St. Vincent de Paul

Seattle Nonprofit

Archives for May 2016

No Furniture & Goods Pick-Ups Thru July 31!

By

Pick Up Suspension 5-31-16Donation Pick-Ups Suspended Through July 31, 2016

Please note that we are suspending donation pick-ups from today through July 31, 2106. As a result, we will not be accepting donation intake calls or scheduling of donation pick-ups via our website now through July 31, 2016.

Pick-Ups Already Scheduled

If you have already been scheduled for a pick-up, that schedule remains in effect. We will be contacting you in a few days regarding logistics for your already scheduled pick-up. For information about your pick-up, email giving@svdpseattle.org or call 206-778-2623

Consider Taking Donations to Our Thrift Stores

We are reorganizing our trucking and call center departments and we need eight weeks to reset operations for these units. If you have donations, please consider taking them to one of our thrift stores.

Website Information

Get information about our Thrift Store Locations and Hours here.

Questions

If you have questions, please email giving@svdpseattle.org or call 206-778-2623.

 

 

 

No Mattress Donations!

By

pile of mattresses 10-29-15Occasionally there is confusion about whether or not St. Vinnie’s takes mattress donations. Let there be no mistake—we do not take mattress donations. We used to take mattresses and that is where the confusion comes from. When we did, we listed on various websites that we did. If you still see us listed on a website as an organization that takes mattress donations, please let us know the name of the website and we will change the listing. We have done that three or four times this spring. Email us at giving@svdpseattle.org

We sell new mattresses at our stores and we don’t accept mattress donations because of health concerns.

People Are Still Hungry!

By

During April of 2016 our Georgetown Food Bank served 2,098 families and 1,166 homeless neighbors. These numbers have remained constant for some time. When we started our FACES (food, assistance, compassion and emergency services) program about a year and a half ago, six neighbors came to the first event. Now between 50 and 100 come every week. Thousands of people all over Seattle and King County, even with all the wealth and growth, still go hungry. We must help. It is our duty.Food Bank Outside Line 12-21-15

June: Customer Appreciation Month at St. Vinnie’s!

By

mens2Our customers mean so much to us! Without you our stores could not generate funds to support our programs to help people all over Seattle and King County. So we have created a special month to offer a “huge thanks” to the thousands of folks who shop with us.

And for those of you reading this who haven’t shopped with us, you might want to give our stores a trial run. You will be surprised with the great finds, big brand names and how we help save the planet with recycling and reuse.

You can also join Vincent’s Shoppers, a special loyalty group that gets deals and advance notice on special events. Check out Customer Appreciation Month Details! mens

 

 

 

 

 

Final June Store Calendar

Round Up Really Working–Thank You!

By

Our Round It Up for St. Vincent is really working and we are very grateful. Our shoppers have been generous and kind. In the past few weeks, shoppers have donated more than $6,000
The next time you shop with us, remember this. It is an easy way to donate money to us. With your permission, we will round up your sales receipt to the next dollar, even if it is just a few cents.This change adds up rapidly and can play a significant role in enabling us to help more needy people.

We started this new program at our five thrift stores a few weeks ago and we have already raised over $6,000 to help needy neighbors

Our mission is to serve neighbors in need all over King County. Last year we helped over 120,000 people. We provided them with all kinds of help, including rent assistance, food, and other social support services to help  them become self-sufficient. We always need more funds and we are starting a new program to help with that.

Please let us round up your sales receipt when you shop with us. We will let you know every few weeks how this is working. Please visit www.svdpseattle.org

Do the Math 5-26-16

Mural Painting Needs Funding Help!

