St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Georgia has been selected to join the 2026 cohort of the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) at the University of Notre Dame. This highly competitive national initiative partners with organizations working to disrupt the cycle of poverty through evidence-based innovation.

LEO works with service providers across the country to rigorously test promising approaches and build research that can improve outcomes for families experiencing poverty. Selection into the 2026 cohort reflects SVdP Georgia’s commitment to serving neighbors in need through direct service, while continually strengthening its work in response to the complex and changing realities of poverty.

For more than a century, SVdP Georgia has been rooted in a tradition of meeting neighbors where they are and responding to the needs of each household with care and dignity. In Georgia, this approach includes working alongside individuals and families through close, individualized engagement that helps identify barriers to stability and connect neighbors with meaningful pathways forward. Each year, SVdP Georgia serves more than 300,000 neighbors across the state through its network of programs and partnerships.

“Poverty is not one-size-fits-all, and neither are the solutions,” said Mike Mies, Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia. “The work LEO is doing to bring rigorous data and analysis to poverty alleviation programs is impressive and essential. Partnering with LEO strengthens our ability to evaluate our Motel 2 Home program and ensure it is as effective and responsive as possible for families seeking safe, stable housing.”

Through the LEO partnership, SVdP Georgia will collaborate with researchers to evaluate and strengthen its Motel 2 Home program, which helps families transition from extended-stay motels into long-term, stable housing. This work will also support continued improvement across programs that feed, clothe, house, and heal neighbors statewide.