Survival to success - Father Joe's Villages

Success Stories 

Village residents and graduates 

regain their lives. Pages 8 & 9 

Physician Humanitarian Award 

State salutes Margaret E. McCahill, M.D. 

Page 7 

By Patricia M. Walsh 

A er just nine months at Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen, Jackie B., 34, has graduated from “ e 

University of the Human Spirit” to a new life for 

herself and her four children. Jackie entered Martha’s 

in Indio, Calif., through Emergency Services. 

A er being assessed by Martha’s sta , Jackie and 

her children were moved from the emergency 

structure into transitional residential housing in 

the Dan Dunlap Center. ere Jackie completed 

the programs in “Bridges to Independence” while 

her children attended school and were nurtured 

in Children’s Services. is Mother’s Day Jackie 

Happy 25th 

Employees, Ladies Guild and 

SD International Triathlon share 

a silver anniversary. 

Pages 4, 5, 10 

Survival to success 

Mother of four 

graduates to new life 

“ 

Being here has allowed 

me to see myself as a 

person, knowing that 

I wanted to go to the 

next level. 

will be working, living on her own 

and enjoying a new life with her 

children. With tears in her eyes, 

Jackie shared these re ections as 

she prepared for graduation: 

Q. What is the most important 

lesson you will take with you as 

NON-PROFIT 

U.S. POSTAGE 

PAID MAIL 

MANAGEMENT 

GROUP 

VILLAGE NEWS Patricia M. Walsh 

Jackie regained her independence through Martha’s Village & Kitchen’s 

continuum of care. 

you start your new life? 

A. I’ve gotten the tools here to 

succeed in life. I can make it and 

my children can too. I was like dead 

before. I am living now. I have a life 

St. Vincent de Paul Village 

3350 E Street 

San Diego, CA 92102-3332 

now. I have goals and I am reaching 

my goals. I was not made to just 

barely get by; I was made to succeed! 

Being here has really taught me that 

I am going to be successful! 

Q. What was your life like before 

you came to Martha’s? 

A. I had an addiction since I was 13 

years old. I was staying with family 

members in their living room. I 

knew I needed to go to that next 

level, as far as being responsible for 

my life and stop depending on other 

people. I needed to get on my own 

feet. 

I can’t even imagine my daughter 

doing the things that I did at her 

age. At her age I was already using 

drugs. I had dropped out of school; 

that was just a way of life. You know, 

Continued on page 17 

Heart & 

Spirit Award 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen 

supporters honored 

Page 12 


A er seven years of delays, 

Father Joe’s Villages has 

received a stamp of approval from 

the San Diego County Board of 

Supervisors to proceed with its 

plans for “A Children’s Village” in 

east San Diego County. 

“We can now focus on children, 

because that’s what this land cries 

out for,” says Father Joe Carroll, 

president of Father Joe’s Villages. 

The facility in Campo will 

nurture 200 homeless and foster 

children, providing them a 

permanent home, a quality 

education and a solid foundation 

of responsibility and values. 

e supervisors voted 3-2 to 

approve the project at their Feb. 

27 meeting. Supervisors Bill 

Horn, Ron Roberts and Greg Cox 

supported the project. In sharing 

his voice of approval, Horn said, 

“My mother was an orphan, and 

she’s never forgotten it ... I just 

have to do the right thing here.” 

A ordable 

housing 

under 

construction 

in North Park 

Spring 2008 • Volume 18, Issue 1 

County OKs 

‘A Children’s Village’ 

e Village will accommodate 

children up to age 18 who are 

unable to live at home – 80 percent 

foster children and 20 percent 

homeless children. Sibling groups 

will receive priority at the Village 

to allow brothers and sisters to 

stay together. When possible and 

appropriate, the program will 

facilitate reuni cation of children 

and their parents. e program 

is based on the family-teaching 

model developed by Girls and 

Boys Town throughout its 90-year 

history. 

e Village in Campo will have 

25 residences, a 12-classroom 

school, an on-site health center, 

eight acres of athletic elds, a 

chapel, and a recreation center with 

indoor pool. Up to eight children 

will live in each home with trained 

house parents who will teach them 

responsibility and values, keep 

them out of harm’s way, and help 

them become productive members 

of society. 



Continuing its work toward 

alleviating the a ordable 

to 40 percent of the San Diego 

area median income (AMI), or 

housing crisis in San Diego, between $14,500 and $36,450 a 

Father Joe’s Villages is building year, according to the San Diego 

Boulevard Apartments, a four- Housing Commission’s Income 

story, 24-apartment a ordable and Rent Calculation. 

housing structure for families in “Boulevard Apartments is a 

North Park. 

prime example of critical housing 

e building will provide being built to help our most 

housing for very-low-income vulnerable population – homeless 

families – those who earn 30 Continued on page 16

2 

VILLAGE NEWS, Spring 2008 

is published by 

Father Joe’s Villages® 

3350 E Street 


P: 619.446.2100 

F: 619.446.2129 

www.neighbor.org 

Publisher/President 

Father Joe Carroll 

Editor 

Patricia M. Walsh 

Editorial Staff 

Angela Bull 

Miriam H. DiBiase 

Martha Lepore 

Mielle Schwartz 

Kate Wilson 

Editorial 


Gloria Gomez 

Claudia Castorena 

John Wolohan 

Ricardo Solis 

Senior Graphic Designer 

Elizabeth Sears 

Graphic Designer 

Hernando Marquez 

Production Coordinator 

Emily Velez-Confer 

Web Design 

John Bradley 

Comments and suggestions 

are welcomed. Please send to: 

villagenews@neighbor.org 

or Village News, 3350 E Street, 


In accordance with Federal law 

and U.S. Department of Agriculture 

policy, Father Joe’s Villages® is 

prohibited from discriminating on 

the basis of race, color, national 

origin, sex, age, or disability. To file 

a complaint of discrimination, write 

USDA, Director, Office of Civil 

Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 

or call 800.795.3272 or 202.720.6382 

(TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider and employer. 

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. 

© 2008 S.V.D.P. Management, Inc. 

A mom celebrates accomplishments 

Dear Neighbors, 

is Mother’s Day there are many homeless 

mothers at St. Vincent de Paul Village and 

Martha's Village & Kitchen getting the help they 

need to regain their independence. Mothers like 

Jackie B. anks to your contributions we are 

able to provide programs to help these moms 

become successful, self-su cient citizens. 

On May 11, 2008, we will celebrate Mother’s 

Day with the mothers and children at the 

Villages. Mothers will receive small gi s from 

their children (we provide the items) . . . Flowers, 

perfume, gi packs, makeovers and spa days 

enhance dignity and show homeless mothers 

that they too are remembered and appreciated 

for all they do, including working hard to change 

their lives and the lives of their children. 

Please join me in celebrating the 

accomplishments and lives of homeless mothers 

and children like Jackie with a contribution so we 

can help make their Mother’s Day truly special. 

You can also help our neighbors in need by 

hosting a drive to collect new items for children. 

See story, page 18. 

If you would like to make a gi in honor or 

in memory of a mother in your life, we will 

send her a special certi cate of recognition this 

Mother’s Day. 

ank you and God Bless, 

Father Joe Carroll 

President 

YES! 

I want to help give homeless mothers 

and children a Happy Mother’s Day. 

$75 $125 $200 

$300 $500 $750 

$1,500 $2,500 $5,000 

$7,500 

Other $ 

$10,000 

Thank you for your 

tax-deductible donation! 

Save a stamp! donate online 

www.neighbor.org 

VNSp08 

Father Joe’s Villages FAST 

Clip out and mail to: 


3350 E St. 


or 


83791 Date Ave. 

Indio, CA 92201-4737 

FACTS 

VILLAGE NEWS Ricardo Solis 

Father Joe presents Jackie B., a mother of four, with her graduation certi cate from Martha’s Village & Kitchen. 

MOTHER’S DAY 

Father Joe’s Villages provides support services for all the agency’s Villages. Services 

include but are not limited to food service, security, maintenance, property acquisition 

and development, human resources, accounting, and general management. 

PLEASE PRINT USING A BALLPOINT PEN (Required for cash, checks and credit cards) 

Name 

Address City 

State 

Please email me at 

Donation $ 

Zip Phone ( ) 

Check enclosed made payable to St. Vincent de Paul Village or Martha's Village & Kitchen 

Visa 

Credit Card # 

MasterCard American Express Discover 

3-Digit Code (on back of card) 

Please print cardholder name 

Signature 

Exp Date 

(required for credit cards) 

FATHER JOE, PLEASE USE MY GIFT FOR YOUR FAVORITE PROGRAMS AS NEEDED. 

Is your gift in honor/memory of a special mother in your life? If so, please provide her name and address 

and we will send her a certifi cate of special recognition. 

My gift is in honor/ in memory of: 

Name 

Address 

City State Zip 

Please send certifi cate to me and I will present it to her.

