Spring 2007 - Father Joe's Villages

Father Joe’s Villages ® Neighbors Helping Neighbors ® SPRING 2007 • Vol. 17, Issue 1 

VillageNEWS 

w w w . f a t h e r j o e s v i l l a g e s . o r g 

MARTHAʼS VILLAGE & KITCHEN 

Refuge from the Elements Dedicated 

For Indio’s Unsheltered Homeless 

By Staff Writers 

Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen dedicated a 

temporary residential 

structure at its Date 

Avenue campus on 

February 16 in response 

to the need for allweather 

emergency 

housing for homeless 

people in the city of 

Indio. 

Rev. Howard 

Lincoln led the 

dedication ceremonies 

accompanied by 

Martha’s Village Cofounders 

Gloria Gomez 

and Claudia Castorena 

and Father Joe Carroll, 

president of Father Joe’s 

Villages. Father Lincoln 

is pastor of Sacred Heart 

Church, Palm Desert, 

whose parishioners 

generously contributed 

to the new residence. 

The structure is 

located in a park-like 

setting on the Village’s 

9.5 acres and features 

air conditioning and heating systems and 

a fire alarm with sprinkler system. It can 

accommodate up to 100 children, parents 

and single adults in separate areas with 

space for recreation and storage of personal 

belongings. A portable restroom facility is 

adjacent to the structure. 

According to Gloria Gomez, guests in 

the structure will have full access to all the 

services at the Village’s Dan Dunlap Center, 

NON-PROFIT 

U. S. POSTAGE 

PAID MAIL 

MANAGEMENT 

GROUP 

Climate Controlled Interior – The temporary residential structure 

recently opened for occupancy at Martha’s Village & Kitchen provides a 

comfortable living space no matter what the weather is outside. 

giving them support toward becoming selfsufficient. 

The continuum of care available to them 

includes daily meals, healthcare in the 

Village’s licensed community medical clinic, 

hygiene facilities and security services. In 

addition structure guests may seek help in 

getting jobs through the Career & Education 

program and have their children stay in the 

on-site childcare program while they are 

St. Vincent de Paul Village 

3350 E Street 

San Diego, CA 92102-3332 

Never Land 

Where Children Play 

Pg. 9 

working. 

If they are interested in moving to the 

Village’s long-term transitional housing 

program, the guests can complete application 

criteria and simply walk across the campus 

and transfer into the Dunlap Center. 

Those who are looking for permanent 

housing have an emergency assistance case 

manager at the Village to help them. 

For ways you can invest in sheltering or 

helping the homeless in Indio, please call 

760.347.4741, x316. n 

Paying Tribute to All 

Our Supporters 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen is sincerely 

grateful to the many people who have helped 

make the temporary residential structure 

possible. Heartfelt thanks go to numerous 

area community leaders including Indio’s 

County Supervisor Roy Wilson, and Indio’s 

City Manager Glenn Southard, members 

of the Planning Commission and Mark 

Wasserman. 

The project could not have gone forward 

without investments from key supporters 

such as the parishioners of Palm Desert’s 

Sacred Heart Church led by its pastor, Rev. 

Howard Lincoln, and Tom and Rita Martin of 

Rancho Mirage. Sacred Heart parishioners 

contributed more than $200,000 toward 

building the structure and the Martins, who 

provide ongoing support to the Village, 

funded the residential structure’s portable 

restrooms. Landscaping greens for the area 

were the gift of Martin Schnitzius. 

See Tribute, pg. 14. 

Delish Dish 

The scoop and the recipe 

Pg. 12 

Co-founders Honored 

by Episcopal 

Community Services 

By Martha Lepore 

Claudia Castorena 

Gloria Gomez 

Recognizing Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen’s devotion to helping people in 

need, Episcopal Community Services 

presented its annual “Spirit of the Desert 

Award” to Gloria Gomez and Claudia 

Castorena at a February luncheon in Palm 

Springs. 

The two co-founders of Martha’s 

Village & Kitchen partner with ECS in 

serving homeless people in the Coachella 

Valley. They were praised for “providing 

compassionate and dignified care and 

services to rehabilitate the area’s homeless 

people” by Riverside County Supervisor 

Roy Wilson, last year’s award recipient. 

In addition to the award, Gloria and 

Claudia received numerous certificates of 

recognition, including those from Governor 

Arnold Schwarzenegger, US Senator 

Barbara Boxer, US Congresswoman Mary 

Bono and State Senator Denise Ducheny. 

Indio Mayor Ben Godfrey proclaimed 

February 11 Gloria Gomez and Claudia 

Castorena Day. n 

Giving Lesson 

Wrapped in Blankets 

Pg. 15

2 

four times per year by 

Father Joeʼs Villages ® 

VillageNEWS is published 

3350 E Street 


Telephone 619.446.2100 

FAX 619.446.2129 

www.fatherjoesvillages.org 

Publisher/President 

Father Joe Carroll 

Editor 

Martha Lepore 

Associate Editor 

Miriam H. DiBiase 

Editorial Staff 

Simona Lioy 

Jim Russell 

Jan Tonnesen 

Editorial – 

Marthaʼs Village & Kitchen 

Gloria Gomez 

Claudia Castorena 

Carlos Gonzalez Jr. 

Graphic Designer 

Jimmy Truett 

Production Artist 

Hernando Marquez 

Production Coordinator 

Emily Velez-Confer 

Web Designer 

John Bradley 

Comments and suggestions 

welcomed; please send to: 

villagenews@neighbor.org or 

Village News, 3350 E Street, 

San Diego, CA 92102-3332. 

The facilities of Father Joe’s Villages 

are operated in accordance with the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture policy, which prohibits 

discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, 

age, handicap, religion, or national origin. 

Any person who believes he or she has 

been discriminated against in any USDArelated 

activity should write to: 

Administrator 

Food & Nutrition Service 

3101 Park Center Drive 

Alexandria, VA 22302 

St. Vincent de Paul Village, Inc. 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen, Inc. 

Toussaint Youth Villages, Inc. 

National AIDS Foundation, Inc./Josue Homes are 

members of Father Joe’s Villages ® , a registered 

trademark of S.V.D.P. Management, Inc. 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors ® is a registered 

trademark of St. Vincent de Paul Village, Inc. 

© 2007 S.V.D.P. Management, Inc. 

SPRING 2007 • VILLAGE NEWS 

From the President . . . 

MARTHAʼS VILLAGE & KITCHEN 

Dining Room by Day Overflow Dorm by Night 


Since last June, Martha’s 

Village & Kitchen grappled 

with a three-part challenge – to 

work with area officials toward 

meeting the needs of Indio’s 

homeless population during 

extreme weather conditions, to 

continue offering housing and 

rehabilitation programs to its 120 

residents and to provide overnight 

housing to those still without 

shelter in summer and winter. 

Collaborating with the city, 

the Village forged ahead in 

Dear Readers, 

Some of our donors have asked 

if the problems facing the Catholic 

Diocese of San Diego regarding 

lawsuit settlements and the option 

of bankruptcy will affect any of 

Father Joe’s Villages, such as St. 

Vincent de Paul Village, Martha’s 

Village & Kitchen, Toussaint 

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL VILLAGE 

Temporary Overnight Shelter Added, 

Gave Hundreds Warm Place to Sleep 


Even more 

homeless adults 

than usual found 

refuge at St. Vincent 

de Paul Village this 

winter, thanks to 

Father Joe Carroll’s 

quick response to 

a request from San 

Diego’s Mayor 

Jerry Sanders. 

“The Mayor 

called us January 

4 seeking help 

in sheltering 

homeless adults 

during unusually 

cold weather,” said 

Mathew Packard, 

vice president 

for development. 

Cots in the Courtyard – During the day when the Paul 

Mirabile Center dining room was serving over 2,200 meals, the 

cots used by shelter guests in the dining room overnight were 

stacked neatly in the Center’s courtyard. 

constructing a tent-like structure 

to house and offer services to 100 

additional homeless people on 

campus (see page 1). However, 

for eight months Village staff 

and volunteers accomplished the 

Herculean task of nearly doubling 

Village services each night by 

offering housing, showers, dinner 

and breakfast to approximately 

100 single adults, children and 

parents in the Dan Dunlap Center 

dining room. 

Village Co-founder Claudia 

Father Joe’s Villages ® at a Glance 2007 

April 21 Volunteer Appreciation Celebration 

St. Vincent de Paul Village, San Diego 

Apr 23 16 th Annual Martha’s Village & Kitchen 

Golf Classic 

The Dunes Course at La Quinta 

Apr 30 11th Annual Tee Off for Teens 

Bernardo Heights Country Club, 

Rancho Bernardo 

May 7-12 Mother’s Day Drive 

Father Joeʼs Villages Home Office, 

San Diego 

Youth Villages and National AIDS 

Foundation/Josue Homes. 

The answer is NO. 

All of our Villages are separate 

corporations with their own 

independent Boards of Directors. 

The funds you contribute and the 

assets owned by these entities are 

not part of the Diocese and can 

only be used for our mission to 

“Father Joe wanted to help 

those in need and we were 

ready to open the doors of the 

Paul Mirabile Center six hours 

later.” 

The overnight shelter in the 

Center’s dining room provided 

an average of 100 women and 

men cots for the night and 

hot breakfasts in the morning 

before they left at 7:30 a.m. It 

operated through mid-March 

at a daily cost of $1,000. The 

shelter residents were also 

served lunch and dinner at the 

Center. 

Village employees from 

Food Services, Guest Services, 

Residential Programs, Security 

and Facilities all went the extra 

mile to make the overnight 

Castorena noted that the Armory 

in Indio was not available for 

use as a shelter this winter. “It 

was part of our agreement with 

the city that, for the Village to 

add housing and services for 100 

people in the sprung structure, 

we would make up for the void 

left by the Armory and provide 

temporary overnight shelter,” she 

said. 

So every evening after Village 

residents had eaten, 100 cots 

were set up in the dining room 

June 16 23 rd Annual Red Boudreau Dinner 

The US Grant Hotel, San Diego 

June 24 24 th Annual San Diego 

International Triathlon 

Benefiting Father Joe’s Villages 

Nov 22 6 th Annual Father Joe’s 

Thanksgiving Day 5K Run/Walk 

Balboa Park, San Diego 

For information on San Diego area events, 

please call 619.446.2100. 

serve neighbors in need. 

Thank you for your continued 

support in serving the poor in our 

communities. 


President 

Father Joe’s Villages 

guests feel warm and comfortable 

while also maintaining their usual 

work schedules. 

In a recent letter, Mayor Jerry 

Sanders thanked Father Joe for his 

continued support of San Diego’s 

homeless population. He said,” St. 

Vincent’s immediate response to 

this year’s winter “cold-snap” by 

opening a seasonal shelter program 

has allowed hundreds of people to 

escape the harsh realities of living 

on the street. 

Efforts such as yours are an 

example of what is needed to 

restore San Diego to America’s 

“finest city.” Again, thank you 

for your initiative and heartfelt 

demonstration of responsible 

citizenry.” n 

and early every morning they 

were removed. 

“We were very glad when 

we transitioned our overnight 

guests to the new structure,” said 

Claudia. 

Providing these extra services 

cost the Village about $30,000 a 

month beyond its normal budget. 

For information on how you 

can help the Village defray the 

additional expense, please call 

760.347.3471 x305. n 

2007 

For information on Indio area events, 

please call 760.347.4741.

A Stitch Over Time Makes Her Life Shine 

At one time in her life, Edith Wagner taught 

pre-school in the morning, sewed bikinis for a 

store in Mission Beach in the afternoon and 

mended clothes in the evening. That was over 

50 years ago. 

In the mid ’90s she served as a volunteer 

seamstress on Mondays at St. Vincent de 

Paul Village, hemming clothes and making 

alterations for residents at the Paul Mirabile 

Center. She also sewed quilts for the Neil Good 

Day Center and Josue Homes residents. 

