Hundreds Defy Weather To Walk For The Poor
Hundreds of people from the greater Evansville area defied predictions of rainy – possibly stormy – weather to gather on the ground of the Evansville State Hospital on Sept. 17 for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s annual Walk for the Poor.
Their faith was rewarded when the rain ended about an hour before the walk was scheduled to begin. By the time walker started out from the gathering area in a parking lot on the grounds, patches of blue sky had appeared, and the event went off without rain.
Vicki Eichmiller, the new executive director of St. Vincent de Paul and a member of Holy Cross Parish in Fort Branch, announced to the crowd that the 2016 event set a record for sponsor support. “We raised $26,009 from our sponsors, which is a record. We thank them all,” she said.
“We thank all of you for coming out this morning,” Eichmiller added. “We especially thank our volunteers. This is one of the few events of its kind in the tri-state area that remains totally volunteer-driven. We are grateful for your help and support.”
Bishop Charles C. Thompson welcomed the walkers and volunteers and offered the event's opening prayer before joining hundreds of walkers for a lap around the hospital grounds. Before he led the prayer, the bishop and all in attendance heard about the walk’s tremendous impact.
Money raised from the 2015 Walk for the Poor enabled St. Vincent de Paul to:
Provide free clothing to 2,962 needy adults and 2,073 needy youngsters
Provide 765 beds to individuals and families without them – most at no charge, the others at a minimal charge
Support the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Evansville, which serves an average of 1,100 needy families each month
“We have 19 conferences (in the diocese; a conference is a St. Vincent de Paul group affiliated with a parish),” Eichmiller said, “and 240 Vincentians across the diocese make home visits regularly to do assessments and determine ways that we can be of assistance to those in need.” She added that assistance varies from helping with prescription medicine costs to assisting with housing and utility costs.
Because of the record sponsorship amount, much of that money and all of the money raised during the Sept. 17 walk will go directly to helping the needy across our diocese. The Message will publish final totals when they are available.