By

Artists A Gaul Culley and Staci Adman are doing their magic. The painting continues on day 20 or so (May 24, 2016). The depth of the detail in the project is starting to be be clear in incredible detail. Look at this photo, this is only half of the mural. We will be  updating throughout the summer. The mural, according to the artists, is getting lots of reaction. Passersby in cars takl to the artists and express their support, volunteers off to come help paint. The artists, in addition to painting, have been raising funds int he Kenmore community, but they tell us they are $6,000 under their forecast. If you are interested in donating to this project, please email giving@svdpseattle.org

This mural project involves creating a 188 foot long painted mural on the West Wall of Panel for Brochure Front Comp 3-22-16Mural Panel One--The Starting Pointthe St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Kenmore, WA. The Kenmore-St. Vincent Mural celebrates and tells the story of the cultural history of Kenmore.  Our hope is that the mural will deepen the community’s sense of place. We also hope it will contribute to Kenmore’s 20-year vision of “a community that is inclusive and family friendly, with a small town feeling that fosters a sense of belonging and pride and supports local arts, culture and history.

 

 

Mural Painting 5-24-16

 

Relive Blue Dress Breakfast

By

It takes a village to host a successful fundraising event like our Third Annual Blue Dress Breakfast on Tuesday, May 10, 2016. Our Master of Ceremonies, John Curley, led the hour-long event that included a unique staff and student fashion show, an emotionally-charged video that told a story (see below) about one of our Centro Rendu clients, and a silent auction. Our Honorary Chairs this year, Pat Kennedy and Melissa Ries, have been major supporters and matched every donation over $250 since this event’s genesis. We also had generous contributors like Pat and Mary Welch who kicked off the Breakfast giving with their generous gift of $25,000. We are pleased to say our little yet mighty village helped raise close to $300,000. Our goal is $350,000 – could you help us get there? 

If you prefer to write and mail in a check, please make it payable to:
St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle | King County
5950 4th Ave South
Seattle, WA 98108

In the meantime, check out the highlights below and relive the Blue Dress Breakfast:

The Story of Loina
Loina grew up with a single mother in Central America, where they both struggled to make ends meet. After much consideration, Loina felt it was more essential to support her mother by working rather than attend school. She was only ten-years-old.

In 2003, she decided to leave her country with hopes to find a better life in the United States. The struggles of living in a depressed economy and the dangers of gang violence exacerbated her challenges of being the single provider for her large household. Attempting to seek refuge in a foreign land, she faced hardships along the way that threatened her safety and well-being.

Loina heard about Centro Rendu through an outreach event at her son Josue’s school in Kent, which led her to St. Vincent de Paul. There, she found a safe haven to fill the void of being away from her homeland. Loina credits Centro Rendu with her strengthened ability to advocate for Josue at school and access a wide range of opportunities she only thought possible in her dreams. Below, she shares her personal narrative with us: 

Additionally, we could not have produced the Breakfast without the sponsorship of Seattle University and President Fr. Stephen Sundborg, SJ (featured below on left), please follow this link to view his prayer. Also, if you missed the moving remarks of Executive Director Ned Delmore (as shown below on right), please click this link.

Relive BDB Speakers

Missed the Event but Would Like to Donate?

If you prefer to write and mail in a check, please make it payable to:
St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle | King County
5950 4th Ave South
Seattle, WA 98108

Blue Dress Breakfast Raises $285,000!

By

Our Third Annual Blue Dress Breakfast on Tuesday May 10, 2016 was an overwhelming success. We are deeply thankful and grateful to all who attended and their generous outpouring of support. Our first Blue Dress Breakfast in 2014 raised $50,000.  On May 10, 2016 we raised $285,000.

THAT IS A 460% INCREASE IN THREE YEARS!

Indeed we have come a long way in a short time.

blue dress image for site 5-12-16It takes a village to create a successful fundraising event.  We have individual donors like Pat Kennedy and Melissa Ries who have been major contributors to this effort since we began.   They have matched every donation over $250 for the past two years. Pat and Mary Welch kicked off the Third Annual Blue Dress Breakfast giving with their gift of $25,000.  We had 23 very generous sponsors who made contributions to support our breakfast.