By Patrica M. Walsh 

When Chubby Checker 

headlined the Valenti 

Foundation’s Tribute to 45 Years of 

Valentino Fashion fundraiser on 

April 12, Father Joe Carroll got two 

birthday presents he’ll never forget. 

e rst was seeing the legendary 

singer perform his famous hit, 

“ e Twist,” and the second was a 

fundraiser for his newest project, 

“A Children’s Village” in San Diego’s 

east County. e Valenti Foundation 

and Valenti International, founders 

of Traditional Matchmaking, held 

County OKs ACV 

Continued from page 1 

Currently, Father Joe’s Villages 

provides specialized services for 

children and teens at Toussaint 

Academy of the Arts and Sciences 

in downtown San Diego. ere 30 

teens live and attend high school on 

site, work part time and volunteer 

in the community. Approximately 

90 percent of them go on to college 

or vocational school. 

At St. Vincent de Paul Village, 

255 children receive more than 

40,000 hours of Children’s Services 

annually while their parents 

participate in programs to regain 

their independence. 

“Research indicates that the 

cost savings from helping just one 

high-risk youth graduate from 

high school, avoid drugs, and not 

engage in a life of crime can range 

between $1.7 and $2.3 million,” 

says Rick Newmyer, director of 

Toussaint Youth Villages. “When 

you multiply this by the number 

of youth we will serve at “A 

Children’s Village,” the savings 

VILLAGE NEWS, Spring 2008 3 

Valentino at Valenti 

Chubby Checker, guests twist the night away for ‘A Children’s Village’ 

the fundraiser at its Rancho Santa 

Fe world headquarters. e April 

12 event featured an installation of 

Valentino’s 45 years of fashion. 

e centerpiece of the Valenti 

Foundation’s mission statement is a 

dedication to helping the neediest, 

most vulnerable of our society: the 

very young and the elderly. e 

Valenti Foundation, with the full 

support of Valenti International, 

focuses its e orts toward enhancing 

these people’s quality of life. 

P.S. ey also had a surprise for 

Father Joe since it was his birthday. 

Charitable Events Benefiting 

Father Joe’s Villages 

Bookfair 

Saturday, May 3, 2008 

Barnes & Noble Point Loma BookStar 

Present the voucher on page 17 prior to 

purchase and a portion of the net sale 

will be donated to St. Vincent de Paul 

Village. 

Page 17 

Mother’s Day Drive 

Now through May 9, 2008 

Collect new items to help homeless 

mothers and babies. Page 18 

Birdies for Babies 

Golf Tournament 

Monday, May 12, 2008 

Bernardo Heights Country Club 

For more information, contact 

Ryan Pocock at 619.446.2119, or 

ryan.pocock@neighbor.org 

24th Annual 

Red Boudreau 

Trial Lawyers Dinner 


U.S. Grant 

Honoring Michael I. Neil, Esq. For more 

information, contact Chris Van Orshoven, 

619.787.3150, or chriscasd@yahoo.com 

Page 17 

U.S. Open 

June 9-15, 2008 

Torrey Pines Golf Course 

Volunteers needed for Father Joe’s 

fundraising force. For more information, 

contact Dawn Gearhart at 619.645.6413, 

or dawn.gearhart@neighbor.org 

25th San Diego 

International Triathlon 

Sunday, June 29, 2008 

Spanish Landing Park on Harbor Drive. 

Presented by KOZ Enterprises. Register 

online a www.kozenterprises.com 

Page 4 

Corporate Cup 

Challenge 


Monday, Sept.15, 2008 

Maderas Golf Club 



ryan.pocock@neighbor.org 

25th Annual Children’s 

Charity Dinner 

Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 

Manchester Grand Hyatt 


Margot Jouett at 619.446.2100, or 

margot.jouett@neighbor.org 

Father Joe’s 

Thanksgiving Day 5K 

Run/Walk 

Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008 

Balboa Park 

For more information visit 

www.thanksgivingrun.org 

Martha’s 

Thanksgiving Day 

5K Run/Walk 

Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008 

La Quinta Park 

Special to VILLAGE NEWS 

Toussaint Youth Villages Board Member Graham Ledger and Irene Valenti join Chubby Checker as he presents Father 

Joe Carroll with a check for $100,000.00, a portion of the proceeds from the Valenti Foundation’s Tribute to 45 Years of 

Valentino Fashion, a fundraiser for ‘A Children’s Village.’ 

Calling all volunteers! 

Join Team Father Joe at the 2008 U.S. Open Torrey Pines 

By Patrica M. Walsh 

Father Joe’s Villages is proud to be 

an o cial Volunteer Partner of the 

U.S. Open set for June 9-15, 2008, 

on the Torrey Pines links in La Jolla. 

In return for providing a volunteer 

workforce at the event, Father Joe’s 

Villages will receive a substantial 

donation from the event, be able 

to place donation jars at the U.S. 

Open, and pick up any goods le at 

the end of the tournament. 

Father Joe needs volunteers to 

work in the concession tents. is 

fantastic opportunity is an ideal 

community service project and 

team building exercise for corporate 

groups as well as individual 

volunteers. We need a minimum of 

100 volunteers per day during the 

week and 125 volunteers per day on 

the weekend. 

Volunteers must be at least 15 

years old and work a shi at a 

concession stand. Shi s are 6 a.m.-2 

p.m.; 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; or 12 p.m.-6 

p.m. each day. When planning, 

Father Joe's Villages 

volunteers should factor in travel 

time before and a er each shi . 

Each volunteer will receive: 

• Free parking & shuttle to 

U.S. Open 

• A meal 

• Th e opportunity to watch golf, 

before or a er their shi 

• Th e good feeling of volunteering 

to make a diff erence in the 

lives of neighbors in need at 

Father Joe’s Villages. 

To volunteer 

To become a volunteer, please 

contact Laura Kojima, Volunteer 

Services program manager, 

at 619.645.6412, or email at 

laura.kojima@neighbor.org; or Dawn 

Gearhart, volunteer coordinator at 

dawn.gearhart@neighbor.org. 

in human and nancial capital 

are immeasurable.” e County 

Board of Supervisors vote follows 

a November vote by the County 

Planning Commission that 

decided 6-0 in favor of the project. 

Father Joe’s Villages is currently 

raising funds to begin construction 

of “A Children’s Village,” which 

is projected to be completed by 

the middle of 2010. If you would 

like to support this worthwhile 

project, please call 619.446.2100 

or visit www.neighbor.org and 

click on “donations.”

4 

By Patricia M. walsh 

Village News, spring 2008 

Father Joe’s Villages FAST 

He’s 

No. 1 

Father Joe Carroll met his 

No. 1 man in church. 

And it’s probably not the guy 

you’re thinking of. It’s 48-yearold 

Rolland Vance, the first 

person Father Joe hired to be 

part of the St. Vincent de Paul 

Village team. 

“I was doing maintenance 

at St. Rita’s Parish and Father 

Joe approached me about 

starting a homeless shelter,” 

Vance says. “We went into a 

building by the El Cortez and it was a mess, and he asked me to clean it 

up.” So Vance put on his gas mask and went to work. “We had it done in 

less than a month – sterilized, repainted, carpeted, furniture set up and we 

opened the first shelter on April 1, 1983,” Vance says. “To this day when 

Father Joe needs a special project done right he comes to me for it.” 

Father Joe says, “I don’t know why we didn’t hire him sooner.” 

The six-foot-three Vance is the strong and silent type, who keeps three 

warehouses and two thrift stores in operating shape. 

“Rolland is a go-to-guy whose skills keep our facilities in great working 

shape. He’s definitely a large part of our successful operations,” says Keith 

MacKay, vice president of Retail Services for Father Joe’s Villages. 

Twenty-five years of working among the residents at St. Vincent de 

Paul Village has allowed Rolland valuable perspective. “I used to think all 

homeless people were winos, and then I learned that everyone is just a few 

paychecks away from being homeless,” he says. 

His dedication to Father Joe and residents at St. Vincent’s is evident 

in the quality of his work and the dignity with which he treats everyone 

around him. 

“I like working with my hands and helping people. It’s not a get rich 

quick job, it’s a job 365 days a year,” Vance says. “It keeps me in fishing 

money, so I can’t complain.” 

Shaugh McGinley celebrates in style. 


Rolland Vance was the first employee hired 

by Father Joe. 

VILLAGE NEWS Kate Wilson 

San Diego 

International 

Triathlon 

Bob Babbitt competes for 25th year 


Of all the triathlons, in all the 

cities in all the world, Bob Babbitt 

has never missed the San Diego 

International Triathlon. On June 

29 Babbitt will do his version of 

“Play it once, Sam, for old times” 

when he readies his goggles, bike 

and running shoes for the 25th 

consecutive year. 

“It’s nice to go to a place and 

look back, and after all these 

years, the three of us are still 

standing in the same spot,” says 

the 56-year-old Babbitt. The 

other two are Father Joe Carroll 

and Rick Kozlowski, an athlete 

and owner of KOZ Enterprises, 

the race management company 

that has presented the triathlon 

since 1984 to benefit children’s 

programs at Father Joe’s Villages. 

