Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference at St. Thomas Aquinas

The first half of 2007 has been very successful for our St. Vincent de Paul Society. Our mission is to serve the working poor in East Dallas, and through the ongoing generosity of our parish members, we have been able to do that in a greater manner than ever before. Since January 1, we have worked with more than 100 clients who have called into our Help Line needing assistance. Our members have met with them in their homes and provided financial support to pay for rent, utilities, food and other basic necessities. We have also provided numerous clients with furniture, transportation, education assistance, and even job search support that has lead to employment. Our organization provides short term assistance and points our clients in the right direction to get back on their feet. We help where we can, and where we can’t, we refer to other organizations around the city.

The Silent Auction at An Evening at the Lake was a tremendous success, thanks mainly to Tammi Gappa, Auction Chair, who along with her crew, did a fabulous job of coordinating, soliciting items, and setting up the Auction. The Auction raised approximately $9,000.00.

Guests and volunteers begin to gather before An Evening at the Lake. What an incredibly beautiful view of the lake!

Aside from case work, our membership has been very busy in other areas as well. We have hosted two Bundle Sundays this year to collect furniture and clothing to be used immediately or sold in our Thrift Store. Both times, we have filled up the truck and still had plenty left over. We host Bundle Sunday once per quarter and we alert our parishioners in the bulletin for three weeks leading up to it.

On May 5, we hosted our second annual fundraiser called An Evening At the Lake. The event was at the beautiful home of Ann and Jack Seifrick (parishioners) on White Rock Lake, and all 200 guests had a wonderful time. The event had fantastic food stations provided by area restaurants, a wonderful collection of Auction items provided by Lakewood residents and businesses, and a very fun band called A Hard Nights Day. It was simply a beautiful and fun night, and the money that was raised, $32,000, will enable our conference to serve the poor in East Dallas through the summer months. Photos are included and we hope to see you at the 3rd annual event next Spring.

—Sean Myers, President
St. Vincent de Paul Society
St. Thomas Aquinas Conference