3 minute read
DEAR FRIENDS,
I can feel the seasons beginning to change: the mornings are getting cooler and the nights are getting longer. School is back in session and our days seem a bit busier, our schedules a bit fuller. And I am reminded of the verse from Ecclesiastes 3 that tells us that there is a season for everything.
During the summer season, we saw an increased number of families at our Catino Choice Food Pantry. We met neighbors whose health was suffering as a result of the heat and children who spent their summer sleeping on the floor. We provided food, air conditioning units, beds, and hope to these families as they navigated this season of challenge in their lives.
As the fall and winter seasons draw near, we will touch the lives of thousands of neighbors seeking assistance with basics such as rent and utilities. It’s no secret that extra expenses associated with the cold winter months can be a financial stressor. Add the pressure of pulling off special celebrations for the holidays, and it becomes even more difficult to make ends meet, especially for families living paycheck to paycheck.
And so, we begin a busy season planning holiday food distributions, coat drives, and gift drives that will offer additional support for our neighbors during the holidays.
We hear from so many of our neighbors that they would not be able to provide all of the things that their loved ones deserve – a holiday meal, a warm coat, or presents under the tree – without the support of St. Vincent de Paul and our powerhouse network of volunteers. This season, I ask you to consider joining that network.
If volunteering in person isn’t for you, I ask you to consider inviting your network – your kids’ sports teams, your colleagues, your book club – to give back through one of St. Vincent de Paul’s programs. Could your workplace host a collection barrel for our coat drive? Instead of Secret Santa, can your friends purchase items for our Angel Toy Drive? Would your kids consider donating the toys they’ve outgrown to one of our thrift stores?
In the following pages, you will see ways that you can support St. Vincent de Paul and our neighbors this season.
I invite you to join us for one event or for all. And I invite you to make every season a Season of Love.