“The sport has sort of grown 

around us,” says Babbitt, an 

Ironman Hall of Famer. “It’s 

exciting to watch were the sport was 

and where it is now.” According to 

Babbitt, the sport started on Fiesta 

Island in 1974 when the San Diego 

By Kate wilson 

FACTS 


Ladies Guild presented its annual 

luncheon fundraiser in February 

at the Mission Valley Hilton. 

Chaired by Joyce Ellison, the 

event was attended by more than 

200 supporters and raised more 

than $10,000 to benefit Easter 

shopping for new clothes for 

children at the Village. 

Mistress of Ceremonies Laura 

Father Joe’s Villages provides support services for all the agency’s Villages. services include but are not 

limited to food service, security, maintenance, property acquisition and development, human resources, 

accounting, and general management. 

Track Club did a short version of 

the triathlon. 

For race information and online registration visit: 

www.kozenterprises.com 

or call 858.268.1250 

From there, Navy Commander 

John Collins created the Ironman 

event on the island of Oahu while 

stationed in Hawaii. Babbitt was 

among the 106 men and two 

women who competed in one of 

the first Ironman Triathlons in 

1980, along with Kozlowski. 

A Superman of endurance 

sports, Babbitt is a competitor, 

publisher and philanthropist. 

Kojima guided guests through 

the program, which included 

a blessing from Father Joe and 

performance by the Q4TAY 

Quartet. The quartet finished 

the program with the Benny 

Van Buren song that was the 

inspiration for the luncheon’s 

theme: “You Gotta Have Heart.” 

As the audience joined in song 

it was clear that the message 

struck a chord with all who 

participated. 

Bob Babbitt 

His Competitor Publishing 

empire publishes 16 regional 

fitness magazines monthly, he’s 

authored five books, and he cofounded 

Challenged Athletes 

Foundation along with Kozlowski 

and Jeffery Essakow. Dubbed 

“Ironman’s Greatest Ambassador” 

by Ironman.com, Babbitt also 

hosts a weekly radio show. And he 

still has time to compete. 

“He doesn’t separate business 

from personal,” says Lois Schwartz, 

Competitor co-publisher, who has 

been his business partner for more 

than 20 years. “He wouldn’t know 

what to do with himself if he didn’t 

have an event to do.” 

Babbitt, who enjoys the San 

Diego International Triathlon for 

the way it showcases San Diego, 

takes a special appreciation in 

the triathlon’s bike ride past Ft. 

Rosecrans National Cemetery to 

Cabrillo Monument. “When I’m 

riding along the gravestones, I 

think it epitomizes why those guys 

died – so we could live our life to 

the fullest and appreciate every 

breath we take.” 

Ladies Guild has heart 

luncheon raises over $10,000 

for easter clothes program 

Committee members included 

Betty Andersen, Barbara Bixel, 

Nancy Brickson, Susan Bua, Marie 

Bueche, Dottie Cunningham, Rita 

Driscoll, Virginia LaMendola, 

Michelle Leon-Scharmach, 

Elaine Manos, Kathy McKinley, 

Janet Milliken, Rosalie Muns, 

Linda Rath, Elizabeth Utschig 

and Delia Werth. 

The guild celebrates 25 years of 

service to Father Joe’s Villages this 

year. See story, page 10.

Village News, spring 2008 5 

25 years in the business of human dignity 

Mary Case – the silent partner who helped build a village 

MILESTONES 

with an internal compass guiding her sense of duty, Mary Case 

has dedicated 25 years of her life to building the continuum of 

care one-stop model to assist the homeless and impoverished. 

“i have loyalty and pride to have a hand in all the things we’ve 

done,” says the vice president of programs at Father Joe’s Villages. 

Perhaps her strongest source of pride comes from the agency’s 

guiding principal, its CReeD. in 1988, Case saw the need to 

clarify the organization’s philosophy and values, and to provide 

staff guidelines so they could monitor their own behavior and 

decision-making when dealing with clients. so 75 staff went on 

an afternoon retreat, and when discussions were pared down at 

the end of the day to key words and phrases and reordered, they 

spelled out CReeD: 

Compassion: Concern for others and a desire to assist 

Respect: An act of giving particular attention or 

special regard 

Empathy: Understanding, an awareness of and 

sensitivity to the feelings of others 

Empowerment: Helping others to help themselves 

Dignity: Counting all people worthy of our esteem 

Other milestones Case takes great pride in include: 

• Moving the organization from counting activities, like 

the number of people who attend classes, to measuring 

outcomes. “Now,” Case says, “We ask, ‘what difference 

did we make?’ “ 

• Tripling the size of the medical clinic. 

• Expanding the Career & Education Center on one floor. 

• Offering VCARE … wrap around services for mentally 

ill adults and those with substance abuse. 

• Creating Bridges to Independence, the Village’s unique 

rehabilitation program, which incorporates the credithour 

system used by institutions of higher learning. 

WhenresidentscometotheVillage,alsoknownas“The 

University of the Human Spirit,” they receive a Bridges 

to Independence catalog that explains the courses 

they will take and requirements for graduation. 

• Creating a Culinary Arts Program (CAP) – Wanting to 

provide residents with skills that would translate into 

available jobs and above minimum wage pay, Case 

created the Culinary Arts Program patterned after the 

College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University. 

“The program’s benefits proved two-fold – clients 

received training to earn a good wage and we got the 

manpower we needed to run the kitchen,” Case says. 

• Offering certified Recovery Services on site at the Village. 

• Building permanent affordable housing at Villa 

Harvey Mandel and Village Place, and the new 

housing currently under construction in North Park 

and downtown San Diego. 

• Implementing Assertive Community Treatment, 

through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration. See story, page 6. 

WORKING WITH FATHER JOE 

Mary Case’s corner office is professionally furnished and devoid 

of frills. There are a few personal effects: photos of her nowgrown 

sons when they were younger – Matthew, Christopher, 

and Kevin, who works at the Village – and an aerial photo of her 

fourth “child” – the group of buildings that make up st. Vincent 

de Paul Village at 16th and imperial in downtown san Diego. 

Contemplating the years, she chuckles a little when she talks 

about Father Joe, who baptized her kids and performed her 

father’s funeral. 

“wOw… he’s a kick … he’s a character … He can be pretty 

unpredictable,” Case says, adding that he “usually lets me do 

what i need to do. we have a deal - i implement the programs 

and he raises the money. it’s a rare thing. i try to be prudent 

and cheap. But if we need to add a service, i have his support. 

“we’re on the same page – we’re here to serve the clients. we 

walk the talk. He’s proud of that. He’s a challenge. He has bright 

ideas … and he gives me the freedom to make them happen.” 

VIllAgE NEWS Patricia M. Walsh 

Mary Case proudly displays in her office a photograph of the group of buildings in downtown San Diego that make up St. Vincent de Paul Village. 


As a little girl growing up an Irish Catholic 

in Minneapolis, Mary Case lived right next 

door to the church and rectory in a house with 

her parents, brother and two sisters. Dinnertime 

usually included the company of priests. “They 

were always jumping the fence and coming over 

for dinner. It was no big deal,” Case says. 

Call it serendipity or divine intervention, but that familiar, 

not-just-on-Sunday interaction with the clergy was just as 

much an education for Case’s future as was her degree in 

social welfare from the College of Saint Benedict and her 

master’s degree in social work from San Jose State University. 

This October she marks 25 years at Father Joe’s Villages 

where she has quietly done her life’s work alongside perhaps 

one of the most accomplished and recognized priests in 

contemporary times, both pioneers and captains of industry 

whose business is not-for-profit, but for the most fundamental 

of all principals – human dignity. 

As much as Father Joe Carroll is the charismatic fast-talking 

front man, Case, who at just 4 foot 11½ inches disappears in a 

crowd, is the silent partner; a consummate professional who's 

short on words and long on deeds. 

In 1983 Case was in her late 20s running a Salvation Army 

shelter that was getting ready to close in downtown San Diego. 

She knew Father Joe had leased the El Cortez Travolator Motel 

to pilot the program plans for the Joan Kroc Center, so she 

made an appointment to see him. Their meeting went well, 

Father Joe,s Villages 

Case says, but Father Joe never followed up. So she continued 

to leave messages until he met her again. “I could see what he 

was doing, and I wanted to do more,” Case says. This time, 

after a power breakfast at Hob Nob Hill, where San Diego’s 

deals got done back in the day, he offered her a job and a raise. 

Father Joe’s version of the story is a little different. 

“She took me to lunch and said, ‘You don’t know what 

you’re doing,’ ” Father Joe says. “She was right. I didn’t know 

what I was doing, so I hired her. At the time I was asking other 

agencies what to do. Their attitude was I was stealing their 

ideas. So I stole Mary.” 