Dear St. Vincent de Paul Village: 

I had been living in Belgium and 

was quite content with my quiet life. 

But one day, very inexplicably, my 

Social Security deposits stopped. Try 

as I may, through letters and the U.S. 

Embassy in Brussels, I was unable to 

get it resolved. 

So, after several months and 

exhausting all my worldly resources, I 

was forced to return to the U.S. to try 

to get the problem resolved. I landed 

at LAX with $9.10 in my pocket. 

I had been a volunteer at some of 

Father Joe’s ventures during the mid- 

1980s and hoped he had achieved 

some of the objectives for which we 

raised money during the winter of 

1985-86. Only this time, I was the 

one in need. 

Fortunately – praise be to God – 

Father Joe had achieved all and more 

of those early goals. I was able, after 

six days, to find refuge at the Paul 

SPRING 2007 • VILLAGE NEWS 3 


We Love Our 

Volunteers – 

So Much! 


At St. Vincent de Paul Village, we rely on 

thousands of volunteers to give millions of 

service acts to neighbors in need every year. It 

would be inconceivable to think of the Village 

without our dedicated corps of community 

members who help us change lives, save lives 

and inspire lives every day. 

In addition, we are grateful to those who help 

AT&T Pioneers 

AT&T BSG/CWA 

AVID 

Bicol Club 

Canyon Springs Menʼs Ministry 

Centre City Development Corporation 

Circle of Friends 

COMHSMWING PAC 

Dolphin Quest 

Embassy Suites 

Haunted Trail/Haunted Hotel 

Home Depot Supply 

La Jolla Country Day School 

MADCAPS 

Meyers Design 

Montgomery High Masquerade Players 

Naval CPO selectees 

Naval Health Sciences 

Circle of Friends “Gives Back” – In 1997 several 

women in north San Diego formed Circle of Friends, a 

social group to make new friends and enjoy local outings 

together. Every November the group has a Give Back to 

the Community day. 

For the past two years the group has chosen to 

volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul Village stuffing backpacks 

9 Ways to Improve Your Life This Spring 

1. Serve meals to neighbors in need 

2. Help with Village landscaping projects 

3. Assist staff in residential wings 

4. Tutor adults in math and English 

Today the energetic 90-something 

volunteers at the Village by stitching her 

love of life into the quilts she makes at home 

for the infants and toddlers in Children’s 

Services. Recently she and her daughter, 

Susan Wagner, who has joined her mother on 

quilting projects, enjoyed meeting some preschool 

children and seeing her latest colorful 

gifts used by the toddlers in the photo. n 

1980s Volunteer Finds Himself in Need 

Mirabile Center. And what a big relief 

it was to have food, shelter and no 

longer to be sleeping on the concrete! 

After four months, I moved to the 

Bishop Maher Center and began to 

renew my hope that things could 

improve. 

It took several months to convince 

the Social Security Administration 

that I was still alive and entitled to 

my benefits. I hope, one day, to find 

out more about what happened. In the 

meantime, I’m grateful to have my 

social security benefits restored. 

As you know, it takes a long time 

to rebuild a broken life – emotionally, 

socially and economically – even if 

you have the money. But thanks to 

the generous support of the Village, I 

was able to stop my downward slide, 

maintain my human dignity and make 

a new beginning. 

All the best, 

André M. 

5. Be an assistant at special events such as the 

Thanksgiving Day 5K Run/Walk 

6. Supervise the Career & Education Center 

vocational resource room 

Special Task Volunteers 2006: 

us accomplish multiple special tasks throughout 

the year. This group of volunteers brought 

muscle and mindfulness to our 2006 projects. 

Their activities included: • Assembling 

children’s beds • Catering and/or serving 

special seasonal meals • 

Decorating the Village for 

holidays • Entertaining 

Village children and 

giving them tickets to 

the Old Globe Theatre 

and the San Diego 

Junior Theatre • Hosting 

monthly birthday or 

holiday parties for Village 

children • Landscaping 

Village gardens • Painting 

buildings inside and out • Providing photos with 

Santa • Supplying and/or stuffing backpacks for 

residents and non-residents • Taking residents 

on field trips. 

Naval Hospital 

Naval Information Operations Center 

Naval Medical Center 

Naval Training Center 

Old Globe Theatre 

Old Town Trolley 

Philip Cendella and friends/Limo Ride 

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman 

PricewaterhouseCoopers 

San Diego Junior Theatre 

SDSU Child and Family Development 

Sikh Foundation 

Sprites 

The Bishopʼs School 

UCSD International Center 

USS Denver 

Wells Fargo 

to be given to residents and non-residents at Christmas. 

The 2006 group, above, filled 1,500 backpacks with warm 

hats, gloves, socks, and various toiletries. 

If you would like to learn about one-time volunteer 

projects at St. Vincent’s, call Volunteer Services, 

619.645.6412. 

7. Answer phones and take messages at front desk 

8. Help with special painting projects 

9. Teach art to adults 

As a volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul Village or Martha’s Village & Kitchen, you’ll be part of a team like no other. 

You’ll be making a difference in the lives of needy children and adults as well as in your own. To schedule volunteering in the dining rooms or 

obtain information about other volunteer opportunities, please call 619.645.6411 in San Diego and in Indio, 760.347.4741 x 310.

4 

Cynthia Chihak to Receive Broderick Award 

At Boudreau Dinner in June 


Members of the San Diego 

legal system will honor 

local attorney Cynthia 

Chihak with the Daniel T. 

Broderick III Award at the 

23rd Annual Red Boudreau 

Trial Lawyers dinner on 

June 16. 

Chihak has received many 

honors as an outstanding 

trial lawyer and served in 

numerous leadership roles 

for professional law groups 

including the Consumer 

Attorneys of San Diego 

and the American Board 

of Trial Advocates San 

Diego. 

The Boudreau dinner 

will be held at The US 

Grant Hotel in San Diego 


Graduation Speaker Shares 

His Gratitude for the Village 

By Keith W., resident 

Cynthia Chihak 

My name is Keith 

W. I’m a resident at 

St. Vincent de Paul 

Village and I’ve lived 

here since May 2006. 

On January 11, 

2007, I was given the 

opportunity to speak at 

the Village graduation 

ceremony, which 

recognizes dozens of 

Village clients who 

achieved success in 

areas of academics, 

computer skills 

education, culinary 

arts, and recovery from 

chemical dependency. 

I’ve received four 

certif icates of 

recognition for my 

achievements during 

the past eight months. 

We have all benefited from living at the 

Village. We have all overcome many of the 

obstacles that we faced prior to being residents 

here. My personal challenges included 

forty years of drug abuse, dysfunctions 

in relationships, unemployment, failures in 

my ability to process grief and loss, and 

homelessness. 

At present, I am clean and sober. I’m 

enrolled in a “healthy relationships” class, 

as well as a “grief and loss” class. My case 

manager and my vocational career counselor 

have agreed to allow me to take courses at the 

adult career center at City College, seeking 

entry-level certificates in office skills and 

accounting. Chaplaincy staff has granted 

me permission to help conduct a Bible study 

class at the Village on Friday evenings. And 

I play chess with anyone and everyone who 

Humble and Focused – Keith W. shares his 

heart and his story with residents and staff at a 

recent Village graduation ceremony. 


and benefits Children’s 

Services at St. Vincent 

de Paul Village and 

programs at Toussaint 

Academy of the Arts 

and Sciences. 

The Consumer 

Attorneys of San Diego, 

American Board of Trial 

Advocates, San Diego 

Defense Lawyers and 

Association of Business 

Trial Lawyers host the 

annual event. 

For more information 

about the Red Boudreau 

Trial Lawyers dinner, 

please contact Margot 

Howard, 619.446.2108 

or SJ Kalian, 619. 

231.0781 x151. n 

is willing to accept 

the challenge. All in 

all, I have a pretty 

busy and fulfilling 

schedule. 

Life at the Village 

is not easy. There are 

many things required 

of me and all the 

things that I have 

to do are not always 

things I am happy 

about doing! Yet, 

today’s victories 

are centered on 

my ability to 

remain humble and 

focused. I know that 

I will win each battle 

by requesting wisdom 

from God. I’m going 

to have to learn 

how to continually 

petition the Almighty for strength; not only 

for my body, but most importantly for my 

character. 

The Lord has provided me with lifechanging 

information, a nurturing 

community, and His promises to befriend 

and be with me! 

I have benefited from great case 

management, good residential staffing, 

inspirational assessments, powerful chore 

coordination, exemplary stewardship of 

commodities, a like-minded community, the 

availability of needed recreation, a realistic 

roadmap for recovery, and an empowering 

headship in spirituality. 

To everyone who ever has or ever will 

make any kind of donation to St. Vincent de 

Paul Village: Thank you! n 


Deeds of Service Award Ceremony 

Becomes Occasion to Honor Guests 


Take Out Sacs – Honored by the Ignatian Volunteer Corps in San Diego, Father Gil Gentile, S. J. 

shared the honor by presenting gift bags to his many friends at the event, including Sisters Armida 

Andrade, left, and Maria Eugenia Espinoza, right, and Dr. Anita Figueredo Doyle. 

It was hard to tell who was most 

honored, the official Della Strada 2007 

awardee – Jesuit Father Gil Gentile 

– or the nearly 200 guests of the San 

Diego Ignatian Volunteer Corps award 

reception on January 28. 

The event began on the University 

of San Diego campus with guests 

thronging into the Degheri Alumni 

Center and enjoying the plentiful array 

of fruit, cheese, sandwiches, California 

rolls, wine, desserts and coffee. The 

operant word at the event, besides 

“Congratulations!” to the man of the 

hour, seemed to be “Mangia!” 

A licensed clinical social worker who 

has served in mental health services 

and chaplaincy at St. Vincent de Paul 

Village for more than 18 years, Father 

Gil welcomed the guests, including 

his many friends, family members, 

parishioners from Queen of Angels 

Parish in Alpine, Catholic Worker 

colleagues, sisters working with the 

impoverished in Tijuana and fellow 

Jesuits. Little did they know what he 

had cooked up for them. 

Before the award presentation, the 

attendees learned about the Ignatian 

Volunteer Corps, a 13-year-old national 

group of lay men and women between 

the ages of 50 and 80 who are willing 

to serve the poor two days a week for 

10 months a year. The volunteers also 

agree to participate in a soul-enriching 

program based on the spiritual exercises 

of St. Ignatius. 

Father Gil was then presented the IVC 

Della Strada award “because,” as the 

award states, “of a lifetime committed to 

Love in Deeds of Service transforming 

the world with true zeal.” Speaking at 

the event, Co-founder of IVC and Jesuit 

Father Jim Conroy said, “Father Gil is a 

Jesuit’s Jesuit.” 

In accepting the award, Father Gil, 

who as a child had “played priest,” 

reflected on his experience of being 

“disponible,” that is, being available to 

letting God’s love work through him. 

At the end, he turned the tables on his 

audience, making them recipients of his 

“disponibility” through special gift bags 

for body and soul. 

In boutique-style A.M.D.G. (For the 

Greater Glory of God) brown sacs he 

made for each of the guests, Father 

Gil included homemade Italian cookies 

from his mother, chocolate-shaped 

hearts from a friend’s candy company 

and a prayer by Jesuit Father Pedro 

Arrupe. In another gift bag for each 

guest, he placed meatballs and sauce he 

had made the night before along with 

something never seen before, “Father 

Gil’s Recipe for Pretty Good Italian 

Meatballs.” 

As he explained the contents of the 

gift bags, it became clear that “love in 

deeds of service” has a way of circling 

back to all who offer it. As the reception 

ended, it was hard to tell who felt most 

honored, Father Gil or the guests. n

Making Merry at Martha’s 

By Trinka Adkins 

The 2006 holiday season was filled with 

music at Martha’s Village & Kitchen as 

children and staff of Children’s Services sang 

carols during the week before Christmas. 

