St. Vincent de Paul started in 1950 as a small operation handing out peanut butter sandwiches. In 1982, a San Diego bishop asked Father Joe Carroll to head the center. Father Joe decided something more was needed than a "band-aid" approach of serving lunchtime sandwiches on weekdays. The opening of the Joan Kroc Center in 1987 marked the beginning of St. Vincent de Paul Village. Three nutritious meals are now served every day of the year. Clients receive customized care, based on his or her needs. St. Vincent’s helps people earn GEDs, train on computers, find jobs at Village employment fairs, receive medical and dental care, and take charge of their own destiny. Children learn at the on-site county-run elementary and high schools.

And, if someone asks, the Village staff can still make them a peanut butter sandwich.