St. Vincent de Paul members come together for needy residents

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul volunteers help needy individuals and families throughout the year, and on Wednesday its volunteers from St. Mary of the Annunciation Church in Mundelein distributed Christmas food baskets to needy families in the area.

“The food baskets allow people to have a good Christmas meal, and they help them throughout the holiday,” said Janice Sinkovec, a member of St. Vincent de Paul. “If a family has children, they will be home from school for two weeks, and the family will need more food at home during Christmas vacation. By providing food, the family may be able to use what little money they have for other needs.”

While St. Vincent de Paul's members took the lead during the event, they were not alone in their efforts. The turkeys were originally donated by the Mundelein Police Department and Elly's Pancake House during the recent Thanksgiving food drive. The Knights of Columbus, in Libertyville, along with parishioners from St. Mary of the Annunciation provided additional food. With all of these groups coming together, the families received baskets filled of a turkey, bag of potatoes, bread, cheese, milk, orange juice and canned goods, cereal, pasta and spaghetti sauce.

“We can always count on our parishioners opening their hearts and giving to others who are in need,” said Sinkovec. “It is the generosity of the community that allows us to provide large food baskets to our guests at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.”

According to Sinkovec, all remaining food and supplies are shared with Most Blessed Trinity's Holy Family Food Pantry in Waukegan.

“It is our Christian mission to help people who are in need,” she said. “It is especially important to do this at this time of year, when we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ our savior.”

St. Vincent de Paul is known for helping the hungry, but its members do much more for its needy community members.

“The conference gives out back packs of school supplies to underprivileged students in August,” said Sinkovec. “Throughout the year, our ministry meets with families who find themselves in need. We have a number of families who find themselves in financial hardship for the first time. They may not know the resources that are available to them. We direct them to a resource list, and if they still need assistance, we may provide financial assistance, by paying part or all of a bill.”

To learn more about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, visit www.svdpchicago.org.