The children looked adorably festive 

in various holiday costumes. The infants 

were dressed appropriately like angels 

while children in the Preschool and Toddler 

programs made the rounds together at the 

Village as elves. Children 

in the After School 

program were on their 

winter break and 

j o i n e d 

in the 

fun as reindeer. 

The children caroled in the morning and 

afternoon so that as many employees and 

clients as possible could enjoy their songs. 

The children and staff also handed out boxes 

filled with treats for all Village residents. 

Staff members in other departments at 

Martha’s were given goody boxes as well. A 

merry time was had by all. n 

Trinka Adkins is a child development 

teacher at Marthaʼs Village & Kitchen. 

The Halls Were Alive at Martha’s with the sounds of caroling children during the holidays. Dressed 

in festive costumes, the toddler elves, above, infant angels and after-school reindeers delighted all the 

parents and staff. 

103.7 FREE FM Pairs Food and 

Wine to Help St. Vincent’s 

By Ryan Pocock 

On the evening of 

November 18, 2006, 

Kevin “The Food Dude” 

Roberts held a live radio 

benefit for St. Vincent 

de Paul Village on 

103.7 FREE FM. This 

exciting “Thanksgiving 

Extravaganza” featured a 

panel of experts discussing 

food and wine pairings. 

It was hosted by The 

Wine Bank Inc. in 

San Diego. 

The panel of 

pairing experts 

included Union- 

Tribune food 

writer Maria C. 

Hunt, and Brian Malarkey, executive 

chef of the Oceanaire Seafood Room 

in downtown San Diego. 

Brittany Donnelly of 103.7 FREE 

FM and Paul Karcho, owner of The 

Wine Bank Inc., chose St Vincent 

de Paul Village as the beneficiary of 

this fun holiday celebration. 

We offer a special thanks to The 

Oceanaire Seafood 

Room for providing the 

delicious food, The Wine 

Bank for the tasty wine 

samples and 103.7 FREE 

FM for helping raise 

more than $2,700 for 

St. Vincent’s. n 

Food Dude – Kevin Roberts of 103.7 FREE FM helped San Diegans pair 

food and wine to raise money for St. Vincent’s. 


Plentiful Poultry – An enthusiastic group from Countywide Mortgage, Inc., delivered 100 turkeys 

and a check from Countywide CEO Robert Behic to Father Joe on November 16, 2006. Paul Gonzales, 

mortgage consultant manager (back right, with goatee), said this was the fifth year the staff at the 

Escondido-based office has given turkeys to help serve meals to neighbors in need at St. Vincent de Paul 

Village. 

Rounding Up Fun, Funds 

For Martha’s Village 

By Staff Writers 

The 2007 Martha’s Western Roundup 

rode into the record books on March 8 

as the most successful yet. The gala drew 

hundreds of Coachella Valley supporters 

to the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort in 

Indian Wells to enjoy the eighth annual 

dinner-dance and auction benefiting 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen. 

Chaired by Janne Burdick, the Roundup 

featured the presentation of the special 

“Heart and Spirit of Martha’s” award to 

five-term Congresswoman Mary Bono 

and civic philanthropists Milton and 

Areta McKenzie. 

Founders Gloria Gomez and Claudia 

Castorena extended their deep gratitude 

to the event’s presenting sponsor, Wells 

Fargo Bank, the Village’s Ambassadors 

and all the guests and auction donors 

for their contributions to the evening’s 

success. 

The annual gala provides the necessary 

means to support the many worthwhile 

programs and services offered at Martha’s 

Village & Kitchen year round. n

6 

Members of Village Ladies Guild 

Have Favorite Father Joe Stories 

Over Here, Father Joe! – Outgoing Ladies Guild President Carrie Hood 

presented a check to “Father Joe” at the end of the Guild year in 2005. 

As we celebrate Father Joe Carroll’s 25th 

year of leading St. Vincent de Paul Village, 

members of the Village Ladies Guild have 

tales to tell about Father Joe as they helped 

him through the years. Here are a few to 

enjoy. 

When Ladies Guild meetings were held 

in the Thrift Store at 16th and Market 

Streets, chairs were so rickety that we had 

to sit on a box or 

hunt for a stable 

four-legged chair. 

In fact boxes were 

used as writing 

tables. 

S o m e o n e 

donated a large 

conference table, 

which saw a 

lot of use in its 

time. Father 

Joe’s office was 

upstairs and the 

entire St. Vincent 

staff also fit into 

that little place 

above the Thrift 

Store. – Dottie 

Cunningham 

* * * * * 

In the beginning 

our first Ladies 

Guild meetings 

were held in the 

old Westward 

Ho Hotel. Not 

surprisingly there was no toilet paper in 

the restroom and I dutifully reported the 

problem to Father Joe and he immediately 

appointed me Chairman of the Toilet Paper, 

a position I’ve held for over 20 years. 

Now fast forward to the present. A few 

months ago I failed to receive my supply of 

monthly St. Vincent envelopes and notified 

the office. When I received a fresh supply, 


this note was enclosed: 

We needed to recycle some toilet paper 

to make envelopes. Sorry, FJ 

He hadn’t forgotten! – Lois Leckey 

* * * * * 

When I was president of the Ladies Guild, 

we ended the year with an Installation Dinner 

at USD in May 2005. Father had been 

admitted to the hospital, so I was left without 

anyone to give our annual check to. 

I called Diane Martin, Father’s secretary, 

and asked if “Cardboard Father” was available 

that night for the banquet. She laughed and 

said he was. I picked him up in my Mustang 

and he was so tall I had place him in the 

front seat looking backwards – warding off 

any evil drivers on our way home. 

I was running late and had my husband 

transfer Father to his larger car. Carrying 

him like a surfboard, he took him out and 

later hid him in the banquet hall. 

When it came time to give my farewell 

speech and present the check, I had the 

ladies sing, “When the saints go marching 

in.” 

Meanwhile, my husband hid behind 

Cardboard Father and danced him around 

to the music. He put his own hand out 

from under Father’s cardboard one and 

went around trying to collect donations. I 

then proceeded to make a dialogue between 

myself and Cardboard Father. It was the 

shortest speech Father ever made! – Carrie 

Hood 

* * * * * 

Strong friendships, secure futures 

Our gals’ group has been sharing laughs and helping the community for 

years. Now, we’ve each taken a step to ensure we can continue to help the 

needy for many more years to come. 

With gift annuities through Father Joe’s Villages, we receive: 

• Fixed-rate, high-interest income for life 

• An immediate tax deduction 

• Reduction in our taxable estate and capital gain tax 

• A chance to support the life-changing work of Father Joe’s Villages 

• The flexibility of giving to any program in the Villages, including 

St. Vincent de Paul Village, Martha’s Village & Kitchen, Toussaint 

Academy, Josue Homes, and Children’s Services 

Sample 

benefits on 

$25,000 

single-life 

charitable 

gift annuity 

Age Annuity Rate Quarterly income 

66 6.1% $1,525 

73 6.8% $1,700 

77 7.4% $1,850 

81 8.3% $2,075 

87 10.2% $2,550 

90+ 11.3% $2,825 

Students from various dance schools 

perform at the Christmas Festival each year. 

One time they invited Father Joe to join 

them. Good sport that he is, he put on a hula 

skirt and to the delight of everyone, he did a 

great “hula.” – Mary Shevlin 

* * * * * 

In the year before the Joan Kroc Center 

was completed, Father Joe often had a VIP 

dinner. He was supposed to greet guests at 

the door, but one time we couldn’t find him. 

When we did, he was washing the bathroom 

bowls so that all would be clean. – Rita 

Zorn n 

Charitable Gift Annuity 

Yes! Please send me information on gift annuities. 

q I would like to see an illustration of how a charitable 

gift annuity would benefit me/us. 

Annuity for: q Single life q Two lives 

Amount: q $10,000 

q $_______ 

q $50,000 q $100,000 

Name(s) _____________________________________ 

Birth date(s)_____/_____/_____ _____/_____/_____ 

Address _____________________________________ 

City _____________________ State ____ Zip _______ 

Phone ( _____) _______________________________ 

You may email me at ___________________________ 

Clip this coupon and return to 


attn: Planned Giving Office 

3350 E Street 


Happy to Do Housework 

Dear St. Vincent’s, 

I am doing well in my new two-bedroom, 

two-bathroom apartment. Though I can 

never seem to complete my housework, 

it is a pleasure to have a home to clean 

and a list of things to do on a daily basis. 

I also attend church services regularly 

and am continuing with Recovery Classes 

weekly. 

A proud graduate of St. Vincent de Paul 

Village, 

June G. 

Charitable Gift Annuity

A Run to Cover Up 

It was Sunday, December 17, and a 

St. Vincent de Paul Village truck was 

rolling north on San Diego’s Hwy 163. 

That morning there were also motorcyclists 

with black leather jackets cruising along 

Hwy 163. Who would have thought they 

all had the same destination – San Diego 

Harley Davidson on Kearny Mesa Road? 

What brought them together was the 

annual Big Cover Up, according to Marc 

Stevenson, a social services program 

manager at St. Vincent’s. The event was 

sponsored by two motorcycle clubs, the 

Pioneers and the Messengers of Recovery, 

and members donated new blankets and 

socks for the homeless at St. Vincent’s 

in San Diego and at Brother Benno’s in 

Oceanside. 

“We’ve done this for 11 years now,” said 

Marc, a member of the Messengers who 

helped organized this year’s drive. “We 

collected more than 50 new blankets and 

30 multiple packs of new socks for St. 

Vinny’s.” 

Shortly after this photo was taken, the 

motorcyclists made the run to Oceanside 

to drop off donations there. If you look 

carefully, you’ll see Marc standing with 

his head directly to the left of the M in the 

Messengers banner. You also see a Harley 

Davidson figure of note, San Diego’s “New 

York” Myke (in a crew cut), standing in the 

middle of the cyclists wearing a Levi’s vest 

jacket. n 


Annual Golf Tournament Offers New 

Course, Great Cause 

By Miriam H. DiBiase 

The “Tee Off for Teens” golf 

tournament has been raising 

funds for homeless teens at 

Toussaint Academy of the Arts and 

Sciences since 1997. This April 30, 

Toussaint teens will again benefit 

from the annual event, held 

this year for the first time 

at Bernardo Heights 

Country Club in Rancho 

Bernardo. 

“Bernardo Heights is 

a very nice golf course 

– challenging but fair,” says 

Michael Eyer, club member and 

11-time sponsor of the tournament. 

“It’s more wide-open than many local 

courses. I think it’s ideal for this event.” 

Bernardo Heights Country Club has twice 

hosted the LPGA Kyocera Inamori Golf 

Classic, and has served as a qualifying 

location for several local and national 

tournaments. Renowned architect Ted 

Robinson designed the course in 1983. 

Michael and his wife Denise have 

supported Father Joe’s work in San Diego 

for more than 20 years. “I attended the 

University of San Diego with Father 

Joe,” Michael says, “so I’ve been helping 

with his work since the inception of the 

Villages.” 

Currently raising 

teenagers of their own, 

the Eyers understand how 

important a program like 

Toussaint Academy can be 

to children who can’t live with 

their families. “My wife and I see 

the importance of giving kids a 

chance at a great life,” says Michael. 

“Toussaint offers support to kids 

who want and need that chance 

for the pursuit of happiness.” 

Tournament participants will 

enjoy an early buffet lunch before 

heading out onto the course for a 

shotgun start. After a full day of 

good-natured competition, golfers 

will retire to the clubhouse for dinner, 

awards and a raffle. 

