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THE STORY
In 2005, while sifting through a pile of donated clothing and deciding what to do with the growing pile of unusable, torn or stained items, St. Vincent de Paul Society Help Desk director Sally Rosen's thoughts turned to recycling. She thought of how these discarded garments could be transformed into something renewed and useful. It reminded her of the hundreds of homeless and poor men and women who seek help from the St. Vincent de Paul Society every week, who are also overlooked by many, considered useless or unnecessary. At the St. Vincent de Paul Society, we strive to serve every individual who comes through our doors with dignity and respect, no matter where they stand in their life's journey. We work with them one-on-one to help them in so many ways, so they can begin to transform their lives.
Seeing this work in action transforms many who volunteer for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. People they may have perceived as scary or threatening are in fact neither. They are simply people in need of a safe place to sleep, a hot meal, clean clothes and someone who cares. They are people grateful for kindness and the simple things many of us take for granted every day.
For many volunteers and staff, helping these poor and needy people deeply impacts their personal outlook and spirituality. In that way, the act of recycling donated clothing has the power to renew lives-not only for those helped, but for those helping them.
In 2006, out of that pile of unusable donated clothing, with help from aspiring and professional designers and an outstanding team of visionary volunteers, Discarded to Divine was created. In 2007, both attendance and monetary donations doubled.
In 2008, the main event saw more than 1,000 in attendance and raised more than $80,000.
Stay tuned for news of 2009 event... |
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