While the details of that fateful meeting are open to debate, 

there’s no arguing about what happened next – a soup kitchen 

serving peanut butter sandwiches grew into a village, and then 

“ 

Looking back it’s amazing … 

what we’ve done and how 

many people we’ve housed 

and helped … I just rolled 

with Father Joe’s ideas. 

Vice President of Programs Mary Case 

a village of villages and nationally acclaimed continuum of 

care that gives neighbors in need the chance for a new lease 

on life. Father Joe raised the money and Case implemented 

the vision and expanded the programs. 

“In 1983 we were seeing a surge of homeless families on 

the street. Faith-based agencies were providing emergency 

assistance and case management, but there were few shelter 

beds. So we provided meals and a bed for up to 28 days 

Continued on page 16

6 


St. Vincent de Paul Village FAST 

SAMHSA grant 

makes new 

outreach possible 

staff team assists tenants 

with mental illness 

By Julie DeDe 

Program staff members at 


have been busy creating 

infrastructure and developing 

a team of professionals in 

support of the exciting, groundbreaking 

five-year $1.8 million 

grant received in 2007 from the 

Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration 

(SAMHSA). The grant enables 

staff to implement an Assertive 

Community Treatment (ACT) 

team approach to support tenants 

with mental illness living in Villa 

Harvey Mandel and Village Place 

apartments. 

Contract Compliance Manager 

Angela Bull and I attended the 

SAMHSA grantee meeting in 

December in Washington, D.C. 

We spent three days meeting 

with other Services in Supportive 

Housing grantees and various 

SAMHSA staff members learning 

about grant requirements and 

the services that will be offered 

by the other grantees. SAMHSA 

is committed to creating a 

community among the grantees 

so that they can share resources 

and knowledge, so we had several 

opportunities to get to know the 

staff from the other programs. 

The Village’s new ACT team 

consists of a team leader, two 

licensed mental health clinicians, 

three mental health specialists, a 

nurse, a psychiatrist, a peer support 

specialist and an administrative 

assistant. We are happy to welcome 

several existing Village staff to 

the ACT team as mental health 

specialists including two case 

managers that have been working 

with the tenants of Villa Mandel 

and Village Place for several years. 

Jeannie Edwards and Jennifer 

Gillespie have established 

relationships with many of the 

tenants, which can prove critical 

when introducing the new 

program to the tenants. We are also 

pleased to welcome two veterans 

from our Village Family Health 

Center (VFHC) to the team. Dr. 

David Folsom, assistant medical 

director in the clinic who has 

been working on campus for more 

than 10 years, is the psychiatrist 

for the team. Michelle Whitney, 

a nurse who has worked in the 

VFHC for three years, also brings 

continuity and understanding of 

the population and the unique 

features of the health center. 

Whitney will be splitting her time 

between the ACT project and our 

VCARE project. Rene Hendricks 

joined the team as administrative 

assistant after working for two 

years as an administrative assistant 

for Residential Services. 

In addition to welcoming seasoned 

Village staff we are pleased to have 

three other staff on board. Raul 


Mike Ortiz and Cecily Quinn Swanson of Stepping Stone. 

FACTS 

Members of the assertive Community Treatment team at the Village, from front: Katie L. McGinness, mental health 

clinician; Julie DeDe, director of Social Services; Jeannie Edwards, mental health specialist; Andrea Holderman, peer support 

specialist; Michelle Whitney, RN, ACT and VCARE nurse; Rene Hendricks, administrative assistant; Jennifer Gillespie, mental 

health specialist; Raul Valdez, mental health clinician. Not pictured is David Folsom, psychiatrist. 

Valdez is a psychologist working 

toward his license. He has an 

extensive background in substance 

abuse treatment. Katie McGinness is 

a licensed clinical social worker who 

most recently worked as a therapist 

at Vista Hill. Finally, Andrea 

For the fifth year, the Village was the site of a resource 

fair sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Providers of 

Social Services. 

Held yearly before the closing of area winter shelters, 

the resource fair provides to individuals living in tents 

information on assistance available in the community. 

“The fair is also a forum where social service providers 

throughout the city can exchange information and 

learn about other programs in the community,” says 

st. Vincent de Paul Village in downtown san Diego offers a continuum of care for people to regain 

their lives. The Village provides long- and short-term housing for singles and families, family literacy 

classes, job skills, career counseling, medical and dental care, mental health counseling, recovery 

services, children’s services and an on-site elementary school. 

what is assertive Community Treatment? 

Holderman has joined the team as 

the peer support specialist. 

Staff hosted a barbecue in 

December to introduce the 

program to tenants. The event was 

attended by 28 tenants; 14 voiced 

a desire to enroll in the program. 


Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a team treatment approach designed to provide comprehensive, 

community-based psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, and support to persons with serious and persistent 

mental illness such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. 

The ACT model of care evolved out of the work of Arnold Marx, M.D., Leonard Stein, and Mary Ann Test, 

Ph.D., in the late 1960s. ACT has been widely implemented in the United States, Canada, and England. The 

Department of Veterans Affairs has also implemented ACT across the United States. 

A team of professionals whose backgrounds and training include social work, rehabilitation, counseling, 

nursing and psychiatry provide Assertive Community Treatment services. Among the services ACT teams 

provide are: case management; initial and ongoing assessments; psychiatric services; employment and 

housing assistance; family support and education; substance abuse services; and other services and supports 

critical to an individual's ability to live successfully in the community. 

An evidence based practice, ACT has been extensively researched and evaluated and has proven clinical 

and cost effectiveness. 

Resource fair held for 

community, agencies 

We’ve enrolled six clients to date 

and plan to enroll 15 clients 

per month until we reach our 

maximum of 57 clients. 

Julie DeDe is director of Social 

Services at St. Vincent de Paul Village. 

St. Vincent de Paul Village Guest Services Program 

Manager Cheryl Deblois. 

Other agencies participating included: Salvation 

Army, Jorgensen Law, Legal Aid-HAP, Senior 

Community Center, Salvation Army – Family Services, 

San Deigo-211, Family Health Centers, Friend to 

Friend, Self-Reliance House, Community Resource 

Center, Second Chance and Stepping Stone.

Dr. McCahill receives 


Medical director honored by state 


Margaret E. McCahill, M.D., 

has received the 2008 


from the Medical Board of the 

State of California. Medical 

director of the St. Vincent de Paul 

Village Family Health Center, Dr. 

McCahill received the honor for 

her “many years of outstanding 

service to indigent patients in 

San Diego County.” 

“Dr. McCahill’s … ability 

to influence other health care 

providers to continue to care for 

the underserved is a model worthy 

of emulation across the state,” says 

Barbara Johnston, executive director 

of the Medical Board of California. 

“The committee was particularly 

Teresa Simms 


Tuberculosis education 

impressed with McCahill’s program 

that sends graduates of (UCSD's) 

residency-training program to 

medically underserved areas, and her 

similar training of other health care 

professionals.” Dr. McCahill is the first 

sole woman recipient of the Physician 

Humanitarian Award. The award was 

made by the Physician Recognition 

Committee of the Medical Board 

of California. The award recognizes 

the demonstration of excellence by 

individual physicians and/or groups 

of physicians who strive to improve 

access and to fill gaps in the health 

care delivery system for underserved 

populations in California, or who 

have advanced the health care status 

of the public through innovation and 

commitment to medical education, 

or who have otherwise shown an 

Health Services Program 

Manager Teresa Simms, MPH, 

has been selected to participate in 

the inaugural class of Blue Shield 

of California Foundation’s Clinic 

Leadership Institute, a program 

designed to identify and galvanize 

the next generation of community 

clinic leaders. 

One of only 26 professionals 

statewide and four from San Diego 

to be named to the leadership 

institute, Simms manages the dayto-day 

operations of the Village 

“ 

Dr. McCahill’s … ability to influence 

other health care providers to continue 

to care for the underserved is a model 

worthy of emulation across the state. 

Barbara Johnston, Medical Board of California 

outstanding commitment to patients 

in need, wherever located. 

“I considered my nomination 

from our dean’s office for the 

California Medical Board’s 

Physician Humanitarian Award to 

be a long-shot,” Dr. McCahill says. 

“The service that we do requires 

an incredible team, and the team 

we have at St. Vincent de Paul 

Village is awesome and like no 

other. Thanks so much to everyone, 

most especially to Father Joe – not 

Family Health Center (VFHC) at 

St. Vincent de Paul Village. 

“I hope that the institute will 

provide me with the tools to bring 

the clinic to a new level,” Simms 

says. The VFHC logs 35,000 

medical, dental and psychiatric 

patient visits annually, 21,000 

of those visits are with primary 

care providers. The VFHC saves 

San Diego hospitals thousands of 

dollars each month by providing 

services in our prenatal clinic to 

help prevent premature births 

only for his letter in support of this 

award, but more importantly, for 

his everyday tireless support of all 

of the work of the Village.” 