For more information about supporting 

homeless teens at Toussaint Academy by 

participating in this event, please visit 

www.neighbor.org or call Ryan Pocock 

at 619.446.2119. Registration deadline 

is April 16. Learn more about Bernardo 

Heights Country Club at www.hbcc. 

net. n 


Premier U.S. Triathlon on June 24 

Benefits St. Vincent’s for 24th Year 


The 24th annual Father Joe’s San Diego 

International Triathlon, one of the oldest 

triathlons in the country, will once again 

benefit St. Vincent de Paul Village. 

The popular event has raised more than 

$600,000 for the Village over the years. 

This year’s race has been selected as 

a qualifier for the “Best of the US” 

Triathlon later in 2007. 

The June 24 event offers two courses of 

different lengths: an international course 

and a shorter sprint course. Both begin 

at the Spanish Landing Park across from 

the San Diego International Airport and 

end at Embarcadero Marina Park North 

behind Seaport Village. 

The international course challenges 

competitors to swim 1,000 meters in 

San Diego Bay, bike a “hilly” 30K ride 

to Cabrillo National Monument and 

back, and run a final flat 10K point-topoint 

course along Harbor Island and the 

Embarcadero. 

The event sells out at least two weeks 

prior to race weekend, so triathletes 

are urged to register early at www. 

kozenterprises.com. Special entry 

divisions include pro, challenged, military, 

Clydesdale and relay teams. 

Fans of triathlons will enjoy seeing 

the top professional athletes in the sport 

leading the field of more than 1,300 

participants. At the finish line, awards 

will be given three deep in each category 

(five in categories with 100 or more 

participants) for both the international 

and sprint courses. n 

Top Triathletes – Exiting San Diego Bay, leaders in the swim event reach to unzip their 

wet suits and race to the transition area for the cycling phase of the 2006 International 

Triathlon.

8 

St. Vincent’s Provides Major Support 

at City’s Annual Outreach to Homeless 


Numerous community agencies including 

St. Vincent de Paul Village partnered with 

local businesses and San Diego City and 

County resources to host the annual Project 

Homeless Connect on January 22. 

Held at the City Concourse Golden Hall 

auditorium in downtown San Diego, the 

event drew approximately 170 participants 

who found multiple services on site in the 

fields of physical and mental health and 

addiction recovery. Attendees also had 

access to information on food stamps, jobs, 

housing resources, social security, and legal 

information such as homeless court. They 

also received water, snacks and a hot meal. 

Led by Residential Director Julie Vance, 

St. Vincent’s Project Connect Team provided 

many services; they staffed the entire intake 

assessment area, the exit survey area and 

the “Phone Home” booth that was made 

possible through St. Vincent’s contract with 

Verizon Wireless. They also gave flu shots 

in the medical services area, and made and 

served the hearty luncheon beef stew. 

According to John Thelen, executive 

director of the Regional Task Force on the 

Homeless and co-coordinator of Project 

Homeless Connect, the staff from St. 

Vincent’s made the clients feel welcomed 

and treated all with dignity and respect. 

“We were very happy with the 

collaborative efforts of so many homeless 

service providers, community volunteers 

and public entities,” Thelen said. “We were 

especially appreciative of St. Vincent de 

Paul Village staff – they did an excellent job 

covering so many of the service areas.” 

As a result of the event, St. Vincent’s made 

temporary housing available to a total of ten 

individuals, four women and six men. n 

The Team To Turn To – Most of St. Vincent’s 37-member team gather with leader Julie Vance, right holding 

folded cot, for a final briefing before the city’s annual homeless outreach began in San Diego’s Golden Hall. 

Meeting Needs 

with a Hand Up 

Dear St. Vincent de Paul Village, 

I wish to say Thank You for providing me a 

home when I didn’t have one, a doctor when 

I needed one, and medication to stabilize my 

mental illness, which allowed me to start 

putting my life back together. 

My case manager became my best friend 

by facilitating what I needed to begin 

achieving the goals that will eventually lead 

me back into the workforce and further my 

education. 

Thank you for your hand “up” and for not 

making the program seem like a hand “out.” 

Mika M. 

A Time to Heal, 

a Time to Move Forward 

I came to St. Vincent de Paul Village 

in November 2005 after my husband died 

and I had ovarian cancer. You gave me an 

opportunity to search within myself and truly 

mourn and grieve the loss of my husband. 

I made many new friends and really 

enjoyed my stay. I applied for General 

Relief and Social Security. I was very 

fortunate and received both. Within several 

months I was able to save enough money to 

move into my own residence. I really enjoy 

my independence and freedom. Thank you 

very much. 

Sincerely, 

Marie H. 



Getting More Than He 

Bargained For 

Terry B. was living paycheck to paycheck 

when he lost his job and became homeless. 

He entered St. Vincent de Paul Village in 

January 2006, thinking it was just a place 

for shelter. Discovering the Village’s scope 

of free on-site services, he set about getting 

what he needed – a new smile, improved 

self-esteem and a job. Today he has all three 

and continues to live on campus while saving 

money. Last November he wrote this letter. 

Terry’s Team – Village resident Terry B., center, celebrates his healthcare successes 

with dentist Michael Ward D.D.S., left, and psychiatrist Warren Gershwin, M.D. 

To Father Joe and all Management Staff, 

First of all, let me say how good it is 

being at St. Vincent’s and what a blessing it 

is for me to have a place to stay and good 

healthy food to eat. St. Vincent’s has been a 

Godsend for me and I’ve grown a good deal 

for all your efforts. Learned a lot, too. 

I would like to highlight two particular 

services. 

First, having a good therapist like Dr. 

Gershwin has been very helpful. I had 

a lot of anxiety and depression before. 

My therapy has helped me make some 

breakthroughs in this stage of life. I could 

not have done it on my own living on the 

street. Dr. Gershwin is very patient and 

understanding and I’m very fortunate to 

have his help. He is always “there” for me. 

Second I give high praise to the medical 

clinic in general and honor to the dentistry 

department, with 

emphasis on Dr. 

Ward and staff. 

Today I received 

my complete and 

beautifully made 

dentures. Wow, 

what a difference. 

My teeth were 

horrid and going 

back to work 

(customer service) 

would be difficult 

because of my 

appearance. My 

self-esteem was low. 

With painstaking 

methodology and 

plain old hard work, 

Dr. Ward gave me 

the gift of a great smile! I haven’t looked 

this good in years! His work is very solid. 

All my fears of not being able to wear the 

dentures because of fit have vanished. This 

is an incredible “up” for me. I cannot thank 

him enough. 

I really appreciate all of you on staff for 

what St. Vinnie’s has done for me! 

Sincerely, 

Terry B.

A Playground of Their Own 

Thanks to First 5 of Riverside 

By Trinka Adkins 

The Children’s Services Department of Martha’s Village & Kitchen is pleased to 

announce the completion of our new Infant/Toddler Playground. The addition is a welcome 

one and was funded by a grant from First 5 of Riverside County. 

The playground is a large, enclosed area where our infants and toddlers can be safe 

with play structures that are perfect for their size. Older children have their own separate 

playground. 

The new playground includes picnic tables for an outside eating area as well as a path for 

the older toddlers on tricycles to enjoy. 

If you find yourself at Martha’s, come visit the new Infant/Toddler playground. 

Trinka Adkins is a child development teacher at Martha’s Village & Kitchen. 

All Aboard – The toddlers love to sit together in this part of the new playground equipment at Martha’s. 


Dear Friend, 

A family living in its station wagon can’t afford to keep many traditions. Dinners at 

the dining room table don’t exist. New, special-occasion clothing is a fairy tale wish. 

But when a family that’s been living in its car – or with friends, or in motels 

– comes to Martha’s Village & Kitchen or St. Vincent de Paul Village, keeping 

traditions becomes possible again. When basic needs like shelter and safety are met 

daily, kids and parents can once again look at the future with hope. 

This Easter season, you can help a family in need celebrate new beginnings at 

the Village. We take the Village parents shopping for new spring clothes for their 

children. Your generous gifts allow these parents to spend $75 on each child. We also 

serve an Easter meal to our residents and local neighbors in need. Your gifts allow us 

to reach out and provide these neighbors with a delicious dinner. 

Please help Village parents celebrate this special season with traditions worth 

keeping. Sending your generous gift today will ensure that every parent has a full 

budget to spend on his or her child, and that we’ll be able to serve thousands of 

hungry neighbors on Easter. Thanks to your support, the traditions that make the 

spring holiday special can once again bring hope and blessings to families in need. 

Thank you and God bless, 

Gloria Gomez, Co-founder 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen 


President 


Traditions to Treasure 

Spring Donation Coupon 

I would like my gift to help children and parents at: 

❑ 

3350 E Street 


New clothes for their children this spring. 

q Outfits for one child $75 

q Outfits for two children $150 

q Outfits for four children $300 

q Outfits for 10 children $750 

q Outfits for 20 children $1,500 



Claudia Castorena, Co-founder 


Thank you for your tax-deductible donation. 

Name ____________________________________________________________ 

Address__________________________________________________________ 

City/State_____________________________________ Zip_________________ 

You may email me at ________________________________________________ 

Phone (_______)__________________ Make checks payable to the Village of your choice. 

(See Village name and address above.) 

Amount $________________________ 

Exp. Date _______/________ ❏ Check enclosed 

Credit Card ❏ Visa ❏ MasterCard 

❏ American Express ❏ Discover 

Credit Card # ______________________________________________________ 

Signature _________________________________________________________ 

(required for credit card) 

Please PRINT cardholder name_______________________________________ 

Return this coupon with your donation in an envelope addressed to the Village of your 

choice (above). Or save a stamp by donating online at www.neighbor.org. 

❑ 

83791 Date Avenue 

Indio, CA 92201-4737 

Yes, I want to help Village families provide 

I’d also like to help serve nutritious meals 

at holidays, spring celebrations and every 

day throughout the year. 

q Meals for 20 neighbors $30 





q Meals for 1,000 neighbors $1,500 

VNSP07

10 FATHER JOEʼS VILLAGES SPRING 2007 • VILL 

® 

Responding to the Call 

1982-1987 

San Diego Bishop Charles Buddy 

establishes homeless outreach at 

St. Mary of the Wayside Chaple 

on Market Street. 

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 

A Handout Wouldn’t Be Enough – In the 

transition from parish priest to President of 

St. Vincent de Paul Village, Father Joe spent time 

familiarizing himself with his role as director of 

the St. Vincent de Paul Center at 16th and Market 

Street. He discovered that he wanted to do more 

for homeless people than hand out peanut butter 

sandwiches and began investigating ways to give 

them a hand up. 

Before the Joan Kroc Center – Shortly before 

what has been called “The Taj Mahal of Homeless 

Shelters” was built between 15th and 16th Streets 

on Imperial Avenue, the site was home to a parking 

lot and the St. Vincent de Paul Center warehouse 

with a view of the Coronado bridge. 

San Diego Bishop Leo T. Maher 

appointed Father Joe Carroll to 

succeed Msgr. Joseph Topping as 

head of the renamed St. Vincent 

de Paul Center, now a lunch line 

and thrift store. 

* Father Joe’s Villages * Celebrating the First 25 Years * 

1982 

1950 

1983 

Father Joe begins r 

for St. Vincent de 

Early housing, edu 

health programs a 

to homeless peopl 

Travolator Motor 

El Cortez Hotel w 

building campaign 

1985 

Construction of V 

15th and Imperia 

1987 

St. Vincent de Pau 

dedicates Joan Kr 

350 familes and ad 

©1985 David Gatley The Southern Cross March 28, 1985 

Preferential Option for the Poor – Father Joe 

envisioned a one-stop shopping approach to give 

homeless people a hand up that also carried out the 

Catholic social teaching promoted by San Diego 

Bishop Leo T. Maher on making a preferential 

option for the poor. Here Bishop Maher and Father 

Joe examine the mission-style model that would 

garner hundreds of accolades.

