The Society of St. Vincent de Paul The COVID-19 outbreak increased the need for services provided by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as jobs are lost and individuals are furloughed.

One of those stories in which St. Vincent de Paul said it could lend a hand was for Liya, a single mother with multiple sclerosis. She had been working with the Arizona Department of Corrections, but that job required a two-hour commute every day.

Liya’s new job at a local digital media company was going to allow her to spend more time with her daughter. Her wages were enough to support her family. Unfortunately, the timing of the coronavirus could not have happened at a worse time.

The company that Liya was about to begin working with told her the day before her start date that her onboarding was being postponed. 

Liya began to worry about her ability to pay for her bills and had no more money coming in from her old job. With $1,188 in rent and the usual utility, insurance and grocery bills, she didn't know how to pay them. 

But she found St. Vincent de Paul’s Resource Center in a list of resources for individuals struggling with rent and called a program coordinator for more information. 

“She was completely helpful,” Liya said. “So sweet, so kind, so understanding. I knew she may not be able to cover everything, but when she said she could completely meet my need…it just offered so much peace.”

Liya has been given a great deal of help by St. Vincent de Paul, such as applying for and qualifying for unemployment. 

Liya is not afraid of hard work and has been working since she was 13 years old. But in the meantime she is waiting and doing all that is necessary when the time comes to provide for her daughter.

St. Vincent de Paul set up a COVID-19 Family Relief Fund for cases like Liya's and asks for donations to help others.