Registration for the walk and run can be completed online at speedy-feet.com. Forms are also available at the St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store, 2425 E. High St., or 8 a.m. the day of the event. The event starts at 9 a.m.
“It is our only fund-raiser for the Christmas baskets,” Johnson said.
She said the walk and run doesn’t raise all the necessary money, and donations are accepted to cover the rest of the cost. Students at Catholic Central High School will help out with September’s event and with the Christmas basket program.
Johnson said 1,353 baskets were distributed locally last Christmas.
“The baskets include all the necessities for a nice Christmas meal, including a turkey, potatoes, vegetables, bread, milk, eggs and butter,” she said.
The local St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store, another source of funding, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. It sells donated household items, clothing, furniture and appliances when available “at very low prices,” Johnson said. Proceeds from the sales go to local special projects plus emergency and walk-in assistance.
Emergency assistance to those in need is provided by individual “conferences” comprised of Catholic churches in Springfield, New Carlisle, South Charleston, Urbana, Bellefontaine and Russell’s Point.
“The hallmark of St. Vincent De Paul,” Johnson said, “is home visits (by trained volunteers using specific criteria) to determine the person’s need.”
She indicated $15,000-$20,000 is distributed each month through the churches in Springfield.
“Seventy-five percent of the people served need help with rent or utilities,” she added.
“I’m definitely seeing an increase in the need for assistance,” Johnson said, adding one factor is the decrease in food stamp assistance. “We have a high percentage in Springfield of people that would be considered to be living in poverty.”
Johnson said the local organization is also developing a new program designed to help people get out of the need for assistance. She said $10,000 will be allocated initially to launch a small pilot program for a few months.
An assessment will be done to gauge the program’s effectiveness and determine if the effort can be expanded.
The local St. Vincent De Paul chapter also provides temporary services to the homeless who qualify by housing them in a local motel that provides a discounted rate and at three homes owned by St. Vincent De Paul.
Johnson stresses St. Vincent De Paul relies heavily on volunteers. Locally, except for the Thrift Store workers and two employees at the organization’s office, “everyone else is a volunteer, so the money goes to those in need.”
Donations of money plus clothing and household items for sales at the Thrift Store are always accepted, she said.
The local organization also works with other social services that specialize in specific types of help.
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