2021 ended with a new/unwrapped toy drive which allowed SVdP Chicago to help needy families put smiles on little one’s faces this holiday season. Danielle Valenti, a an SVdP Chicago employee, along with her family, decorated their home and hosted a new/unwrapped toy drive to share toys with the Officer Stephen Smith Annual Toy Drive as well as with our friends in need. Between 300-400 toys were collected at both the SVdP Orland Park and Libertyville Thrift stores as well as the Valenti home. Without the help of our supporters, the mission to “Build a Better Tomorrow for Those In Need” would not be possible.
Category: Uncategorized
Chicago Catholic: Students learn about homelessness, take action
This is a great article from the Chicago Catholic featuring Dave McNaughton, who leads the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Elizabeth of the Trinity School in Chicago and a program that was put together to raise awareness of how people become homeless, what they need and how the students can help.
You can read the whole article here:
Thanksgiving Food Drive – St. Anne Food Pantry, Hazel Crest
Our local school children were able to provide the St. Anne Food Pantry in Hazel Crest with two carloads of non-perishable food this Thanksgiving holiday to share with our neighbors in need. It’s a beautiful sight to see such enthusiasm and compassion from each and every one of them to help others.
Holiday Shopping & Helping Others – Amazon Smile
If you already use Amazon.com for some or all of your online shopping, please consider shopping through smile.amazon.com and you will help support SVdP at the same time! AmazonSmile will give back .5 percent of qualified purchases back to SVdP. In addition, SVdP Chicago also has an Amazon wish list of items that our friends in need could use. This is all you have to do:
Step 1: Go to smile.amazon.com and log in using your email and password as if you were signing on to amazon.com.
Step 2: Search for the Society of St Vincent de Paul-Chicago and select us as your charity.
Step 3: Shop, Amazon Smile, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to SVdP!
Honey Baked Ham Gift Cards Available for Holiday Giving
Where has the year gone? Thanksgiving is now past us and the holidays are fast approaching! Grocery lists are being made and shopping is being done! Don’t forget to get your Honey Baked Ham Gift Certificate and stop at your nearest location to grab a juicy ham, turkey or maybe the whole dinner! You can purchase your gift card and have a plastic card mailed to you, or you can go for an e-gift card and get it sent via email for the fastest delivery.
PS. These make greatholiday gifts as well …. with Christmas and the New Year right around the corner, an amazing ham would be a welcome addition to your holiday meal!
Order Yours Here: https://honeybakedfundraising.com/fundraisers/society_of_st_vincent_de_paul_fundraiser?fbclid=IwAR2UrVe2dQvabBUn0u5gGvPFgofcL_2J8r9D7-9Qj5_95lwMbKZW02SM_ic
Alfredo Arreola Funeral Arrangements
It is with great sadness that I share the announcement of the passing of Alfredo Arreola, husband of Elizabeth Arreola a fellow Vincentian from St Gall Parish.
For over 20 years, Elizabeth Arreola, whom we all know as Liz, has dedicated herself to running the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at St. Gall Parish.
Liz’s dedication to the Society and serving those in need is an unbending dedication. The success of the food pantry is an example of the tireless efforts and endless hours that Liz puts forth to ensure the mile long line of those in need of food will be able to feed their families. These efforts and dedications come from her heart. With the support of her husband, Liz has remained vigilant to the needs in her community.
As a Vincentian family, we must come together in support of Liz and her family. We ask that you please keep Liz and her family in your prayers during this difficult time for the Arreola family. Please pray for Alfredo that he is safely in God’s arms.
Funeral Arrangements: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/alfredo-arreola-obituary?pid=200753784
God Bless!
Video – St. Vincent de Paul Annual Memorial Mass & Awards Ceremony
For those of you who were unable to attend our Annual Memorial Mass and Awards Ceremony this past Sunday, November 21, at St. Mary Magdalene in Blue Island, we are happy to share with you the livestream that was recorded. Our mass was hybrid so we had many people in church as well as others following us live on social media. We had a great mass with Monsignor Lyle and Father Kelly leading us in prayer followed by a beautiful Awards Ceremony. We look forward to seeing everyone at our Annual Mass in 2022. (NOTE: Due to music copyright, there are two minutes beginning with the Presentation of the Gifts that there is silence.)
Harry Ohde, Volunteer President/CEO – St. Vincent de Paul-ADC
St. Gall Thanksgiving Food Pantry – Filling the Table for Our Neighbors in Need
#GivingTurkey #GivingTuesday
As your family prepares to embrace the Thanksgiving holiday; shopping, cooking and anticipating the togetherness of family, the Society is preparing to ensure that those less fortunate can experience the same bountiful blessings.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago in partnership with St. Gall’s food pantry will be providing turkeys and side dishes to those less fortunate. Because of your support and generosity, the Society is providing 700 turkeys to St. Gall’s holiday food pantry, and 250 turkeys to St. Rita.
On November 20th, as the tent is raised, the trucks are arriving, and the dozens of volunteers brave the November weather for the day, those less fortunate will be lining up in cars a mile long anticipating the gift of a holiday meal for their family. I cannot think of anything that represents the spirit of Thanksgiving more.
We the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago are humbly grateful for the continued support from our donors. An act of kindness easily turns into a memorable meal for a child whose family struggles day to day. Most of us cannot imagine a table sparse of food. Yet many of our neighbors in need experience the empty table almost every day, and heartbreakingly, on holidays.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, and express gratitude for all the blessings we receive every day, let’s take a moment to cherish the gift of giving that has made a difference in the life of another.
A special thanks to Elizabeth Arreola and Bill Waddell for their tireless efforts in taking care of their community. The St. Gall food pantry runs throughout the year, serving thousands who line up early to receive much needed food. Some arrive on foot, and some wait for hours. St Gall is located at 5511 S Sawyer Avenue, Chicago IL 60629. This year’s holiday dinner food pantry will be held on Saturday, November 20th from 10:00am to 1:00pm.
As we turn the calendar to December, our efforts will continue to ensure our neighbors in need are able to celebrate Christmas with a warm meal. With #GivingTuesday right around the corner, we wanted to share one of the many ways your generosity serves our communities. We, the Society, will continue to look after our neighbors in need, with your support we are making a world of difference in our communities. Visit us at www.svdpchicago.org and learn about the lives we have changed because of your support.
AmazonSmile
If you already use Amazon.com for online shopping, you can link your account to AmazonSmile and support SVdP Chicago!You will make a .5 percent donation with every Amazon purchase by using AmazonSmile.
Here are 3 simple steps to start donating today:
Step 1: Go to smile.amazon.com log in using your email and password as if you were at amazon.com.
Step 2: Search for the Society of St Vincent de Paul-Chicago and select us as your charity.
Step 3: Shop, Amazon Smile, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to SVdP!
Winter Coat Drives Begin for Our Friends in Need
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has already started the giving season by distributing Winter Coats to those in need at the Pope Francis Center and the Homeless Shelter at 71st & Kedzie. SVdP, in association with the Valenti Family, hosted a Scare, Care & Share Winter Coat Drive at their home in Chicago Ridge during the Halloween Season in October. With the outpouring of support from friends, family, neighbors and visitors, they were able to collect almost 200 winter coats, 50 windbreakers, sweatshirts, sweaters along with hats, gloves and scarves. In addition, Catholic Charities was able to support our drive with a donation of 300 winter coats as well! These winter coats came at just the right time to help keep our friends in need warm through this upcoming frigid Chicago winter!