Special to The Catholic Telegraph

A group of local Catholic high schools are commemorating Catholic Schools Week this year by supporting St. Vincent de Paul-Cincinnati through collections of food, personal care products, household items and clothing for St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores and Donation Centers. Catholic Schools Week is in progress.

Participating high schools include Elder, McAuley, Moeller, Mother of Mercy, Mt. Notre Dame, and Roger Bacon. Two of those schools, Roger Bacon and Mount Notre Dame, have student-run conferences of St. Vincent de Paul. A conference is a group of volunteers who serve the needs of struggling families in their own community, generally operating as a ministry out of Catholic parishes.

“The Gospel calls us to not only to share what we have with those who are hungry, cold, and lonely, but to recognize the face of Christ in those we are helping,” said Julie Vehorn, director of curriculum and instruction/English teacher at Roger Bacon High School. “The students who make up the Roger Bacon Conference of St. Vincent de Paul do just that. They tell me they join for many reasons – to earn service hours, to help others, or even just to spend time with friends. However, regardless of why they join, they stay because they ‘fall in love’ with service. It is awesome to be part of a program that lights this spark in students.”

Roger Bacon High School is hosting a dodgeball tournament for its students on Monday, January 28 at 1:30 p.m. To participate, students are being asked to donate $2 or a personal care item to St. Vincent de Paul. Other activities that week include a kick-off event at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 at Mount Notre Dame High School and student lunches at McCauley High School with a representative from St. Vincent de Paul during lunch periods from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., also Jan. 31.

“We are grateful to each of the schools participating in donation drives in honor of Catholic Schools Week,” said Eric Young, community relations manager, St. Vincent de Paul-Cincinnati. “The generosity of the students and their eagerness to serve others exemplifies this year’s Catholic Schools Week Theme – Raise the Standards.”

The drives come at a good time as St. Vincent de Paul currently has an urgent need for shoes, men and children’s clothing and household items such as small appliances and linens. Local residents who want to get involved and donate can visit an area St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store and Donation Center or call 513-421-CARE to schedule a free pick-up.  There are convenient thrift store and donation center locations across Cincinnati including Colerain, Este Avenue, Evendale, Mason, Milford, Mt. Washington and in Western Hills near Glenway Crossing.  For hours and directions, visit www.SVDPcincinnati.org.

About St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) has been helping Greater Cincinnati and Hamilton County residents in need with the basic necessities of life for more than 140 years. The organization works personally with those in need, regardless of race or creed, to bridge the spiritual, emotional and material gaps in their lives through home visits provided by neighborhood-based volunteer groups, and groundbreaking initiatives like the Charitable Pharmacy as well as our network of seven food pantries and seven thrift stores and donation centers across Cincinnati. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul continues to be a leading community service organization, recently recognized as a One Award Finalist, by The Better Business Bureau (BBB) as a Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics winner and by The CincinnatiUSA Regional Chamber of Commerce as Non-Profit of the Year. For more information visit http://www.SVDPcincinnati.org.