7 • VILLAGE NEWS FATHER JOEʼS VILLAGES ® 11 

ll 

Dear Neighbors, 

Spring 2007 

begins raising money 

ent de Paul Village. 

ing, education and 

grams are offered 

s people at the 

Motor Hotel near the 

Hotel while the Village 

mpaign progresses. 

on of Village begins at 

Imperial Avenue. 

t de Paul Village 

oan Kroc Center for 

s and adults. 

We mark the 25th anniversary of 

Father Joe Carroll’s leadership at 

St. Vincent de Paul Village this 

year. Five years after his 1982 

appointment to St. Vincent de Paul 

Center, Father Joe opened the Joan 

Kroc Center. Two more buildings 

followed, creating a virtual village 

within our city: a village that 

has become a national model of 

comprehensive services to help 

neighbors in need. 

As a member of the Board 

of Father Joe’s Villages 

for more than 10 years, I 

have witnessed much of 

the growth of the Village 

firsthand. Two and a 

half decades ago, 140 homeless 

children, families and adults 

were housed at the old Travolator 

Motor Hotel across from the El 

Cortez Hotel. In 2007, housing 

and comprehensive rehabilitative 

services are provided to 2,200 

people every day of the year. The 

early budget of St. Vincent’s was 

$670,000; today’s operating costs 

top $30 million. And, what began 

as a “soup kitchen” offering peanut 

butter sandwiches and coffee to 

several hundred street dwellers has 

evolved into a Village serving over 

1.5 million meals a year. 

St. Vincent’s successes are both 

dramatic and inspiring. One by 

one, St. Vincent de Paul Village and 

the other members of Father Joe’s 

Villages have changed the lives of 

our “guests.” Every child, parent 

and adult is extended a hand up 

and offered a promise of hope, 

renewed confidence and dignity. 

It’s hard to believe how San 

Diego’s cityscape has changed 

over these past 25 years, starting 

with the opening of Horton 

Plaza, the Convention Center, 

the development of the Gaslamp 

and, most recently, the addition of 

Petco Park. In spite of the changes, 

St. Vincent de Paul Village has 

remained an enduring landmark 

in the heart of our downtown 

district – a lifeline for our 

community’s neighbors in need 

– with Father Joe standing at the 

door to welcome everyone. 

But Father Joe will never let us 

forget that it takes the entire 

“neighborhood” of San Diego 

to help our needy. We applaud 

and sincerely thank all our 

“Every child, parent and adult is extended 

a hand up and offered a promise of hope, 

renewed confidence and dignity.” 

supporters, donors, corporate 

partners, benefactors, volunteers 

and friends through the years. We 

look forward to celebrating this 

25th anniversary milestone with 

you throughout 2007. 

Steve Francis 

Chairman of the Board 


Chairman AMN Healthcare 

San Diego 

80 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2007 

, 1985 The Southern Cross October 3, 1985 

Movers and Shakers Among the 

Groundbreakers – Kicking off construction 

of St. Vincent de Paul Village on September 27, 

1985, civic celebrities help Father Joe Carroll and 

Bishop Leo T. Maher dig in. From left, former San 

Diego Mayor Frank Curran, then Mayor Roger 

Hedgecock, Father Joe, Bishop Maher, then State 

Senator Waddie Deddeh, and Bill Krommenhoek, 

the building’s architect. 

Hustler for the Homeless – Father Joe donned 

many hats to raise the money needed to build the 

first of three buildings that would make up today’s 

St. Vincent de Paul Village. The construction of 

the Joan Kroc Center, originally estimated to cost 

$6.8 million, topped out at $11 million. 

Welcoming Party – Dignitaries, donors and guests 

at the Joan Kroc Center dedication August 31, 1987, 

enjoyed touring the building after the ribbon-cutting 

ceremony. Pictured, from left: Msgr. Joseph Topping, 

Manuela Piatti, Bishop Leo T. Maher, Joan Kroc and 

Father Joe. Piatti, 97, represented the 12,000 people 

who made small contributions to the center while 

Kroc, then owner of the Padres and McDonald’s, 

donated $3 million.

12 

2 

1 

1. Christmas Squared – Residents of Josue 

Homes learned to quilt last fall from Cheri 

Sellers, left. Cheri, resident David and Caron 

Berg display the three masterpieces they 

crafted as Christmas presents for relatives. 

See story on page 19. 

2. Going Once, Going Twice – Go every 

Time to St. Vincent de Paul Village’s 

Specialty Auctions and you’ll be sold on 

the quality and value of the items and the 

ease with which your purchases are made. 

In February, auction attendees bid spiritedly 

on a huge collection of dolls including 

Barbies designed by Bob Mackie, above, 

and on furniture from Bali, antiques from 

Paris, jewelry, automobiles, collectibles 

and sports equipment. For information 

on the next Specialty Auction, email 

specialtyauction@neighbor.org or call 

619.446.2702. 

3. Lining Up for Presents – Over 2,000 

people lined up to receive food baskets 

and presents from Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen at Christmas. Thanks to the 

support of generous individuals, stores 

and organizations in Indio and beyond, 

they went home with staples for holiday 

meals and more than 4,000 toys, games 

and other gifts. Martha’s especially thanks 

members of Hope Lutheran Church for 


3 

donating the turkeys and cereal for the 

Christmas Baskets. 

4. Why Hang On to What’s Hanging in 

Your Closet? – If spring inspires you to 

release those outfits you really won’t wear 

again, like these from a local business 

woman, consider giving them to job seekers 

at St. Vincent de Paul Village. The Career 

& Education Center maintains a career 

closet for residents who want to look sharp 

for job interviews. The closet needs men’s 

and women’s slacks, shirts, sports coats, 

cardigans, shoes and accessories, especially 

in larger sizes. For information on how to 

give your gently used clothing to neighbors 

4 

5 

in need, please call our Dress for Success 

staff at 619.233.8500, x1680 or x1676. 

5. That’s a Serious Ham – Easter is a joyful 

time at St. Vincent’s, especially for residents 

who have spent many of their holidays living 

on the street. Dan Napier, program manager 

for Food Services, and his staff will spend 

hours cooking 50 Easter hams (at 25 lbs. 

each) for Village residents. Vegetables, sweet 

potatoes, salad and pie will complete the 

meal. Dan’s recipe for the perfect ham? 

“Score the ham and stuff it with whole 

cloves. Baste it with pineapple juice while 

cooking, about two hours at 300 degrees.”

LEAPing Beyond Illiteracy 

New Program Nurtures Reading Readiness 


Hanukkah Happening – On a LEAP field trip to Coronado library, family literacy specialist Karla Paez, left, 

little Newra and her mother Lourdes joined Children’s Services Librarian Ellenjoy Weber during a Hanukkah 

story hour. 

Children and parents are venturing far 

beyond the barrios of East Village through 

a new literacy program at St. Vincent 

de Paul Village. Since last fall, family 

literacy specialist Karla Paez has guided 

the adventurers into the realm of reading 

readiness and family fun. 

More than two dozen families participate 

in the program and receive backpacks each 

week stuffed with five days of literacy 

activities appropriate for each child’s age. 

For instance, one day a parent and child 

might read a story about a very hungry 

caterpillar and then play a caterpillar board 

game, designed to help expand vocabulary 

and comprehension. 

“One mother, Twyla, reports that her son 

John often gets so attached to a certain 

backpack that she has to sneak it out of the 

room in order to exchange it for the next 

week’s pack,” says Karla. 

The program, Literacy Empowerment for 

Parents (LEAP), is part of an effort by our 

Children’s Services staff to promote family 

literacy among parents and children, ages 

birth to 5, living at the Village. It is funded 

by the First 5 Commission of San Diego 

County, which utilizes tobacco tax revenues 

to give children the best start possible 

during their first five years of life. 

LEAP also includes weekly field trips by 

Karla and families to story hours held in the 

San Diego area. Lourdes and her daughter 

Newra went with Karla to Coronado Library 

for a Hanukkah Story Hour in December. 

Tarvis and her son Jay Jay enjoy going to 

Stories for Tots at Borders Book Store in 

Mission Valley, and others like going to the 

downtown San Diego Public Library. 

“We’re finding that the LEAP families 

are making literacy activities part of their 

daily routine,” say Karla. “Our parents are 

also becoming aware of the great number 

of free resources available to them in the 

community. This is a lesson they can take 

with them anywhere they go.” 

Doubling Impact 

Parents participating in St. Vincent’s LEAP 

program receive a double reward. They 

have the fun of engaging in family literacy 

activities with their children and also earn 

units toward graduating from the Village’s 

Bridges to Independence program. For every 

backpack a family completes, the parent 

receives .5 Bridges units and can accrue 5 

units for the 10-week LEAP program. 

Bridges is a four-level certificate program 

based on the credit-hour system used in 

institutions of higher learning. Each level at 

the Village requires completing a specific 

number of units before going to the next 

level. To reach the highest or Advanced 

Level, from which one receives an Honors 

Certificate, requires 375 units. Village 

residents who achieve any of the four levels 

are recognized at monthly ceremonies 

conducted in the Joan Kroc Center. n 


Oklahoma Transplant Brings 

Village Philosophy Full Circle 


An Oklahoma native, Alisa West 

Cahill moved with her family to San 

Diego last year. She had worked in 

social services for about 10 years 

by the time she became a case 

manager at St. Vincent de Paul 

Village in March 2006. 

“I knew about St. Vincent’s 

back in Oklahoma,” recalls 

Alisa. “When the only 

day center for people 

experiencing homelessness 

in Oklahoma City closed in 

1998, a contingent of people 

went to San Diego to explore 

whether or not a program like 

St. Vincent’s, known as a best 

practices model, could work 

in our community.” As a result 

of the exploratory visit and 

knowledge gained, a similar 

program was developed in Oklahoma City. 

Alisa’s work in Oklahoma included 

building community collaboratives to identify 

homeless trends and effective interventions, 

as well as direct practice with people who 

were under- or unemployed and those living 

with HIV and AIDS. 

“I’ve always been interested in the realms 

of poverty and homelessness and plan to stay 

in this field,” she says. “We’re a country with 

many resources and I would like to see the 

playing field leveled.” To this end, Alisa is 

interested in policy, has a master’s in social 

work with an emphasis in administration 

and community practice from the University 

Thrift Store 

San Diego 

505 16th Street 

(16th & Island) 

Monday – Saturday 

8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Closed Sundays 

619.687.1070 

Thrift Store 

El Cajon/ 

Fletcher Hills 

2325 Fletcher Parkway 


9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

619.465.5840 

Closed Sundays, 

though our trucks 

accept donations on site. 

of Oklahoma, and is pursuing a Master of 

Science degree in public health at San 

Diego State University. 

However, she also likes to work 

with people one-on-one. “I learn so 

much from the residents, especially 

in the areas of perseverance, 

adaptability and faith in 

humanity,” Alisa says. “One 

might think experiencing 

poverty and homelessness 

would result in bitterness, 

but this is often not the 

case as many people tend 

to look out for each other, 

as well as themselves.” 

Over the course of her 

workweek, Alisa meets 

with about 25 clients in 

the long-term transitional 

housing program, as do 

all the case managers 

for single adults at the 

Village. Her peers chose her Case Manager 

of the Quarter in January. 

While the honor was satisfying 

professionally, Alisa shares another 

satisfaction. “When a client thanks me 

for my help, I point out that she or he 

is doing all the work – going to Adult 

Ed classes, working a job, visiting their 

children off site, doing their Village chores, 

maintaining sobriety – and I tell them to 

thank themselves. Watching them realize 

what I’ve said is true, seeing their eyes 

warm and smiles spread across their faces, 

that’s what is really neat for me.” n 

Mission to Level the Playing Field 

Village Case Manager Alisa West 

Cahill is dedicated to work that can 

offset some of the systemic factors 

contributing to homelessness and 

would like to see increased access 

to affordable housing, healthcare, 

and living wage jobs. 

