St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury, Inc.

When St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury set out to provide an equity-based, sustainable approach to prevention and ending homelessness, they understood that they would need to provide opportunities for their homeless shelter guests to reestablish their self-esteem, self-determination, and self-sufficiency with creativity and dignity.

The Mission was founded in 1978 by Rev. Philip J. Cascia and guided faithfully by him until his passing in 2007. His philosophy of care was to serve the poor according to their specific needs with a single goal in mind: to assist our less fortunate neighbors in recovering their full sense of self-worth and rightful place in the community. Current programs include a Homeless Shelter, Thrift Store, Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Merriman Culinary Job Training Program, Liberty Hall Housing, SOS Permanent Supportive Housing, Cornerstone Supervised Apartment Program and the Casa De Rosa Licensed Residential Living Program. All programs are located in Waterbury.

Culinary Job Training Program Changes Lives and Provide Second Chances!

The Merriman Culinary Job Training Program, has become a catalyst for social change, helping our community's unemployed bridge the skills gap, enter the workforce, and achieve economic self-sufficiency. The South End of Waterbury, where this program is being offered, has been identified by the Working Cities Initiative as an area of aggravated racial disparities in employment, wealth, healthcare, housing, and criminal justice. The culinary job training program specifically addresses supporting the development of jobs and career pathways with livable wages. This job program welcomes people facing barriers to employment to provide economic opportunity and a sustainable change in their future. The basic principle of the program is designed to assist the less fortunate in our community to help them recover their full sense of self-worth.

The curriculum covers all facets of cooking, including hands-on training and classroom work instructed by an accredited Chef Instructor. Internships are part of the training. In addition, all students are trained in Life Skills such as punctuality, work ethic, and teamwork. Students practice their culinary skills and give back to the community during classes by preparing healthy meals that are distributed to clients at St. Vincent DePaul Kitchen and Homeless Shelter. 

Upon obtaining a Certified Food Protection Certificate accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-Conference for Food Protection (CFP), and recognized by the National Restaurant Association, graduates are assisted in job search to obtain full-time employment.

Who We Are

In the midst of this health crisis, the St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury, Inc. continues to take care of those most in need.

"Through our network of services, we aid, support and empower people experiencing poverty, homelessness, hunger, and mental health challenges so they may recover with dignity and develop sustainable solutions for a brighter future."

Our current network of services include an Emergency Homeless Shelter, Thrift Store, Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Affordable Housing Units, Mental Health Supervised Apartments, Licensed Mental Health Residential Living Center, Rapid Re-Housing Program, and Permanent Supportive Housing Program for Homeless and Disabled Individuals and Families. Over 500 people in our community are helped every day that experience poverty, homelessness, hunger, and mental health challenges.