Sterling/Rock Falls
Lord, Our Savior,
In this time of waiting, I come to You in prayer, filled with hope renewed in the love You came to share. On this Advent journey, remembering Your birth, may I find through faith in You the gift of peace on Earth. Amen.
And it is God’s will that we see and serve Him in the poor, in the despairing, in the hungry, the prisoner, the stranger, and the sick. We offer them not only our affection, but our time, talents, possessions and ourselves. Thank you for serving God and those less fortunate through your gift to St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Families helped with food in November: 657 (1383 adults and 753 children, total 2136 individuals)
I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.
Sixth, seventh and eighth graders of St. Mary’s School in Sterling collected over 400 non-perishable items and donated the items to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry on November 21 (above photo). The entire student body also held a pajama day with the money collected going to St. Vincent de Paul Society. We are truly blessed by the actions of the students at St. Mary’s School. Thank you for being such an inspiration to us all.
A local business, Sterling Steel, donated 40 turkeys to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry on November 20th. Thanks to Ashley, Jason and Greg for their help in loading the turkeys, with a special thank you to Greg for his help unloading and stocking the turkeys at the pantry. Sterling Steel is a generous supporter of St. Vincent de Paul and we appreciate their generosity in past years and for making Thanksgiving special for families this holiday season through their generosity. God bless you!
Members of St. Vincent de Paul gratefully accepted 45 cases of a variety of food from the Optimists of Rock Falls (See photos above). This organization has generously supported the SVdP food pantry in the past and they continue to show their care and compassion for the less fortunate in our community. God bless you for your generosity and for stepping up in time of need.
Local business owner, Missy Norton of Haunted Haven held a Halloween promotion where she offered a discount off a ticket to patrons who would donate a canned good or non-perishable food item. She donated the trunk load of food collected to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. When asked why she chose the SVdP food pantry, she replied that a few years ago, they had helped her with food and financial aid and she was giving back to help others. Thank you, Missy, for the generous food donation, which will impact the lives of struggling families.
We are called to “see the suffering Christ” in the poor. Not to imagine Him, but to truly feel His presence and to know that He is there. As St. Vincent explained, we “are serving Jesus Christ in the person of the poor.” When we help the neighbor, when we encounter the needy, we are in the presence of the One who asks: “Do you love me?” Your contributions to helping those in need show your true love for Christ.
Families provided food in October: 861 (Adults 1,819, children 1,057, total individuals 2,876)
Financial Aid has been suspended until the end of the year.