Retail Services Directory 

San Diego Auction 

Main Warehouse 

815 33rd Street 

San Diego, CA 92102 

Day Auction 


8:30 a.m. Preview 

9 a.m. Auction 

619.446.2711 

Otay Auction 

1595 Radar Road, 

San Diego, CA 92154 

Tuesday, Thursday 

& Friday 

10 a.m. Preview 

2 p.m. Auction 

619.661.1551 

Household Donation Drop Off 

Main Warehouse 815 33 rd Street, San Diego 

One block north of Market Street 

Monday – Saturday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call: 619.446.2711 

Pickup Service for 

Household Donations 

San Diego County: call 

619.687.1050 

North County only: call 

800.554.5600 

Donations of cars, 

boats, RVs and other 

vehicles 

Call 1.888.FATHER JOE 

(1.888.328.4375) 

All donations of usable clothing and furniture, etc. (except food and cash) will be accepted only at the 

warehouse/auction centers and thrift store. 

All donations are tax-deductible.

14 


Academic Tourists Tell It 

Like It Is 


A picture may be worth a 

thousand words but seeing the real 

thing is priceless when it comes to 

understanding what goes on at 

St. Vincent de Paul Village. You have 

to see it. 

Eighth graders from Stella Maris 

Academy discovered this on a tour 

of the campus led by Village docents 

Ellen Dennehy and Donna Boyle. Here 

the students tell us what they saw. 

* * * 

My most favorite thing I learned was the 

showers and free lunches you give to people 

who don’t live in the Village. 

I enjoyed learning about the showers 

that anybody can use. I thought that was 

a very helpful thing to do for people 

without homes. 

It’s really important that people are 

clean and that’s why you give people who 

use the showers some soap, toothbrushes, 

toothpaste, shampoo, etc. 

* * * 

I respected that you guys took extra 

steps to make the homeless feel like they 

are at home. 

I thought the facility look so neat 

and clean! It was painted well and the 

architecture was very nice. 

Another thing that caught my eye was that 

everyone who stays at the Village has to do 

six to eight hours of service a week or they 

will get kicked out. 

* * * 

It’s nice that there is a place for residents 

to learn how to use a computer and give 

them a chance to get trained and work hard 

to find a job. 

Residents probably also appreciate that 

they can get interview clothes because they 

don’t really have any good clothes to wear 

for an interview. 

I learned that residents who don’t have 

many or any teeth can get new teeth free. 

It is very considerate to have dental 

care for residents. It can really give a 

boost of confidence to have their teeth 

look good when they do job interviews. 

Village Tourists – For more than 10 years, Michael 

Erickson at Stella Maris Academy in La Jolla has taken 

eighth graders in his religion class to see St. Vincent de Paul 

Village. Read the comments of this year’s students, above, 

then schedule your own tour! 

* * * 

It is so good that there is a place for little 

children to play and a daycare center for 

them to stay at during the day. It is also 

good that there is an elementary school and 

a high school, so that the children can be 

educated. 

I liked how there was a room in the 

childcare area with toys, books, beanbags 

and even child-safe computers. It also had 

a kitchen that made me feel more like it was 

a home and not just another place to keep 

children out of trouble. 

The play area was nicer than expected. 

It was so nice, I wanted to leave the tour 

and play on the equipment. 

* * * 

I thought that letting everyone at the 

Village have their own religion was very 

mature and kind. 

I’m glad to know that the homeless 

in San Diego are so well cared for at 

St. Vincent’s and that the Village does so 

much to help them get back on their feet. 

I learned that the millions of dollars 

it takes to run St. Vincent’s is all from 

donations. 

I really thought that the facility and the 

whole setup was amazing. I know you take 

the people seriously and don’t treat them 

just like homeless people, but like real 

genuine people. 

I hope to come back and volunteer 

someday. 

* * * 

Ready to see the Village for yourself? Call 

619.645.6412 to arrange for experienced 

docents from the Village Ladies Guild to 

give you a tour. n 


Giving at the Grocer’s – 

Henry’s Partnership Fills 

Barrels 

By Margot Howard 

Henry’s Farmers Markets were founded 

on the vision of enhancing the lives of 

customers and employees with products and 

education that support health and well being. 

We thank them for including neighbors in 

need in their good works. 

For more than a month this winter, Henry’s 

Markets around San Diego collected food 

for the residents of Father Joe’s Villages. 

The Henry’s “Grab and Give” program 

encouraged shoppers to contribute healthy, 

natural food products to those in need 

throughout the holiday season. 

Rachel Landholdt, marketing manager 

for Henry’s, states, “We are thrilled with 

the response of the community. Customers 

purchased lots of food and packed Father 

Joe’s contribution barrels. We have very 

generous customers!” 

Henry’s also collects contributions as 

By Carol Miller 

Mark Saturday, May 19, on your calendar 

to join the team and support St. Vincent 

de Paul Village’s Recovery residents at the 

finale of the annual Recovery Games held 

at Mesa College. The St. Vinny’s team, 

along with groups from other San Diego 

addiction recovery programs, will enter the 

college stadium in a march of the athletes 

carrying banners bearing this year’s theme, 

Recovery is Heaven in ’07. 

The games, which date back to 1976, 

offer sporting and recreational events for 

individuals in alcohol and drug recovery 

programs. They also create a clean and 

part of a cooperative effort among grocers 

called “Food for All.” Customers have 

been encouraged to make cash gifts to 

Father Joe’s Villages when paying for 

their purchases. This successful program 

has raised thousands of dollars for our 

neighbors in need. 

We applaud Henry’s Farmers Markets for 

their success in raising awareness about 

hunger and for taking positive steps to help. 

You can help Father Joe’s Villages year 

round! If you are interested in organizing 

a food, clothing, or “essential needs” drive 

for much needed items at the Villages such 

as diapers and baby bottles, please contact 

Oscar Labiano at 619.446.2702. n 

Margot Howard leads the fundraising 

team at Father Joe’s Villages. 

See Team St. Vinny’s 

At Recovery Games 

Tribute from pg. 1 

Writing or Updating Your Will? 

Consider making a gift to Father Joe’s Villages and extend 

your legacy assisting neighbors in need far into the future. 

The Village is very grateful to the following 

persons and many others whose generous 

support helped fund the construction of the 

residential structure. 

To learn more about making a bequest to St. Vincent de Paul Village, contact Joseph Perucca, Planned Giving, 

at 619.446.2143, or to Martha’s Village & Kitchen, call Co-founder Gloria Gomez, 760.347.4741. 

sober environment in which to have fun, 

work as a team and engage in healthy 

competition. Some of the events preceding 

the track and field events on May 19 

include basketball, March 24; swimming 

and table games, April 28; and recovery 

dance, May 12. 

St. Vincent’s will provide buses to Mesa 

College on May 19 for residents, as well as 

T-shirts, food and fun. You don’t have to be 

in Recovery Services to attend – anyone can 

come to cheer our athletes. Watch for our 

flyers that will be out soon! n 

Carol Miller is the program manager for 

St. Vincent’s Recovery Services. 

Mr. William C. Brown 

Mr. & Mrs. Henry Burdick 

Mr. & Mrs. Stephen B. Christianson 

Mr. & Mrs. Dan Dunlap 

Mr. & Mrs. R.D. Hubbard 

Mr. & Mrs. Boots Ingram 

Ms. Maxine F. Leckie 

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Leverte 

Mr. & Mrs. Edward H. Little 

Mr. & Mrs. Raymond H. Losi 

Ms. Barbara Martin 

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Martin 

Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Pardee 

Mr. & Mrs. Bert Ruffman 

Mr. & Mrs. Mike Salta 

Mr. & Mrs. James J. Shea Jr.

Oh, Happy Noise! 

By Laura Garin, RN 

The Medical Clinic at Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen is just off the lobby on the first floor 

of the Dan Dunlap Center in Indio. Most 

medical clinics or facilities are peaceful 

places of quiet and respectful silence. Not 

so at Martha’s Medical Clinic – it’s FULL 

of noise! But to me, the noise is hopeful and 

life-giving. 

For example, right now, I hear our backoffice 

medical assistant comforting a crying 

child and instructing the mother on the child’s 

care for the next 24 hours. The medical case 

manager is referring a gentleman to the V.A. 

clinic. The receptionist is answering the 

phone in English while checking in the next 

patient in Spanish. 

Our registered nurse is reviewing 

medications with a community client with 

multiple chronic problems including Type II 

diabetes. She asks about recent home blood 

glucose results and attendance at the last 

Diabetic Education session. 

One of our two staff doctors is in a 

treatment room with a client, and raises his 

voice so the receptionist and case manager 

can both hear: “Can we fit this patient in 

for another appointment in six weeks? We 

need to get her on Rx assistance as soon as 

possible.” 

One of the winter-season volunteer doctors 

is writing his progress notes, a process that 

includes a lot of frustrated “talk” with the 

computer. 

Speaking of volunteers, one retired 

gentleman is filing the charts back into their 

proper places while a staff member asks him 

to pull yet another one. Just barely audible 

in the background is the constant peck, 

peck, peck on another computer keyboard 

where our most faithful volunteer enters 

the monthly laboratory data. Both of these 

are never-ending jobs that they perform 

patiently for our clients and staff. What 

dedication! 

Last but not least, there is the laughter and 

cooing of our nursing students playing with 

a couple of the babies. 

Tomorrow when I go to my own doctor’s 

appointment, I plan to skip the two-yearold 

People magazine and enjoy the quiet. 

While I sit there in the sterile silence I 

will hear, in the distance, the life-giving, 

hopeful and highly encouraging noise 

that characterizes a Friday afternoon at 

Martha’s Medical Clinic. After 35 years in 

the nursing profession, I wake up each day 

looking forward to hearing these happy and 

hopeful noises that bombard and embrace 

each patient. It may sound like chaos or 

the center of a crisis to the uninitiated, but 

for the clinic staff and the homeless in the 

Coachella Valley, these are the sounds of 

healing and better health. n 

Laura Garin is the medical clinic program 

manager at Martha’s Village & Kitchen. 

By Jennifer Hofman 

Overseeing our student body leaders 

for the first time, we fourth grade 

teachers wanted to guide the students 

toward sponsoring events benefiting the 

community as well as themselves. The kids 

brainstormed in November what they could 

do and for whom. 

They talked a lot about knowing there 

were other children, not unlike themselves, 

that were in need and decided to give 

something to them. They decided to give 

blankets to children at St. Vincent de 

Paul Village because it is an organization 

with a strong reputation in the San Diego 

community, and we knew the blankets we 

delivered would definitely end up in the 

hands of needy children. 

The student leaders chose to sell candy 

grams to raise money to buy the blankets. 

Each gram is a holiday card with a candy 


Most people are naturally suspicious of 

“something for nothing,” so it’s not easy to 

stand in front of a bookstore and hand out 

vouchers to passers-by that will allow their 

purchases to support Father Joe’s Villages. 

But twice a year, volunteers and employees 

from St. Vincent’s do just that. 

Through Barnes & Noble’s Bookfair 

program, schools and non-profit 

organizations raise much-needed funds 

simply by having shoppers present 


Raising Money for 

Children’s Blankets 

Instead of a School Party 

cane attached that can be sent from one 

friend to another. Usually the dollar candy 

grams are sold for Valentine’s Day and 

the money used to purchase supplies for a 

special school event such as a Halloween 

carnival. This year, the children decided to 

use the proceeds to benefit others. 

In total, the students raised about $160 

by selling candy grams after school each 

day for two weeks. The students not only 

volunteered their time to sell, but also 

worked to assemble and deliver all the 

candy grams. 

I think that the students were surprised by 

how great it felt to do something for others. 

They were overjoyed to have given something 

to someone else at the holiday season. n 

Jennifer Hofman is a fourth grade 

teacher at Fulton Elementary School in 

San Diego. 