In addition to being medical 

director of the Village Family 

Heath Center, Dr. McCahill is 

founding director of the UCSD 

Combined Family Medicine- 

Psychiatry Residency Program, 

and she is a health sciences 

clinical professor of family 

medicine and psychiatry, UCSD 

that would require more extensive 

medical care. “I look forward to 

sharing information on topics 

in which we have become quite 

strong, including outcomes 

measurement and electronic 

medical records implementation,” 

Simms says. 

Blue Shield of California 

Foundation launched the institute 

with a pledge to spend up to 

$10 million in five years to help 

prepare future leaders to meet 

the challenges of providing 




Margaret E. McCahill, M.D. 

School of Medicine. Dr. McCahill, 

who was also listed in San Diego 

Magazine as one of the county’s 

“Top Doctors” this year, is board 

certified in both family medicine 

and psychiatry, and she practices 

both specialties. 

Dr. McCahill will be joined by 

Father Joe to accept her award on 

Nov. 7, 2008, at the Medical Board 

of California’s meeting in San 

Diego. 

Teresa Simms selected for clinic leadership institute 

The National Tuberculosis Curriculum Consortium (NTCC) was on site at the Village 

Family Health Center (VFHC) in November to tape patient-provider encounters as 

part of a cultural competency project to enhance the skills and attitudes of students in 

health disciplines when caring for patients with tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis 

infection. The videotapes will be used for lectures, case presentations and other valuable 

educational materials designed to strengthen the teaching on tuberculosis. 

The tapes will be available free-of-charge to educators and students on the NTCC 

website at ntcc.ucsd.edu. VFHC staff participating in the project included Jean Naugle, 

Dr. Aronoff-Spencer and Dr. Adesanya with additional support provided by Dr. 

Lorentz, Dr. McCahill, and Teresa Simms. 

The NTCC is a multidisciplinary educational program awarded to the University of 

California, San Diego and funded by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of 

the National Institutes of Health (Contract N01-HR-36157). 

Mobile Health Clinic in the community 

health care to some of the state’s 

most vulnerable residents. The 

18-month program at The Center 

for the Health Professions at 

the University of California, 

San Francisco focuses on 

finance, strategy and leadership. 

California’s 800 community 

clinics provide medical care to 

nearly 3 million people annually, 

including 12 percent of the state’s 

children and 37 percent of those 

living below the poverty level. 

Our Mobile Health Clinic was on site at the City of San Diego’s homeless winter 

shelter for intake day in November to provide medical screening to neighbors in need 

entering the facility. Approximately 225 people were seen in the Mobile Health Clinic 

on intake day, which also provided approximately 128 flu shots and dispensed necessary 

medicines. Doctors provided 68 personal medical visits to neighbors in need. 

The Mobile Health Clinic is an outreach of the St. Vincent de Paul Village Family 

Health Center and the San Diego Health & Faith Alliance. The Mobile Health Clinic 

provides its services through the collaborative efforts of several universities and 

accredited professional training programs in San Diego County.

8 


Proud to be an American 


America’s 26th president had a saying: “Do what you can 

with what you have where you are.” 

Teddy Roosevelt would certainly be proud of Village 

resident Ali E., a native of Morocco, who obtained his 

American citizenship by using the resource room in the 

Career & Education Center. 

After 16 years of living in the U.S. on a green card status, 

Ali came to the Village after a failed relationship, “some bad 

decisions” and an arrest. “I was alone and thought the whole 

world was against me, and I was unwanted,” says the 43-yearold, 

his text-book English broken only by a stutter. “I was so 

disheartened.” 

Expecting a meal and a bed at Village, Ali got more than he 

bargained for. “I was surprised at the magnitude of the Village. 

It was more than room and board,” he says. “It was ‘yes you 

can!’ It was the resource room, without which I couldn’t have 

done it – the fax, computer, a phone. It wasn’t easy – there 

were obstacles. But I kept trying.” 

Ali, who turned out in a French blue shirt, jacket and patriotic 

tie to discuss his journey and success, acknowledges Case 

Manager Julio Barajas’ influence and guidance: “He said, ‘Yes 

you can, yes you can.’ And I thought … well … maybe I can.” 

Ali expects to be at the Village another year as he continues 

working through the programs that are part of the Village’s 

Bridges to Independence continuum of care – adult education, 

job-seeking skills and computer classes. 

“I got a taste of success,” Ali says. “And I want more.” 

Recovery 

Services 

helps 

Nicole finds her true 

source of power 

By Nicole a. 

Success Stories FAST 

In my addiction my choices 

were very limited. My addiction 

decided what I would do, where I 

went, who I hung with and how I 

would act. Along with that came 

a prison sentence. 

I want more control over my 

life, not less, no matter what 

situation I’m in. Thinking of 

myself as powerless always has felt 

threatening and uncomfortable. 

Through Recovery Services at 

the Village it was a turning point 

for me when I admitted my 

powerlessness over my addiction. 

I freed myself to focus all that 

attention to areas where I did have 

control. That is when I discovered 

my true source of power as I put 

less energy into controlling other 

people and the events around me. 

I invested more energy into taking 

Nicole a. 

Village NeWS emily Velez-Confer 

care of myself. I started to take 

responsibility for my own wellbeing 

as well as responsibility for 

my son, Andrew. In doing this I 

have learned to control my anger. 

I have more patience with him. 

The bond that we have has made 

me a stronger person. 

I am empowered when I look 

inside myself today. I like to ask 

myself, “What do I think? What do 

I feel? What are my options?” With 

these three questions I’m figuring 

out what is true for me. If I was to 

ask you what power means to you, 

where you have power in your life, 

and where does that power come 

from, what would you say? 

Nicole A. and her son are residents 

at St. Vincent de Paul Village. 

FACTS 

ali e. obtained his american citizenship using the resource room in the Career & education Center. 

I would like you to know that 

my progress in life is going very 

well. I would also like you to 

know that my children are doing 

great! Everybody is busy, going 

to school, doing house chores, 

just pitching as a family. I am 

expecting our new addition any 

day now. I made a year at my 

job and received a 50-cent raise. 

Everything is well. My family and 

I are truly blessed. Thank you for 

being supportive. 

Mehemiah B. 

I am still successful after 

leaving the Village. It’s been over 

a year now. I’m happy to say I 

have a car, an apartment and 

a job, still. All thanks to God, 

Father Joe and the St. Vincent de 

Paul Village staff. Thank you all 

for my continued success. 

Angela H. 

My daughter and I were living 

at St. Vincent de Paul Village last 

Through Bridges to independence, Father Joe’s Villages unique continuum of care, individuals attend 

‘The University of the Human spirit’ where they receive the tools they need to regain their lives and 

become productive, self-sufficient members of society. 

Mail bag 

Editor’s note: The dedicated program staff of St. Vincent de Paul Village 

provides a continuum of care that gives our neighbors in need the tools 

they need to regain their lives. After they graduate, former residents write 

to keep in touch with their case managers. Here are their success stories. 

year. We entered in May 2005 and 

moved out November 2007. I am 

still working for Heritage Private 

Security. I’ve been working for 

this company for two years. It is 

full-time plus hours. 

It feels great having our own 

place. I have more time for my 

daughter, friends, family and 

myself. Before going to work, I get 

ready, double-check my uniform, 

walk downstairs and grab my sack 

lunch. I have to pay rent, bills, and 

buy groceries. I have to budget my 

money even more. 

I learned a lot while staying 

at the Village and had beautiful 

people helping us. I will continue 

working and live life to the fullest. 

Perla 

I have a genuine interest in 

my job. I enjoy the work. This 

of course takes up 50 hours, 

Monday through Friday with 

2 1/2 hours travel time per day. 

I am at ease with my home 

Village NeWS Patricia M. Walsh 

and enjoy reading, the music, 

and creative endeavors. I am 

fortunate because my rent for 

2008 will remain the same 

and my rental agreement was 

completed in mid-September. 

Elizabeth C. 

Again thanks to all who made 

my stay at St. Vincent de Paul 

a great experience. I’ve been 

working at NASCO for two years. 

I got my own apartment; I go to 

school twice a week. Thanks to all 

the staff and programs offered. 

Sal M. 

I’m thankful that there is a 

program that is able to provide 

people with so much and that 

so many people complete 

successfully. I am thankful that I 

was given a place to stay while I 

waited for my SSI benefits to be 

granted. I was also grateful to 

have a place that I could receive 

medical treatment. The Village 

allowed me to obtain everything 

that I needed. Fr. Joe has a gift for 

determining what people really 

need. I now have permanent 

income and I am living in my 

own apartment. I am very 

grateful for the program. 

Phillip

Fresh Start Journal 

Excerpts 

Editor’s note: In the Career & Education Center at St. Vincent de Paul 

Village residents put pencil to paper to share their thoughts and ideas 

through stories, poems and art, which are published in the Fresh Start 

Journal. Here are some excerpts from the most recent issue: 

Dare To 

By Patricia C. 