Additionally, we could not have produced the breakfast without the sponsorship of Seattle University and President Fr. Stephen Sundborg, SJ.  Our Board of Directors, Development Advisory Board, students from Holy Names Academy and O’Dea High School, our Vincentian Volunteer Conferences, our staff, many friends and neighbors all contributed to our success. This year the Campion Ballroom at Seattle University was overflowing with close to 350 donors and another 50 volunteers and staff.  Our Master of Ceremonies John Curley led the hour long event that included a unique staff and student fashion show, an emotionally charged video that told a story about one of our Centro Rendu clients, Loina Romero, a silent auction and much more. We owe our very generous group of sponsors a huge debt of thanks. They included:

HONORARY CHAIRS
Pat Kennedy & Melissa Ries

GOLD LEVEL
Pat and Mary Welch
Tom and Mary Herche
Seattle University
Sound Sleep
Foster Pepper PLLC

SILVER LEVEL
Suzie Burke
Theresa Gallant
St. Joseph School
CTS International
Wells Fargo
Catholic Community Services

BRONZE LEVEL
Suzanne Lindberg
Patty Shepherd-Barnes
Deborah and Richard Berger
Paul and Alice Hill
Tom and Tracy Read
St. Joseph Seattle SVdP Conference
Holy Family Kirkland SVdP Conference
John and Kate Goodwin
Molina Healthcare
Neighborcare Health
Voldal Wartelle & Company
Columbia Legal Services

Companis Volunteers Make A Difference

By

A small silk rug brought in $600. A porcelain owl, $600.

A large folio Frank Lloyd Wright book, $350.

A gold ring with small diamonds, $450.

On any given week, that’s what Companis Worker Tom Tiberio, antiques expert and appraiser, can find reviewing goods donated to St. Vincent de Paul’s five thrift shops. And he loves that the fruits of his labors bring increased revenue — he estimates $2,000 to $3,000 monthly —  to the many shelter programs operated by SVdP, the county’s most-referred homeless services agency.

Companis connects volunteers with nonprofit agencies that need staffing assistance. Their volunteers work in medical clinics for homeless women, teach job skills, sit with our homeless neighbors over a meal, help low-income people get affordable medical care, and much more.

Companis says “we make a difference.” Every day. They do and they did for us.

“That’s whatCompanis Volunteer Tom 5-12-16 I love about my placement,” he says. “Companis takes peoples’ skills and puts them into places where those skills are needed, where maybe they wouldn’t be otherwise available.”

On this particular day, Tom examined and flagged for sale at auction bracelets, rings and pendants, vintage Barbie dolls, a Japanese lute-like instrument covered with cobra skin, an antique accordion, two hand-carved pipes, an imposing replica of a Korean crown, a pale fur jacket, and a collection of rare Masonic items. As he does so, he is teaching store employees how to identify the more valuable items that are donated.

“I get excited when I see Tom,” says Lori Bedwell, store operations manager. “We are learning so much from him, and it’s helping us earn more money from the items we sell. It’s been a great experience having him here.”

Tom’s placement is just one of more than 800 Companis has made over 22 years, greatly expanding capacity for Seattle area nonprofits.

 

Shop Our Everything Goes 50% Off Sale—May 21!

By

This is a very special event — May 21, 2016 — we mean everything in the store—all merchandise (with tiny exceptions) is 50% Off. We are loaded with donations. Ask about our Rewards Cards and check in to joining Vincent’s Shoppers. (Does not include beds & frames).

Please take note: Hours for this sale are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores!

Hours:  M-F  9 a.m.— 7 p.m. Sat.  10 a. m. – 6 p.m. Sun. 11 a. m. – 6 p.m.

Locations: Seattle —13555 Aurora Ave N. | Burien—13445 1st Ave S. | Kent —  310 Central Ave. North | Kenmore— 7304 Bothell Way  |

Renton — 575 Rainier Ave. North

Store Location Detail

Visit www.svdpseattle.org for more information!