Discovering the Joy of Giving – Student leaders at Fulton Elementary School in San Diego raised money to 

buy these blankets for St. Vincent children in lieu of having a party for themselves. 

What an Easy Way to Give! 

vouchers at the cash register when they 

make a purchase. For each purchase 

with an accompanying voucher, the store 

donates a percentage of the transaction to 

the organization. In 2006, Barnes & Noble 

Bookfairs raised more than $2,400 for 

Father Joe’s Villages. 

“The Barnes & Noble events are great 

opportunities to raise some funds and spread 

the word about what we do at Father Joe’s 

Villages,” says Oscar Labiano, director of 

business operations. “Sometimes people 

even buy books with the voucher and then 

Lori Lanz 


Village Will Miss 

17-year Employee 

Lori Lanz 

In 1989 Lorraine “Lori” Lanz began 

working at St. Vincent de Paul Village as 

a dispatch operator at the Market Street 

Thrift Store and had risen to retail dispatch 

supervisor by the time of her death in late 

November 2006. 

Ever customer-oriented, Lori took 

thousands of calls over the years from 

St. Vincent supporters who wanted to 

arrange for a pickup of their usable 

household goods by one of the Village’s 

friendly truck drivers. 

“She was very good at explaining to 

people why the drivers were sometimes 

late for pickups,” says Oscar Labiano, her 

supervisor. “When the drivers arrive at 

a home and discover that a person has 

included more to be picked up than 

scheduled, it will take longer to complete 

the job and cause delays right down the 

line. Lori would patiently notify the people 

waiting for the remaining pickups.” 

Lori looked upon her colleagues at the 

Village as her extended family and they 

thought of her in that light as well. 

The Village offers its deepest sympathy 

to her mother, three grown children and 

remaining relatives. n 

donate them to our children’s programs. It’s 

a double donation!” 

Our first Barnes & Noble event of the 

year took place early in March, but mark 

your calendars for Saturday, September 8, 

to do some shopping at the Mission Valley 

bookstore in the Hazard Center off Friars 

Road. It’s such an easy way to give, how can 

you say no? n

16 


Funders Help Us Serve Neighbors in Need 

By Angela Bull 

Programs within Father Joe’s Villages continue to garner 

financial support from public and private organizations at 

the local and national levels. The involvement of a variety 

of funders contributes to the resources and the success of 

the many activities within the Villages, from housing to 

health services. 

Following are our most recent supporters: 

• Quest Foundation granted a $27,918 matching 

grant to Children’s Services for a new computer 

lab and audio center. 

• Regional Access Project Foundation granted 

$5,800 in support of diabetic education and 

related marketing costs for the Medical Clinic; 

and a $5,000 mini-grant for emergency food 

baskets. 

• United Way of the Desert granted $33,000 to Food 

Services for general operating costs. 

• City of Rancho Mirage granted $10,000 in Special 

Assistance Funding for meals in Food Services. 

• Children’s Services was funded $463,643 by First 

Double Your Gift, 

Double Your Pleasure of Giving 

Many organizations will match the donations their 

employees give to non-profit charities. You may be able to 

double – or even triple – the amount of your gift to Father 

Joe’s Villages with a matching gift from your employer. 

Ask your employer if there is a matching gift program 

at your organization. If there is, notify the program’s 

manager of your contribution to Father Joe’s Villages and 

double your gift – and pleasure of giving – today! 

Donate Stock for 

Maximum Benefit 

Donating appreciated 

stocks to Father Joe’s 

Villages is a win-win 

decision. When you make 

a stock donation, you pay 

no capital gain tax on the 

profits, and the entire value 

of the stock can be deducted 

as a charitable contribution. 

Contact Father Joe’s 

classmate, Michael Eyer 

at Merrill Lynch, for more 

information: 800.677.3512. 

Shop Online 

and Support the Villages 

Simply log on to www.fatherjoesvillages.org, 

click the “Marketplace” shopper on the right, and 

choose where you want to shop! Those merchants 

will donate a percentage of your purchase to Father 

Joe’s Villages. 

5 Riverside for program service and delivery as 

part of its Access and Linkages initiative. 

• Verizon Foundation granted $25,000 to the 

Medical Clinic in support of operating costs to 

serve survivors of domestic violence. 

• Champions Volunteer Foundation granted $6,000 to 

Children’s Services for general operating expenses. 

San Diego Health & Faith Alliance 

• St. James Memorial Fund contributed $5,000 

in support of salaries, pharmaceutical staff 

and curriculum development for the Mobile 

Health Clinic. 

• First 5 Commission of San Diego County granted 

$159,381 for Children’s Services’ Project LEAP, 

a program designed to educate parents on the 

importance of pre-literacy development for 

children ages 0-5. 

• Samuel I. and John Henry Fox Foundation granted 

$2,500 in support of general operating costs for 

Children’s Services. 

John Ariaudo 

Louise Arthur 

Cecelia Brennan 

Rani and Giovanni Bucolo 

Richard Cunningham 

Joseph Davis Jr. 

Janet England 

Al Feneis 

Louis Fernandez 

Elizabeth Gibbs 

Barbara Ann Jones 

Virginia Kennedy 

• Kiwanis Club of La Jolla granted $1,000 to 

Children’s Services for general operating costs. 

• San Diego County Employees’ Charitable 

Organization granted $5,000 to the Village Family 

Health Clinic in support of medication costs. 

• San Diego Marriott Business Council’s Marriott 

Family Services Fund granted $2,000 to Children’s 

Service in support of general operating costs. 

• The 10,000 RVs organization granted $15,000 

to the Mobile Health Clinic for emergency 

medical services. 

• Pierre Fauchard Academy Foundation granted 

$7,000 to the Village Family Health Center for the 

cost of dental supplies. 

• Fleck Family Foundation granted $10,000 

to Children’s Services in support of general 

operating costs. 

Father Joe’s Villages is grateful to these and other 

organizations for investing in our programs, and in the 

success of our neighbors who use them. n 

Angela Bull is the contract compliance officer for 


Kindly remember in prayer these friends 

of Father Joe’s Villages who left 

legacies to help our neighbors in need. 

Isabella LaBute 

Frankie Laine 

Tony LaRosa 

Gerald Lowe 

Fred Moradi 

Joseph Ortega 

Helen Raczkowski 

Marie Rauner 

Rose Reiley 

Mark Rozmus 

Rina Thornton 

Emmett and Florence Woodward

A TAAS Graduate Reflects 

By Eric P. 

My graduation day, November 17, 2006, 

was a day that I wished would never end. It 

was the day that I left the schoolboy behind 

to go out into the world and be a man. It 

was the best day of my life. My family came 

to the ceremony at Toussaint Academy of 

the Arts and Sciences to congratulate me, 

and my friends joked and laughed with me. 

But unlike the 

other graduates, 

I had taken the 

GED – General 

E d u c a t i o n 

Diploma. The 

GED is a series 

of tests that 

prove you are 

ready to leave 

high school. 

Several of the 

younger teens at 

TAAS also want 

to take the GED, 

but my word of 

advice to them is 

that they should 

only take the 

GED if it is 

truly their last 

option, because 

many colleges won’t allow GED students to 

enroll. I took it because the teachers and I 

all agreed that because credits from my high 

school in Canada couldn’t transfer here, the 

GED was my best option. 

For me, life after high school is hard and 

stressful. I am mostly working and I will only 

occasionally get out and enjoy my new life. 

I have been going to animal rehabilitation 

centers to see if I can volunteer there. 

Soon I am moving into the graduate 

dorms at TAAS. To relax, I watch movies 

with friends and just hang out. The future 

is always on my mind: Where will I go and 

what will I do? 

I want to return to Canada soon and start 

a new life there. Then I will go to college 

and become a biologist. I am trying to find 

schools and scholarships. 

People have asked me why I am going 

On His Way – TAAS resident Eric P. receives his GED certificate from teacher Joel Garcia 

at the graduation ceremony last fall. 

back to Canada. Canada is my homeland; I 

grew up there. I have missed it and I have a 

little sister I want to spend more time with. 

I hope to go home some time this year, but 

nothing is set in stone. 

All of us must make decisions in our lives 

and we have to face the consequences of our 

actions, good or bad. Starting a new life is 

difficult but it will be very rewarding in the 

end. I feel confident I will succeed. n 

Hyatt Christmas Breakfast 

Offers Delicious Fun 

By Eric P. 

Every Christmas, Lael’s Restaurant at 

the Hyatt holds a Christmas breakfast for 

teens living at Toussaint Academy of the 

Arts and Sciences. We are invited to enjoy 

a meal specially prepared for us by the 

Marriott chefs. 

This year the menu offered lots of 

seafood, including lobster, snow crab 

and – my favorite – salmon. Crème 

brulée, chocolate cake and brownies were 

highlights of the dessert table. 

Families of the residents were also 

welcome. Unlike at previous breakfasts, 

this year’s group was small, but we still 

had lots of fun. The teens, staff and guests 

were all making jokes, talking and enjoying 

each other’s company. It was a great way to 

celebrate the spirit of Christmas. n 

Eric is a recent graduate of the Toussaint 

Academy of the Arts and Sciences. 


Rounding Out the Seasons at 

Father Joe’s Villages Ranches 

By Patty Lawrence 

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Father 

Joe’s Flying “A” Ranch hosted its third 

annual trail ride and carne asada lunch. A 

huge success, the event welcomed about 50 

people to enjoy a fantastic ride put on by 

local cowboys along various Campo trails. 

If this is something that interests you, mark 

your 2007 calendar for our trail ride on the 

Saturday after Thanksgiving. 

Meanwhile we were busy at the Villages’ 

Rancho San Vincente in December, not 

with visitors, but with many births. Animal 

births, that is! It seemed that when the days 

were the coldest and the winds blew the 

strongest, our four new calves and too many 

lambs and kids to count were being born. 

We have had a steady stream of twolegged 

visitors over the winter, including 

high school student groups, a men’s recovery 

group and a Boy Scouts retreat at the end of 

January. This is a wonderful time of year 

to be in Campo. You never know what the 

weather might bring, from warm sunny days 

to snowy ones. 

Through late winter and into spring, we 

will be busy with many weekend visitors, 

including numerous youth groups coming 

from North County, San Diego and Imperial 

County for retreats. 

We’ve also started something new at the 

ranches, a horse program for youth from the 

Villages. As those who are here on a daily 

basis know, valuable lessons can be learned 

from taking care of animals, especially 

horses. The young people coming from 

Toussaint Academy and St. Vincent’s will 

grow from the opportunity to be here and 

to care for our saddle horses, clean their 

pens and ride them. We are blessed with 

a wonderful staff and caring community 

members who will share their skill and 

knowledge with our young people. 

Also, we invite you to the 2nd Annual 

Campo Round-Up. Please mark your 

calendars for Saturday, May 5, and join 

us at Eagles Wings Ranch, 1850 Lake 

Morena Drive, Campo. Father Joe’s Villages 

is a big sponsor of this family day full of 

western events, refreshments and vendors 

and will provide the petting zoo in addition 

to staffing support. 

Since our Flying “A” Ranch – the future 

home of “A Children’s Village” for homeless 

and foster children – is right next door to 

Eagles Wings, you’ll be able to tour it, too. 

For information on the Campo Ranches, 

feel free to call me or my husband Dan in 

Campo at 619.478.2327. For information 

on “A Children’s Village,” call Toussaint 

Youth Villages Director Rick Newmyer at 

619.446.2107. n 

Patty and Dan Lawrence manage the 

Flying “A” Ranch and Rancho San Vincente 

in Campo, Calif., which are members of 


Cityslickers Converting to Cowpokes – Bright and early Saturday, January 20, six TAAS teens arrived at 

Rancho San Vincente to participate in the Horse Program. Coached by RSV staff, the teens each chose a horse 

and spent the day grooming, saddling, walking and riding their horses. Josh, above, and his Toussaint friends 

plan to visit the ranch as often as possible to continue learning about and bonding with the horses. 

