Your Help is Needed to Support the St. Vincent de Paul Society
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER - On December 4, the St. Vincent de Paul Society held its annual Christmas dinner for all its volunteers. This year the dinner was held at the new St. Vincent de Paul store at 1738 East Hastings Street in Vancouver.
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| SHEILA COUTU, the Vancouver Archdiocesan Central Council President with Tom O’Flynn. |
There is always a great atmosphere among the volunteers whenever they gather. They are a delightful group of friendly people who give their time and energy to help those less fortunate in our society.
There were over 90 guests at the dinner, with volunteers from Coquitlam, Richmond, Burnaby, and Vancouver. They work at the Main Street and East Hastings stores in Vancouver, along with the Outreach programs making sandwiches and coffee to distribute to the needy in the downtown area every Wednesday and Friday night. Since the colder weather and snow, the Outreach volunteers are also distributing blankets, jackets and heavy clothing, along with the sandwiches and hot coffee.
Thomas (Tom) O’Flynn, who is the B.C. Provincial Council President and is also on the board of directors for the National Council of Canada for the St. Vincent de Paul Society, is the backbone of the Vancouver conferences.
Born in Limerick, Ireland, he is also a great ballroom dancer and loves the “craic” as the Irish say. His son, John is the president of the Vancouver Particular Council for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, and a member of the National Board for the Youth.
John has been Santa for the past two years at the St. Vincent de Paul Society Christmas dinners, where he and Sheila Coutu, the hard-working Vancouver Archdiocesan Central Council President, hand out Christmas gifts to the volunteers.
John Kane who has been the driver for the Society for many years, is really the man on the front line when it comes to delivering furniture, clothing and food to the needy. He also picks up donated items for the stores which enables the Society to help the needy and homeless.
It was really nice to see the people who work so hard to make a difference in the lives of so many having such a great evening. We’re all indebted to the dedicated, unselfish work they do in our society every day without any fanfare.
While this is a joyous time of the year for many of us as we celebrate the season with our families and friends, it can be a lonely, hungry and cold season for the needy and homeless out on the unforgiving streets. The St. Vincent de Paul Society needs blankets, jackets, toques, mitts and gloves for their Outreach Program. If you can donate any of these items, please call the numbers below.
The Society also needs volunteers at their new store on East Hastings and in the Outreach Program. If you have any time during the week that you could spare to help for a couple of hours at either the store, making the sandwiches, or picking up the bread to make the sandwiches, then please call (604) 873-1003 or (604) 873-1065, or the Help Line at (604) 873-2297 and leave a message for Sheila.
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