St. Vincent de Paul in Marshfield plays an important role during the holiday season by helping connect the community with those in need.
One of those roles is facilitating a few of the Angel Trees around the city by providing a wish list to local churches and organizations from the families it serves.
Similarly, community sponsorships allow St. Vincent to give families a Christmas with toys for kids and useful items for parents, such as cleaning items or gas cards. Many organizations who sponsor families have done so for a long time, but new sponsors are always welcome.
Outreach Coordinator Deb Steltenpohl partners with the Toys for Tots program every year, a distribution event hosted by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which provides parents the opportunity to select two presents for their children who might not otherwise get anything for Christmas. Additionally, St. Vincent has hosted its own toy room since 2005 for those who aren’t part of the program to be able to shop for presents at no cost, made possible through donations.
“It’s for people that are struggling,” Steltenpohl said. “Their kids might not otherwise have gifts for Christmas because of a job change, illness, or whatever they’re struggling with.”
The St. Vincent food pantry supports 600-700 families per month. This year, 360 food baskets were passed out to Marshfield families for the holidays. Volunteers put together the baskets in just one day and all items were donated. Baskets included a ham or turkey Christmas dinner with additional food items for the morning after: pancake mix and syrup, apple juice, and vouchers for milk, butter and eggs.
Winter clothing is a particular need this winter and already St. Vincent’s supply of hats and gloves has been used up. “Normally we have totes and totes of that. It’s been flying out the doors this year,” Steltenpohl said.
St. Vincent welcomes donations of new or gently used winter jackets and warm clothes. These can be dropped off directly at Outreach rather than the thrift store.
Outreach is located at 149 N. Central Ave. and can be reached at 715-387-0395.
