Center, a "one stop shop" of services to folks with limited resources don't have to drive around the county for service. As of today we have 19 different nonprofit and governmental agencies providing 24 services under one roof. In the HELP Center we provide services such as utility assistance and rental assistance to helping people out of jail get an identification card and providing bags of food. We have a Women's and Children's Emergency Shelter and the only Men's Emergency Shelter in North Idaho. We have a longer-term program for people who need one-on-one help to help from becoming homeless. With veterans becoming the fastest homeless population, we have a whole Veterans Services program to help both get veterans off the street and prevent veterans from becoming homeless. Two veteran facilities are quietly operating on east Sherman, under the radar. ICARE, Art on the Edge, Harger House and Child & Adult Care Food Program are other St Vincent de Paul North Idaho programs. We operate a Warming Center when the temperatures drop below 25 degrees. In all, in 2012 we provided 82 different services to folks in our community. We provide so many services and are involved in many events occasionally if boggles my mind as well. "No act of charity is foreign to the society."

Permanent, long-term housing is the third leg. St Vincent de Paul North Idaho has 15 low-income apartment complexes throughout the five northern counties of Idaho. Located in Plummer, Tensed, Clark Fork, Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene we have more than 300 units of subsidized housing. We have housing for seniors 62 and older, people with disabilities, families, veterans and individuals. We believe a home should make someone proud of where they live, and provide dignity. Unfortunately, we are 99 percent full and our waiting lists are long.

The fourth leg of what we do is spirituality. While we never require religion or a religious belief we do provide it. We have a whole committee of people who are available to listen, to pray with and serve anyone who needs it. Whatever their spiritual need is, we work closely with many of the churches in our area and can provide a connection.

For 68 years St Vincent de Paul North Idaho has quietly served our community. Quietly serving is a double-edged sword. While we are literally providing thousands of services in our community, few know all we do. We are a lay Catholic organization, ecumenical in service. Our priorities are 1) Are you safe; 2) Are you warm; 3) Are you fed...and if you desire spirituality we can provide it. Most importantly, 100 percent of your donation stays in your community to help your community. That's "what we do."

I have been blessed to have been in the nonprofit world for nearly 25 years, 20 here in North Idaho. I am continuously amazed and astounded at our community's capacity for giving, especially during this time of year. On behalf of my board president, Linda Mitchell, the Board of Directors, volunteers and incredible staff I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holiday.

Jeff Conroy is executive director of St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho.