St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore holding fundraiser to help mission of ending homelessness
BALTIMORE -- St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore is hosting its annual fundraising event to raise awareness about ending homelessness in Baltimore
The event is on Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. WJZ is a proud media sponsor of Equinox 2022.
"We want people in permanent housing, stable jobs, early education," said Mary Helfrich, chief advancement officer at St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore.
Since 1865, St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore has been dedicated to serving the people of Charm City.
"This facility is an anchor in the community," said Helfrich.
"I lost my job and things went downhill, and decided to come here one day and we've been coming here just about every day since," said Jimmy Hilditch.
For people like Hilditch, it's a lifeline.
"I sleep in a tent, so it's pretty hard. They make sure people eat every day...things I need like shower, laundry," said Hilditch.
But he said its much more than just a valuable resource for those in need.
"The friendliness, the getting to know the people... these guys, they all know our names and stuff like that which is nice... people want that, the family kind of thing," said Hilditch.
As one of the largest providers of homeless and hunger services in the Baltimore area, the organization serves about 5,000 meals a day to other groups in the region.
"At St. Vincent de Paul, we walk with the walk and we work with people with dignity and respect and we treat people the way we want to be treated," said Helfrich.
In the 2022 fiscal year, St. Vincent de Paul served 2,914 people and provided nearly 72,000 total shelter nights.
"Our mission is to alleviate poverty, right? But we need to network and we need to meet people and we need to tell them about our program," said Helfrich.
That's why on Saturday, Sept. 24, WJZ is partnering with St. Vincent de Paul to host the organization's annual Equinox fundraising event at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.
Guests will enjoy open bars and live music as they explore treasures in the silent auction. A taste of Maryland is on the menu with Chesapeake-inspired cuisine and signature hand-crafted cocktails. Reverend Smackmaster and the Congregation of Funk will be bringing their unique blend of Motown, blues and funk hits to the dance floor.
Organizers are inviting people to come to the event to connect with friends while supporting their mission of ending homelessness in Baltimore.
"We know we can make a difference in someone's lives," said Helfrich. "In our road to social justice, we want everyone to be equal, we want to be diverse."
All funds raised by Equinox will go directly towards supporting the shelter and housing programs of St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore.
For more information on the event and ticket details, click here.