St. Vincent DePaul Free Dining Room

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED:
The staff and volunteers of Saint Vincent De Paul Society have fed 275 hungry people a day for 36 years
at the dining room on 3rd street in Eureka.  The society operates a thrift store  that has supported this mission.  In 2013 the roof collapsed on the thrift store. There have been several costly property maintenance issues since. (click here to read more about it ) The financial impacts have created a very serious strain on the organization. Yet the society presses on with its mission, one day at a time, determined to feed the hungry and provide needed resources to the diners. 

The dining room is a caring, safe place where diners have  access to the Saint Josephs community resource room and social services case manager. The Mobile Medical bus comes by once a week to see patients. They have a physician and nurse who provides general care. The dining room is a opportunity for diners to get the help they need to make life better.  For most, the hour they spend in the dining room may be the only moment of rest, warmth and humanity they have all day. Its a safe, dry spot to gather their thoughts, make connections and feel some hope and humanity.  On occassion, one particular volunteer breaks out in song and lights the room with her warm, cheerful smile.   This is a video of my day at the dining room.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
There are many days now where the dining rooms pantry and coolers are bare (click here). The amount of food they have to feed the diners  depends on what is donated in the days before. The cooks are really miracle workers. It reminds me of the story of the loaves and fishes. They can take what they get and make it work to feed all the families, men, women and children walking in the door.

To continue feeding the hungry in our community, Saint Vincents really needs you.  Your gifts to the society will keep food in the coolers and pantry. 

Marylee, the staff and wonderful volunteers are in the dining room kitchen, on the front lines, every day providing aid and healthy food to the hungry. Your gift, No matter how small or big, $5, $15, $25, $100, will bless others and contribute to the healing of local lives.
NOTE: On top of our goal of $1000, Saint vincents recieved $500 for much needed replacements of broken and old kitchen equipment. Thank You and Happy Holidays!

P.S.  THE THRIFT STORE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
Saint Vincent De Paul Society Thrift Store has been reopened for a year of more. It is in the same location in Eureka on the bottom floor. Wednesdays through Saturdays 11Pm to 5Pm The staff have said they have seen less customers this year, perhaps its because the top floor has those empty picture windows so it may look closed to some?  The top floor is still closed.  But We assure you they are not only open they have some really neat things right now! Check it out. Hey christmas shopping at St. Vinnes??  STOCKING STUFFERS! Sounds like a plan! They have some cool stuff. They are also excited to get donations of like new household, craft, home decorations and tools too.


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SO who is the fundraiser organizer?:
Food Is Free Humboldt   and Humboldt Helping Hands Outreach are real time and online social media groups that use Facebook.  We come together in real time to help each other and our neighbors. We have pride in our community and we support local causes that have missions simular to ours. 

We believe in neighborhood unity, charitable aid, and self-help support. We have the audacity to believe that there is enough food produced on this planet for all.  All it takes is neighbors coming together to create and organize neighborhood gardens, seed swaps, start exchanges, barter parties, open sharing of surplus food,  neighbor to neighbor care for eachother and free dining rooms like Saint Vincents. `.  

In 2014, We brought together the community, garden and permaculture businesses to help Trillium Charter School in Arcata.  Clubs, businesses, school teachers and neighborhood volunteers. We united to rebuild the schools old raised bed gardens. Combined the donations totaled 2 tons of local mixed soil, pots, amendments, veggie starts, fruit and vegetable seeds for the children. Any time a child at Trillium was hungry last year, they could just go pick a ripe jucy tomato, snap peas, strawberries and more. Teachers used the garden to teach and to feed the kids for their annual camping trip.

So here we are, 2015, after learning about the property and maintenace issues at Saint Vincent De Paul Society, We decided to help them out.  The mission  of providing  food to the hungry for free, falls within our mission. No man, woman or child should ever go hungry or thirsty.

Note: Food is Free Humboldt is a chapter of a International movement. To learn more about the Food Is Free  project Click here.    

"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture of their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land."  — Martin Luther King Jr.

P.S. Donors have an opportunity to recieve a blessing for your generosity. Continue Reading!