3 minute read
The Ladies of Charity of Quincy: Meeting Important Needs in Our Community
For many of us, bedding, pots and pans, and clothes are within our means to purchase whenever needed. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for everyone. In Quincy, there is a group of men and women who volunteer their time so those in need have these necessities that we so often take for granted.
The Ladies of Charity of Quincy has been around for more than 85 years. The group follows the Vincentian mission of prayer and service. As their website notes, the group has “consistently addressed the needs of the under-served, unemployed and underemployed people in the Quincy area, regardless of race, creed, color or country of origin.”
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The Ladies of Charity Center is set up like a thrift store, except there is no charge for anything. There is also a food pantry. People in need are not required to meet income specifications, but there is a limit on certain items per month or year, depending on the item.
Cindi Soebbing works at the Center’s front desk. They give out donated items, from clothes and pillows to toys, diapers, and dishes. She says volunteering has opened her eyes to this vital need in our community.
“Being involved in this organization has shown me we are all in this together,” Cindi says. “It is our responsibility to take care of each other.”
People come to the Center because they have had to suddenly take in their grandchildren. Others are just out of prison, trying to start a new life, and they have nothing, while others have lost their jobs. As Cindi notes, there are so many difficult situations.
There are many volunteers, women, and men, who keep the Ladies of Charity Center running. There is a group that fixes toys and another that washes linens and makes sets, to name a few. Cindi says there is always a need for volunteers to work at the Center desk or behind the scenes. The Center also takes donations. Some of the nicer items are brought to the Ladies of Charity Thrift Store and sold. The money made at the Thrift Store funds the charitable work of the Center.
“I have been so inspired by other volunteers who are willing to give of themselves,” Cindi says.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made this work even more important. When the shutdown orders first went into effect, the building closed and boxes of food were being distributed. Eventually, they opened with fewer volunteers, shorter hours, and a limit on how many could be in the building.
“There is a lot of need out there,” Cindi says. “Many people, probably more in this past year, have a difficult time supporting their families and need a little assistance.”
At St. Anthony of Padua, we have done several drives, from pots and pans to undergarments, for certain items needed at the Center. We also collect food each month. Announcements on drives can be found in the bulletin. Cindi and everyone at the Center are so thankful for all the items that are donated from our parish. She says St. Anthony parishioners have been so supportive of the Center and all the people they serve.
“This is just a good way to recycle things, rather than throwing them away,” Cindi says. “Someone else may be able to use that item.”
