February 2023

Volunteer Newsletter

To see in those in need the face of Christ

2023 Calendar

Thursday, March 16, 6:00 pm. Vinnie & Pat's Dinner. See article below for more information.

Sunday, March 19th, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Open House at the SVdP Center. See article below for more information.

Sunday, September 24th, 10:30 AM Mass at SS Peter and Paul Church. Our Conference’s Annual Vincentian Mass and Commitment Ceremony in honor of our Patron Saint, St. Vincent de Paul.

Wednesday, September 27th. The Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul.

Sunday, November 5th, 10:30 AM Mass at SS Peter and Paul Church. This Mass will be offered for and in Remembrance of our Deceased Vincentians.

Sunday, December 10th, 10:30 AM Mass at SS Peter and Paul Church. Immaculate Conception of our Patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

New Additions to SVdP Board

Congratulations to Kate Levey, who has accepted the invitation to join the SVdP Board. As manager of the Thrift Store, she is a welcome addition!

Susan Kordell, our Marketing Director, has also joined the Board to replace Laurie Jantz, who has just accepted a promotion from her employer and has resigned. Laurie is very talented, and we will miss her.

Kate and Susan bring their wealth of experience and join our other 2023-2026 new board members Nancy Fitzgerald, Donna Horney, and John Syarto.

Valentine's Day Serenade

The Bay Country Chorus (the Easton Maryland chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society) performed for volunteers in perfect harmony at the SVdP Center on Valentine's Day. An appropriate favorite was "Let Me Call You Sweetheart". From left in the photos are Lesley Aaron (Director and singing tenor), John Crovo (lead), Sandy Ryder (baritone) and Claude Maechling (bass). Lesley found a coat and fun hat that she purchased, too, so it was a win for everyone! Enjoy their music on March 16th at 6:15 pm at the Vinnie and Pat event.

SVdP's Google Page - Check it Out!

Did you know that SVdP in Easton has had a Google page for quite a few years? Anyone searching for us on Google Click Here (or type in SVdP Easton, MD) is brought to a page with our services, a map, a link to our website, photos and more. Right now, we have a review rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, and many good reviews. In case you haven't seen this site, here are a few of the most recent reviews:

"They are a blessing to the community. Way better than the Neighborhood Service Center and Social Services combined. They don't judge you for getting in a jam. They went above and beyond to help me this past week. Thank you for spreading God's love and gospel. Keep it up" - Jackie K.

"They have the nicest group of people here... so helpful, thoughtful, friendly, and kind. There's a great variety of things to buy and it changes constantly. We move often for my fiance's job, so we keep things to the bare minimum as we go. This has been a great way to supplement the little things we've been missing and to give some life to the apartment. Knowing that it's for a good cause makes it so much better." - Emily C.

Thank you to ALL of our volunteers, whether you come to the Center on days we are open, help with truck pickups and deliveries, prepare donations for sale, prep food bags, or work behind the scenes in the many ways needed to support SVdP. Each and every one of our efforts is reflected in the above positive comments. Join the almost 9600 people (just in the past 3 months) who looked for us...and encourage your friends and family to check out this site, too.

Annual Vinnie & Pat's Event

The Vinnie & Pat's dinner event will be held on Thursday evening, March 16th at the Maria M. Mitchell Social Hall at SSPP's Family Life Center, beginning at 6 pm. There will be great Irish food and drink catered by Suzie's Kitchen, along with Irish songs & other selections performed by The Bay Country Chorus (the Easton Maryland chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society). They have been entertaining citizens throughout DelMarVa since 1995, singing four-part harmony in the barbershop style. Volunteers and spouses are welcome to come and join in the fun. Your RSVP must have been confirmed to attend.

SVdP Open House

Mark your calendars! The St. Vincent de Paul Open House will be held on Sunday, March 19th, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. All are invited to stop by, tour the facility, mingle with fellow and future volunteers, and enjoy light refreshments. This event is open to everyone, including the Saints Peter and Paul Parish as well as the greater Easton community, so if you have any friends or neighbors who are interested in learning more about what we do, bring them with you! We hope to see you there.

Angel Tree 2022 Recap

Thank you to everyone who donated money towards gift cards for our local children and seniors for our Angel Tree in December. Because of you, we were able to provide 625 gift cards to brighten their holidays.

St. Vincent Advisors

During the month of January, we served 106 families, including 13 Hispanic families, for a total of $18,814.63 in assistance. Thanks to having several more bilingual volunteers, we are able to serve more families in the Spanish speaking community.

Last month we created a Homeless Policy Committee to research and write a policy to help SVdP Advisors when interviewing a person in need of temporary accommodation.

Thrift Store

Business was slow in early January after a booming December. But business has picked back up again, and sales are averaging around $5000 per week.

Other news in the Thrift Store is that a second credit card machine is being added, which will be located in the Boutique.

Food Pantry

Great big thanks to the Saints Peter and Paul High School Student Government Association which gathered 820 pounds of food and delivered it to the SVdP Food Pantry on Saturday, February 11th.

Amazon Smile Changes

Amazon has notified us that they are discontinuing the Amazon Smile program effective February 20, 2023. Thank you to everyone who participated in this program, which gave us 0.5% of your purchases for the past several years.