Changes Are Coming To St. Vincente De Paul Mission Of Bristol

By Dean Wright, The Bristol Press

August 26, 2021

Changes are coming to St. Vincente De Paul Mission of Bristol as the organization has been focusing on improving its facilities in order to better meet resident needs in the future.

Among some of the improvements made to the former convent at 19 Jacobs St. include new signage, flooring, updates to an outside gardening site and renovation to second and third floor rooms. A pair of stairwells has also been renovated. The building has a total of four floors and more improvement projects are still being considered.

“We redid this area because we believe that just because we’re a homeless shelter it doesn’t have to be dark. It should be welcoming and inviting and people should be comfortable to come in here,” said Mission Executive Director Christine Thebarge of one of the mission’s entrances.

Funding for the renovations came through the community development block grant program. Efforts kicked off in December after permitting processes were finalized. Ten rooms on the second floor have been revitalized with paint and new fittings. The third floor is similar to the second with a different color scheme, said the director. She noted such improvements hadn’t been done to the facility in recent memory.

“Downstairs is congregate housing,” said Thebarge of the building’s basement. “We took down bunk beds and everybody is socially distanced and it’s a large room, but it’s tough when you get that many people in an area when dealing with some of the challenges we see.”

Thebarge said residents are welcome so long as they aren’t a harm to themselves or others. The facility’s current bed capacity is 24. The mission’s outreach office is currently working with another 30 individuals outside of the building, the director said.

“Everyone who’s downstairs from congregate housing will move upstairs to more individualized housing” Thebarge said.

She noted the mission was part of a coordinated access network throughout Bristol, New Britain, Plainville, Southington and Berlin. The network helps collaborating organizations within the community to provide services and referrals for clients who need them. Case managers develop a plan with clients and then seek to connect them with such resources.

“We’d love to overhaul our kitchen someday,” Thebarge said. “It’s neat, clean and tidy, if dated. We’re starting to collect some stainless steel stuff (for a future kitchen) and we've got an under counter dishwasher coming.”

The mission is looking to add a resource room with a few computers and potential classes for residents.

Thebarge noted it’s always a challenge looking for funding to continue serving the community but efforts like the previous weekend’s Shamrock Run help in furthering the mission’s goals of providing for area residents living in areas that would not typically be considered fit for human habitation. She said the mission has applied for American Rescue Plan funding and hopes to make further investments into the mission’s programming should it be approved.

Thebarge joined the mission in summer of last year after working with the Agape House. She said her husband was a full-time volunteer at the facility and he still remains there assisting while she is at the mission. She noted they both quit their careers, he in fabrication and she in sales, by “stepping out in faith” in hopes of assisting others.

Thebarge also said she was part of a larger community that served the area’s residents facing homelessness and that often organizations would refer services to one another or team up in providing help.

“We want to make sure we’re reaching as many people as we can,” she said.