Dare to dream 

Dare to live 

Dare to love 

Dare to give 

Of all these things in life to share can you, 

will you take a chance? 

To Dare? 

To dream is to make things become real 

To live is to make life an ongoing thrill 

To love is what is right 

To give is such a delight 

Dare to dream 

Dare to live 

Dare to share 

Dare to give 

Of all these things 

In life to share can you, will you 

Take a chance, to Dare? 

I pushed my noisy shopping cart 

across the huge stadium parking lot, 

its metallic rattle sounded into the cold 

night air. The wind sang and the night 

sky grew darker, as the rain clouds 

chased the stars away. Soon raindrops 

began to dot the asphalt, each one 

briefly reflecting the dim lights that 

stood atop the tall metal poles in the 

parking lot. At this moment I was as 

cold as my environment, mumbling 

to myself in frustration and self-pity. 

My search for shelter was my only 

priority so I headed to the underpass. 

I began to recall some of the many bad 

decisions which led me to this night of 

total depression, anger, and isolation. 

I scolded myself for all the money 

I’ve wasted on drugs and alcohol. I 

shook my head with finality wishing 

I were dead. But I continued pushing 

my shopping cart, laden with all my 

worldly possessions and cursing the 

wobbly left front wheel. I thought of 

how much I missed my family and 

those “get-togethers.” I recalled the 

laughs we would have as we dusted off 

the old family album and gazed at how 

skinny we used to be as kids. 

I cringed at how I misused my 

family’s trust and when my mother 

shed her tears from the pain I caused 

her. I remembered past loves that I 

deceived and how I callously used their 

The Man Under The Bridge 

By Robert w. 

Homeless 

Phyllis B. 

Run in circles. 

Wait in lines. 

Pray for miracles. 

Look for signs. 

A mother’s dream, 

No food, no table. 

A child’s scream, 

Willing, not able. 

1, 2, 3, - 10 carts in a row. 

St. Vinnie’s is serving. 

Moms, Dads, and Moes, 

With kids in tow. 

Rich kids in the kitchen, 

Come see the poor. 

They’re so bitchen, 

They get more. 

own love against them. I wanted to cry, 

but my anger wouldn’t release the tears; 

I pushed on. 

I suddenly became very tired as I 

maneuvered my cart across the trolley 

tracks and the cold gray bridge came 

into view. I became tired of my selfinflicted 

torture, and I realized I needed 

somewhere to clear my mind, clean my 

body and ease my soul. If I didn’t, I knew 

I would die on an unforgiving sidewalk 

under that bridge. 

This was the day I understood I 

needed to make a change. A change 

in my lifestyle that I knew wouldn’t 

be easy, and in a way, still isn’t. Old 

habits are hard to break, but possible. 

My daily choices must be different than 

in the past. I must practice a new way 

of thinking and allow myself time to 

heal. I can honestly say today, by just 

allowing a few good people into my life, 

things are different. The struggle is still 

there, if it weren’t, there wouldn’t have 

been a problem. Today I am grateful; 

pleased about knowing who I am. 

I also realize and understand that 

there will be moments when I have to 

face those mistakes of the past, they 

won’t just go away, but neither will I. 

This is not my first time living in the 

Village, but it is the first time I feel “real” 

and that I do have a future. Thank you, 

St. Vincent de Paul Village. 


What little space there is in Recovery Counselor 

Jon Lutack’s office quickly disappears when 

Brian and Edward show up. It’s not just their 

broad-shouldered athletic frames that shrink the 

room; their energy and vitality charge the air. Like 

everyone who has ever had their photo taken, Brian 

and Edward tense up when they see the camera. 

Wanting to capture their more natural, confident 

demeanor, the photographer suggests that they 

think of whatever makes them happy. Jon repeats 

what the photographer said to Brian, who is deaf but 

reads lips and signs. Brian turns to Edward, who is 

also deaf and does not read lips, to sign the message. 

Instantly and in unison all three say and sign The 

Serenity Prayer. 

“God grant me the serenity 

to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can; 

and wisdom to know the difference.” 

Smiling, they slap each other on the back and 

embrace in big-men bear hugs. The forgotten 

camera captures them in a more relaxed moment. 

Brian, 41, and Edward, 36, are special needs 

residents at St. Vincent de Paul Village. In addition to 

being homeless, both are deaf and in substance abuse 

recovery. Both attend City College. Brian and Edward 

met at Alcoholics Anonymous before coming to 

St. Vincent de Paul Village, where they have become a 

support system for each other and an inspiration for 

Lutack. “Their determination is so powerful and they 


Success Stories 

Village NeWS Patricia M. Walsh 

Recovery Counselor Jon lutack, center, with Village residents, Brian M., left, and edward V., both of whom are deaf. 

Mutual inspiration 

bring so much to the Village. They are like a bolt of 

energy,” Lutack says. “They are leaders.” 

Spreading his hands as he signs, Brian makes strong 

eye contact and says, “My path has widened here. I 

know who I am. I am an addict. Recovery enables 

me to keep me out of myself.” Homeless and living 

“ 

Their determination is so 

powerful and they bring so 

much to the Village. 

Jon Lutack, recovery counselor 

in a van before coming to the Village, Brian now says 

he looks forward to having his own place and giving 

back to others. Today he’s active in AA, Narcotics 

Anonymous and Signs of Life, a recovery program 

that serves the deaf and hard-of-hearing community 

in San Diego. Confident and articulate, he beams with 

pride and says, “I’m two years sober. I’ve never before 

been sober for more than seven months.” 

Edward, also active in Signs of Life and AA, joins 

the conversation and signs that he would be on the 

street without the Village. He looks forward to being 

an elementary school teacher. “This program keeps us 

on our toes. They offer success,” he says. “If everybody 

else can do it, why can’t we?” 

As Brian and Edward bound out the building, 

Lutack thanks them for sharing their stories and 

tells them, “You are giants.” After they’re gone 

Lutack continues the story for them and tells of 

how Brian is a greeter at AA meetings. “There are 

men who go to meetings for 10 years and can’t 

welcome people. There is nothing these two are not 

willing to do.”

10 VILLAGE NEWS, Spring 2008 


11 

THE MISSION IS HIS 

By Martha Lepore 

The handwork is th e i r s 

VILLAGE 

LADIES 

GUILD 

at25 

It is said that behind every great man there is a 

woman. In Father Joe’s case, make that “many 

women.” Over the past 25 years, more than 500 

ladies have stood behind Father Joe Carroll as he has 

pursued his mission to help neighbors in need. 

Starting in the crowded upstairs o ce of 

St. Vincent’s ri Store, the Village Ladies Guild 

has volunteered hands and hearts in a variety of 

environments, including the old Travolator Motor 

Hotel, the children’s clothing department of Target, 

the Home O ce conference room, Balboa Park, and 

this year the links of Torrey Pines Golf Course. 

Guild members have marked race numbers on 

the legs of triathletes, modeled and hosted a fashion 

show of thri store clothes, and held a pre-owned 

jewelry fundraiser. And not to show up Santa, but 

their Santa’s workshop has made Christmas dreams 

comes true for families and children at the Village. 

ey’ve had fun and formed lasting friendships. 

ey’ve made a di erence in the lives of thousands 

of homeless children, families and adults for the last 

25 years. 

Happy Anniversary, Ladies! 

5 

7 

100 

238 

10,000 

250,000 

269,629 

BY THE 

NUMBERS 

Average hours each Guild 

member serves per month 

Founding members 

Layettes provided to women 

completing Village pre-natal 

care each year 

Current members 

Average hours of annual service 

Total dollars raised for 

Children’s Services since 1983 

Dollar value of members’ 

volunteer service in 2006 

U 

U 

U 

1983 – Ladies Guild founding members and 

Father Joe Carroll at one of the first meetings. 

1987 – Touring the Joan Kroc Center during 

construction. 

U 

1982 

Father Joe recruits members 

from former parishioners 

at Our Lady of Grace to 

support him with his 

new assignment at the 

St. Vincent de Paul Center. 

2003 2003 2003 2003 – – – – The The The The world’s world’s world’s world’s largest largest largest largest 

glass glass glass glass glass mosaic mosaic mosaic mosaic mosaic is is is is unveiled unveiled unveiled unveiled unveiled 

at at at Villa Villa Villa Harvey Harvey Harvey Mandel Mandel Mandel 

to honor honor volunteers volunteers and and 

staff. staff. staff. staff. The The The The upper upper upper upper left left left left section section section section 

depicts depicts depicts the the the Ladies Ladies Ladies Guild Guild Guild 

stuffing stuffing envelopes. envelopes. 

1983 

e volunteers a liate with 

the Ladies of Charity of the 

United States (LOCUS) as an 

auxiliary to the Center. 

U 

U 

U 

U 

1987 

LOCUS members serve 

wherever needed at the 

opening of Joan Kroc Center 

for homeless families. 

U 

U 

U 

U 

1987 – The first Ladies Guild docents prepare to 

give tours of the newly opened JKC. 