45596 Fargo Street, 

Indio, CA 92201 

Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Closed Sunday 

Thrift Store 

F o r i n f o r m a t i o n o r p i c k u p s , c a l l 7 6 0 . 7 7 5 . 6 0 6 0 e x t . 1

18 

Brian Amidei 

Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch & Co. 

Henry Burdick 

Board Chair 

Retired, business owner 

(Nutritional Supplements) 

Janne Burdick 

Retired, business owner 

(Nutritional Supplements) 

Bill DeMucci 

Treasurer 

Owner of manufacturing company 

(Video Products) 

Dody Jernstedt 

President, HEDCO Foundation 

Martha Jimenez 

Community Banking 

Wells Fargo Bank 

Rudy Johnson 

Retired, School District Superintendent 

Kevin & Joan Knee 

Owners, Guthy-Renker 


Board of Directors 2007 Roster 

Tom Leverte 

Retired, Bayer/Cutter & Cheeseborough 

Ponds 

Victor & Jeannie LoBue, Jr. 

Business Owner 

College Golf Center 

Catherine Mares 

Vice President 

Bank of America 

Barbara Paumier 

Secretary 

Retired Business Owner 

Carol S. Slifer 

Advisory Director, Guaranty Bank 

Cherry Hills Branch – Colorado 

Rev. John S. Vieira 

Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help 

Church 

James and Joyce Vilmann 

Retired Teachers/Business Owners 


Statements taken from J.H. Cohn audit report.


Imperial Avenue Poets Society 

Formed in Children’s Services 

By Kaitlyn McKernan 

Children at St. Vincent de Paul Village are 

having fun this year honing their skills in a 

new poetry class in Children’s Services. 

They meet after school once a week to 

read, write, discuss and illustrate poetry in 

its many forms. 

Ranging in age from 10 to 13, the girls 

and boys have learned about many kinds of 

poetry, including acrostic, rhyming, list and 

haiku. Usually they spend time writing on a 

variety of themes and then read their poems 

to each other. 

The class members plan to submit 

poems to children’s literary contests and 

are busy editing and reworking previously 

written poems. 

I think that I shall never see … – Kaitlyn 

McKernan, right, and the poets of Imperial Avenue 

cluster in one of their weekly creative sessions. 

A list poem by Rajee A. 

My Favorite Place 

My favorite is a place where I can go 

And read a book, 

Listen to the water, 

Go on a hike, 

Sit on a rock 

And write a poem. 

The things I can do in my favorite place 

Things that no one else can do 

My favorite place, 

That’s all I knew. 

A free-write poem 

by Deon W. 

The girl feels sad 

Because her house was destroyed 

In a hurricane 

She looks stranded 

She lost her home 

She lost her memories 

But she will be saved 

A rhyming poem 

by Vincent C. 

We all have ups, 

And we all have downs sometimes. 

We smile and sometimes we frown. 

Homeless or in a house no matter the 

place 

I’ll always have that 

Grin and special expression on my face 

Moving places state to state 

But when it comes 

To your family you either 

Love or you hate, 

But sadly 

The answer can only be one, 

Cause the weight of others 

Feels like tons. 

Now my poem 

Is coming to an end 

So I hope you pass my message on 

To family, peers, and friends. 

SO DO GOOD EVERY DAY ’CAUSE 

REMEMBER NO ONE’S HERE TO 

STAY! 

An acrostic poem 

by Hallie C. 

Peace 

Of 

Everyone’s 

Mind 

A graduate of St. Michael’s College 

in Vermont, Kaitlyn McKernan is an 

AmeriCorps Volunteer in Children’s Services 

this year. 

Kudos to the Good Samaritan 

To: St. Vincent de Paul Village 

It’s been three months since I’ve moved out into a two-bedroom apartment. Life and 

living have continued to be a blessing. 

I went to St. Vincent de Paul Village in February 2005. I was desperate and suffering 

from the disease of alcoholism and drug abuse. I’ve suffered for 30 years plus, and it 

took being at St. Vincent’s to come to terms with my disease. 

Thank you, St. Vincent de Paul Village staff. You truly have been the Good Samaritan 

for me. I was injured and you helped me. I was homeless and you took me in. I was 

without hope and you gave me the tools to live. 

Love and gratitude, 

Oscar O. 


New, Healthy Addiction at Josue Homes 

Winning Residents Over Square by Square 

By Cheri Sellers 

I have an addiction – to quilting! 

It’s costly, time consuming and I love it. 

When I couldn’t see well enough for the 

cross-stitch, embroidery and needlepoint 

I used to do, I needed something new 

and friends got me into quilting. After 

a six-week beginner class, my addiction 

officially started. 

I would make quilt layers, bring them to 

work at Josue Homes and ask Caron Berg, 

my co-worker, to help me while on breaks 

to pin the layers together. I’d take the pieces 

home, quilt them and bring the finished 

quilt back to work to show what I’d made. 

Soon some Josue clients got interested 

and wanted to learn quilting and off 

we went. I taught them to iron, cut fabric, 

iron again and sew all the patches together. 

We’d go to the quilt shop and pick out 

batting, backings and that “just right” piece 

for the binding. 

We would look for sales in newspaper 

ads and go shopping for fat quarters (precut 

fabric for quilting) at 99 cents each. We 

would learn new patterns and show off our 

talents to each other. 

When dragging my sewing machine in 

to work got old, I asked Carl Wolter, Josue 

Homes program manager, if we could buy a 

sewing machine. He said, “Sure.” He could 

see the pleasure we were all getting out of 

this healthy new addiction at Josue Homes. 

For Christmas, resident David made 

three quilts and sent them to his family. 

They couldn’t believe that he had made 

such beautiful quilts. Then Caron got on 

board and made one for herself, and two 

more for relatives for Christmas. 

The residents and I went many times to 

Rosie’s Calico Cupboard and made friends 

with the saleswomen there. We’d always 

hug, tell them about our most recent projects 

and ask for their expert opinions. They’ve 

been so kind to us, giving us free books and 

leftover material when they have it. 

KUSI TV personality Rod Luck did an 

early morning segment at Josue Homes and 

we got the quilts into the filming. It was 

great. We showcased some of our quilts 

and he asked the TV viewers to donate any 

extra 100-percent cotton material they had 

and a good working sewing machine. As a 

result, we received lots of material and are 

still waiting for another sewing machine, 

which we need because the one we have is 

always in use. 

I think clients at Josue Homes have 

been helped by this hobby because they 

are spending their money on fabric instead 

of on non-productive things, plus they’re 

bonding, learning and teaching other 

residents the wonderful art of quilting. I 

look forward to making trips back to Josue 

to teach the next bunch of quilters. n 

After 10 years as house supervisor at 

Josue Homes, Cheri Sellers returned to St. 

Vincent de Paul Village in mid-January to 

work in Guest Services. 

Josue Homes provides 26 residents living 

with HIV/AIDS comprehensive support 

and guidance while they work with Josue 

professionals to regain self-sufficiency and 

independence. For more information about 

Josue Homes or to contribute to the quilting 

project, call Caron Berg at 619.667.2610. 

All Pins and Patches – David, a resident of Josue Homes, sews one of the three quilts he made for 

Christmas presents after learning the craft from Cheri Sellers.

20 


Jean was born and raised in Connecticut, 

and Albert grew up in Illinois, but when 

they met in San Diego over 40 years ago, 

they knew this was where they wanted to 

make their home. 

Jean’s good friend and Trustee of her 

Family Trust (who prefers to remain 

anonymous) says the Cappelens were 

a match made in heaven. Early in their 

marriage, Albert worked hard in the Navy 

while Jean laid the foundation for her career 

as a registered nurse. Albert went on to 

Yes I want to know more! 

become an engineer with General Dynamics, 

and the couple prospered. Unable to have 

children, they dedicated themselves to their 

careers and enjoyed tending their properties 

and investments. 

Albert and Jean loved San Diego and 

did what they could to give back to their 

community, including making regular 

monetary gifts to local charities such as 

Father Joe’s Villages. Jean was also an 

avid baseball fan, cheering on the Padres 

even after her health began to fail. When 

Albert passed away in the late 1980s, Jean 

continued to support the local charities that 

❑ I would like to see an illustration of how a gift annuity would benefit me. 

Amount: ❑ $10,000 ❑ $50,000 ❑ $100,000 ❑ $_______ 

❑ Please send me information on wills, bequests and endowments. 

❑ Please send me information on life insurance through Father Joe’s Villages. 

❑ I have included Father Joe’s Villages in my will. 

Name ________________________________ Birth date _____/_____/_____ 

Address _______________________________________________________ 

City _________________________________ State _________ Zip ________ 

Phone (______)___________________________________________________ 

You may email me at _____________________________________________ 

Please detach and return to: Joseph Perucca, Planned Giving Officer 

Father Joe’s Villages 3350 E Street, San Diego, CA 92102-3332 


Investing in the Community They Loved, Longtime Supporters Impact the Future 

of San Diego with Estate Gift 

Visit us! – We invite you to learn more about 

the life-changing programs at the Villages. To 

arrange for a tour of St. Vincent de Paul Village, call 

619.645.6412. For a tour of Martha’s Village & Kitchen, 

call 760.347.4741, and for a tour of Toussaint Academy 

of the Arts and Sciences, call 619.687.1080. 


After more than 50 years practicing law, 

attorney Maynard R. Bissonnette knows 

that people sometimes want advice when 

selecting charitable beneficiaries for their 

estates. “Most people have children or 

siblings as the main beneficiaries in their 

estate plan,” says Bissonnette. “But there are 

often residual amounts left over that they are 

interested in giving to a worthy charity.” 

Like most of us, Bissonnette has a cause 

that’s close to his heart. Ten years ago, his 

sister Anna helped found the Committee 

to End Elder Homelessness – now called 

HEARTH – in Boston. Today, a lovely 

Boston building with 40 apartments for 

homeless seniors bears Anna’s name, 

and five more facilities throughout the 

community offer affordable supportive 

housing for the elderly. 

Bissonnette has taken up a cause similar 

to his sister’s but in San Diego. “I have a 

strong connection with wanting to help 

homeless people,” he says. “Here, Father 

Joe’s programs come closest to what my 

sister accomplished in Boston.” 

While he doesn’t steer clients toward 

specific charities, Bissonnette will suggest 

had benefited from the couple’s generous 

giving in the past. 

Like many estate donors, Jean Cappelen 

was a private person who never sought 

recognition for her charitable contributions. 

She followed her heart as she prepared 

her estate plan with attorney Maynard 

Bissonnette. (See article below.) 

When Jean passed away in 2006, the estate 

that she and her beloved Albert had built 

together named Father Joe’s Villages and 

San Diego Hospice as beneficiaries in equal 

parts. With hard work and compassion, the 

Cappelens succeeded in helping to create 

Lawyer with a Cause 

they consider including Father Joe’s 

Villages in their estate plan if they’ve 

supported Village programs in the past. 

“I’m comfortable knowing Father Joe is 

helping the homeless,” Bissonnette says, 

“and not using people’s gifts for decorating 

his office.” 

a better life for thousands of San Diegans 

today and into the future. 

If you are preparing your estate plan and 

want to make an investment in the future of 

San Diego, please contact planned giving 

officer Joseph Perucca today. Joseph can 

share with you the many ways you can give 

back to your community through a variety 

of planned gifts to Father Joe’s Villages. 

Call Joseph at 619.446.2143 or email him 

at joe.perucca@neighbor.org. n 

If you’d like more information about estate 

planning services such as the Cappelens 

received from Bissonnette (story above), 

contact him at 858.453.6122 x13. n 

Simply stated, this acronym defines the mission, vision and philosphy of 

Father Joe’s Villages

Spring 2007 - Father Joe's Villages

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?