Volunteers pack Christmas care packages for residents in The Ville neighborhood

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - In the season of giving, volunteers from different organizations work to give back to those in need. For 40 years, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and volunteers from around the area have packed Christmas boxes for those living in The Ville Neighborhood.

On Saturday, December 14th, 100 families received boxes of perishables and non perishables for the holiday season.

“This is a food dessert and they really need the baskets and they can’t really get out to go to the store. There is a lot of elderly in the neighborhood. There’s people disabled in the neighborhood and this does help them at Christmas time and they look very forward to receiving their baskets,” said Marilyn Dilworth, President of St. Matthew the Apostle and St. Vincent De Paul.

Dilworth said aside from residents needing food and toiletries, one of the biggest requests was for blankets. They were able to collect over 600 blankets, giving each family four new throws.

“We don’t want the children to get cold. We don’t want our seniors to get cold. We also have seniors that go to dialysis and when they go to dialysis they need those blankets to stay warm because that dialysis area is very cold,” she said.

For the volunteers, no matter the age, they said this is something that brings them joy, knowing they are helping meet a need in the community.

“It brings me happiness and I bet the poor or St. Matthews is always excited for this day, said Jack Lawlor, a young volunteer.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has resources available for those looking for help. You can find more information on its website.

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