2004 – Stuffing goodie bags for the Thanksgiving 

Day 5K Run/Walk. 

1994 

LOCUS members vote to 

sever ties with the national 

group and establish the 

Village Ladies Guild serving 

only the newly named 

St. Vincent de Paul Village. 

1997 

e Guild is recognized 

with the JC Penney Golden 

Rule Award at the 

annual United Way 

Recognition Luncheon. 

2003 – Father 

Joe accepts 

the annual 

check from the 

Ladies Guild 

in the value 

of volunteer 

hours. 

U 

U 

U 

U 

1998 

Guild members assist at 

the ASID Showcase 

Carnation Building, 

bene ting the Village. 

1985 

– Digging 

in at the 

JKC JKC ground- groundbreaking 

ceremonies. 

25 Years 

&Co Co u nti n g 

2004 

e Guild receives the Bishop 

Maher Award at the annual 

Children’s Charity Dinner. 

Village resident gets help 

from Ladies Guild 

member purchasing 

a new Easter/spring 

outfit for his children. 

Village Village Village Village Village Village Village 

mothers mothers mothers mothers mothers who who who who who 

have have completed completed 

prenatal prenatal 

care care receive receive 

homemade 

homemade 

layettes layettes layettes layettes from from from from 

Ladies Ladies Ladies Guild. Guild. Guild. 

You Can Make a Di erence – Too! 

Are you an Albertsons or Ralphs shopper? Do you have Campbell’s can 

labels to save? Are your hands made for mailings? Ever want to be a personal 

shopper? Would having a special day of recollection suit you? Does leading 

tours tickle your interest? Is wrapping Christmas presents fun? Do you enjoy 

women whose spirit of giving sums up who they are? 

If you’ve answered yes to one or more of the above, Virginia LaMendola has 

a deal for you. For just $18, the Village Ladies Guild membership chair will 

welcome you into the Guild, you will meet Father Joe and join the wonderful 

women who make a real di erence among San Diego’s neighbors in need. 

Waste no time in contacting Virginia at 619.435.2108. Before you 

know it, you just may find yourself among new friends volunteering at 

Torrey Pines in June. 

2008 

At U.S. Open Torrey Pines, 

members will be volunteering 

at the Halfway House 

concession stand and a 

food court.

12 


Heart and Spirit Award 

Martha’s honors supporters at Western Roundup 


Riverside County Supervisor Roy 

Wilson and philanthropists 

Carol and Robert Peters were 

honored with e Heart and Spirit of 

Martha’s Award on March 13, 2008, 

at the 9th annual Western Roundup. 

“Supervisor Wilson has been 

very supportive for many years 

and was instrumental in helping 

Martha’s become the largest 

provider of services to the 

homeless and impoverished in 

Carol and Robert Peters 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen FAST 



When Susan D. walked into 

Emergency Services at 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen she was 

diagnosed by Dr. Michael Kim with 

cirrhosis – end-stage liver disease – 

and given two to six months to live. 

e severity of her illness made it 

impossible for her to live in Martha’s 

Emergency Shelter, so the sta sent 

her to a local emergency room, only 

to have her returned untreated. 

“Susan didn’t t into any program 

that we knew of,” says Martha’s 

Executive Director John Wolohan. 

“If she had been 62, there was a 

program. If she was a battered 

wife, there was a program. If she 

had a Medi-Cal number, there was 

a program. If she was a danger to 

herself, there was a program. But 

for a 52-year-old dying alcoholic 

woman – no program.” 

Wolohan called Riverside 

County Adult Protective Services 

and found out from Social Services 

the Coachella Valley,” says Gloria 

Gomez, founder of Martha’s 

Village & Kitchen. “ anks to the 

tremendous generosity of Carol 

and Robert Peters, who sponsored 

Martha’s lobby facilities with a 

$150,000 gi , our capital campaign 

took a giant step forward.” 

Carol and Robert Peters 

ird-generation Californians, 

Carol and Robert Peters’ 

philanthropic activities span nearly 

ve decades. Carol is from Marin 

County and Bob from San Jose. 

ey met in Hawaii as teenagers 

and married in the 1960s. ey 

have three children – Bill, Steve and 

Carrie – and seven grandchildren. 

Bob's studies were in electrical 

engineering at Santa Clara 

University. He received a master’s 

degree in business administration 

from Harvard a er a stint in the 

Army Signal Corp. Carol was at San 

Jose State when Bob called and said, 

“Let’s get married.” She completed 

Worker Norma Angel that Susan 

could apply for an emergency 

Medi-Cal number. “ e problem 

was that processing the number 

would take weeks, and that didn’t 

guarantee it would ever come for 

Susan,” Wolohan says. 

at’s when Sophia Garcia, 

Martha’s Emergency Services 

case manager, stepped in. Garcia 

immediately submitted paperwork 

and four days later – a er almost 

hourly calls to bureaucrats – had 

an emergency Medi-Cal number 

for Susan. 

Over at Adult Protective 

Services, Angel was astonished 

her degree a number of years later 

at the University of San Francisco. 

In the mid-1960s, the couple 

returned to their roots in the 

Santa Clara Valley before it was 

dubbed Silicon Valley. While Carol 

dedicated her time to her family 

and raising their children, Bob 

had a series of marketing, sales 

and management positions with a 

number of established high-tech 

companies including Hewlett 

Packard, Stanford Research 

Institute (now SRI International) 

and American Microsystems. He 

went on to senior management 

positions in start-ups including 

Zoran Corporation and Sierra 

Semiconductor (now PMC- 

Sierra). In the late 1980s, as the 

Internet began to emerge, Bob 

was the original marketing vice 

president (employee #27) at Cisco 

Systems. During the 1990s, Bob 

was an investor and director of a 

number of start-ups, including the 

Heritage Bank in San Jose. 

Sta provides dignity 

and a last chance for help 

“ 

So a is a tremendous asset … It is an 

honor to serve with this wonderful group 

of caring individuals. 

FACTS 

Norma Angel, Riverside County Adult Protective Services 

at Garcia’s accomplishment. “She 

is the best I have ever worked 

with and I’ve been around for a 

whole long time,” Angel says. She 

followed up with a letter of thanks 

and acknowledgement that read: 

Securing Susan D.’s emergency 

Medi-Cal number “could not 

have been accomplished without 

the dedication and perseverance 

of So a Garcia. As always, So a 

understood the steps required 

and took immediate action. 

So a is a tremendous asset to the 

clientele at Martha’s Village & 

Kitchen and we commend So a 

for a job well done. It is an honor 

Martha’s Village and Kitchen in Indio, Calif., offers a continuum of care for people to regain their lives. 

The Village provides long- and short-term housing for singles and families, family literacy classes, job 

skills, career counseling, medical care, mental health counseling, recovery services, and children’s 

services. Martha’s is the largest provider of homeless services in the Coachella Valley. 

A er raising their children, Carol 

branched out into social work with 

the Independent Aging Program 

at Catholic Charities. Bob also 

became signi cantly involved in 

philanthropy, serving on the board 

of Catholic Charities in Santa Clara 

County, as a regent and president of 

the Board of Regents at Bellarmine 

College Prepatory in San Jose, and 

on the Board of Regents at Santa 

Clara University. 

He currently serves on the Board 

of Trustees at Santa Clara and 

is chairman of the fundraising 

committee. He also serves meals 

regularly at a shelter in San Jose. 

Supervisor Roy Wilson 

Supervisor Wilson was rst 

elected to represent the 4th District 

on the Riverside County Board of 

Supervisors in 1994, and was reelected 

to a fourth term in March 

2006. Previously he was planning 

commissioner for the City of Palm 

Desert and a member of the Palm 

So a Garcia 


to serve with this wonderful 

group of caring individuals.” 

Wolohan says, “So a is not alone 

among our sta in caring about 

the welfare of the people that we 

serve, but this is an instance of 

how she rose to the occasion. is 

unfortunate alcoholic woman is 

still going to die … God knows 

what her story might be. But I 

think of her case as a success story 

for Martha’s because she needed 

help and whatever her story was, 

Martha’s sta helped her.” 

Supervisor Roy Wilson 

Desert City Council, serving four 

terms as mayor. 

Wilson spent more than 33 years in 

higher education as an administrator 

and professor with a focus on 

journalism at California State 

University, Stanislaus and College 

of the Desert. In 1995, Wilson was 

inducted into the Community 

College Journalism Association’s Hall 

of Fame in Washington, D.C. He coauthored 

the textbook Mass Media/ 

Mass Culture. Wilson holds bachelor’s 

and master’s degrees from California 

State Universities and a doctorate in 

higher education from the University 

of Southern California. 

A perfect 

day for polo 

By Claudia Castorena 


We held our 3rd Annual Polo 

Classic on Feb. 9, 2008, at the 

Eldorado Polo Club. Everyone 

in attendance had a lot of fun 

watching the polo match. At the 

terrace tables a delicious formal 

lunch was provided by e Rattle 

Snake restaurant, and in the 

tailgating area, supporters enjoyed 

food and drinks from their own 

picnic baskets. Attendees also had 

an opportunity to bid for beautiful 

items at the silent auction. 

Martha’s appreciates the 

generosity of our sponsors, who 

made the event a success. 

Event presenters: The 

Amidei Romano Group and 

The Prentice Group. 

Event Sponsors: Palm Springs 

Life Magazine, Blue Ice Vodka, 

Fritz Winery and Merrill Lynch. 

ank you to Vanessa Brown 

who sang the National Anthem. 

A special thank you to all who 

attended and supported the event. 

Claudia Castorena is a founder of 

Martha’s Village & Kitchen.

Toussaint Academy of the Arts and Sciences 


TAAS staff and their Japanese colleagues in front of the Guardian of the Water statue in Yokohama. The statue was a gift 

from the City of San Diego in 1960 and faces southeast, toward America’s Finest City. 

we got all the 411 on sexually 

transmitted diseases. 

After we finished, we chose to get a 

bus pass to save money because our 

apartment was conveniently located 

near the trolley station. Finally, we 

purchased food for our apartment 

and ran back to the courtyard. 

We were positive that we had 

won because we got back first! 


Teens learn life skills at scavenger hunt 

life is easy, the 

process hard 

a win-win 

situation 

By eric Paul 

member of our group made notes 

and we even had a schedule we 

had to follow. The first thing we 

did was get a college application 

and a scholarship application. 

During the hunt, Red Team won 

By Orlanda V. 

The It’s All 

the mock scholarship of $20,000, The Life Skills 

About the Kids 

enough to pay for our entire Scavenger 

Foundation set 

school tuition and books. Then Hunt was very 

up its annual 

we got a job as a retailer at Macy’s informative 

L i f e S k i l l s Eric Paul making a good wage. We rented about life skills Orlanda V. 

Scavenger Hunt 

an apartment with a couple, which that all youth 

in January at Toussaint Academy saved us enough money to be able should know about when entering 

of the Arts and Sciences (TAAS). to buy a good amount of food and adulthood and college life. And it 

For the past four years, Angela – pardon the pun – a killer health was fun at the same time. This day 

Brannon’s foundation has helped insurance plan. We went to our was made possible by volunteers 

the teens of Toussaint Academy health class and received a perfect and support from downtown 

learn about the real world through score on the test. 

Rotoract Club, First Union Credit 

the program. Stations were set up After the three hours of learning Union, Torrey Pines Bank and 

at TAAS that represented many how to be productive citizens Angela Brannon’s It’s About the 

different processes that you must in society, we enjoyed a party Kids Foundation. 

know when you head out into the hosted by Angela at Pierre’s Place. I learned that everybody, 

world, such as applying for college, Unfortunately, Red Team did no matter what their financial 

going on job interviews, dealing not win. But we felt like winners status, can afford to go to college. 

with banks, communicating with because we learned what we needed We got in to college through 

cell phone companies, navigating to know to take on the world. scholarships, and there are 

the utilities office, and some new I was so proud of my team. always other loans if necessary. 

additions like a health class, health That is what truly matters, not We then went to the bank to open 

insurance and others. 

some prize. The real prize is the an account and learned how to 

This year I was team captain of knowledge that we learned, at that manage a check book. From there 

the Red Team with Jessica A. I is what matters. 

we learned what information is 

was teamed with a great team. We 

inside a renter’s contract. Then, 

never panicked and we made sure Eric Paul is a graduate of Toussaint we went to get health insurance 

we did everything we could. One Academy of the Arts and Sciences. and attended a health class where 

FAST FACTS 

Toussaint academy of the arts and sciences (Taas) is a residence and high school for homeless teens 

in downtown san Diego. Taas helps young people to gain the skills they need to become successful 

adults who will contribute to the life of our community. The program’s continuum of care includes 

alumni services to assist graduates in completing a college education. 

Cultural exchange 

trip to Yokohama 

By Rick Newmyer 

Konichiwa! 

This was just one of the many 

Japanese words I surely 

butchered during my visit to the 

land of the rising sun. 

In February, I had the incredible 

fortune of traveling to Yokohama, 

Japan, along with five of my staff 

from Toussaint Academy of the 

Arts and Sciences. The purpose 

of our visit was to participate 

in a cultural exchange between 

Yokohama and San Diego. As vicepresident 

of the Sister City Society, 

Jose Gonzalez, executive assistant 

to Father Joe Carroll, came along 

as a host and guide. 

Over the course of six days, we 

visited nonprofit organizations and 

exchanged ideas regarding youth 

issues and service strategies. We also 

met with the mayor of Yokohama 

and presented our service model at 

a citywide symposium. 

The similarities and differences 

between Yokohama and San Diego 

are striking. 

On the one hand, we are both 

port cities on the Pacific Ocean, 

major centers for biotechnology, 

and information technology. And 

both cities are two hours from 

Disneyland! 

On the other hand, San Diego 

has incredible ethnic diversity and 

one in every five citizens is foreignborn. 

Yokohama is extremely 

homogenous with a population 

that is 99 percent Japanese. 

Even so, the face of Japanese 

society is changing as immigration 

is on the rise and young people, 

in particular, are struggling with 

the changes. 


However, when they announced 

the winners my group didn’t even 

make the top three. Apparently, we 

forgot to go to the SDG&E station, 

so none of the appliances for our 

apartment worked. 

Orlanda V. is a student at 

Toussaint Academy of the Arts 

and Sciences. 


Angela Brannon, center, from It’s All About the Kids Foundation, put on the 

life skills scavenger hunt. From left are Kristen Anders, adolescent residential 

counselor; and TAAS residents, De’Zaree, Aaron, Stephen and Nicole.

14 

By Angela Bull 


Neighbors Helping Neighbors FAST 

CECO expands funding; 

children, families bene t 

e Village Family Health Center at St.Vincent 

de Paul Village has been a grateful recipient 

of multiple grant awards from the San Diego 

County Employees’ Charitable Organization 

(CECO). In years past, each award has been 

humbly received by Father Joe at CECO’s 

breakfast ceremony, and then passed on to help 

those in need of healthcare. is year, CECO 

expanded its generosity to San Diego’s neighbors 

in need and funded three additional Village 

programs: Toussaint Academy of the Arts 

and Sciences (TAAS), the Children’s Services 

program, and the Family Living Center. 

TAAS will use its $5,000 CECO grant to 

help purchase art supplies for its enrichment 

program. Art allows teens to express themselves 

in a safe, healthy and creative way, which, 

according to Program Manager 

Cortni Phillips and Adolescent 

Residential Counselor Jodi Cilley, 

has been shown to decrease the 

drop-out rate and provide healthy 

coping skills for teens like those at 

Toussaint. 

Children’s Services will use its 

$5,000 grant to help support the cost 

of summer camp for children in the 

program. Without this additional 

funding, only about a third of the 

children would have been able to 

participate in a variety of exciting activities 

including outings to the museum, pool time, 

and even trips to Sea World and Disneyland. 

“My philosophy is that every child should 

go to Disneyland at least once,” said Program 

Manager Alma Hutcherson-Coba. 

Thank you, volunteers! 

Annually volunteers pitch in to help wherever 

they can throughout Father Joe’s Villages. 

ey paint, repair, plant, build, serve meals, stu 

envelopes, see patients, sort toys, help at events, 

and more. e thoughtful deeds and helpful 

hands of a cross section of the community – 

business and military groups, youth and church 

organizations, medical professionals and 

individuals – give true meaning to our motto: 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors®. 

To say thank you, and honor their time and 

talent, volunteers were feted on April 19 at an 

annual appreciation luncheon at St. Vincent de 

Paul Village. And the good deeds continue. Here 

are two young volunteers whose individual e orts 

are helping change, save and inspire lives. 


Madeline, above, and dancer Oliva Lentz, right. 

The power of one 

For her seventh birthday Madeleine decided 

she didn’t want any presents. Instead she 

had a party and invited her friends to make a 

contribution to Father Joe’s Villages. Madeline 

raised over $270, or enough to serve 125 hot 

nutritious meals to neighbors in need. 

A gift of dance 

Volunteering 

her time and 

talent, dancer 

Olivia Lenz did 

more than teach 

the basics of ballet 

and dance to children 

at St. Vincent de Paul 

Village, she helped raise 

their self-esteem. 

“Olivia is a wonderful role 

model to our children,” says 

Children’s Services Program 

Manager Alma Hutcherson- 

Coba. “Not only do the children 

know someone really cares, but 

also her class helped the children 

come out of their shells when they 

performed in the dance show to 

family friends.” 

Lenz came to the Village every 

Wednesday for nine weeks and 

taught resident children basic ballet 

and tap steps as well as the importance of 

stage make-up and costumes. Lenz also 

brought a snack and shared videos about 

dance, such as “Lord of the Dance” and “The 

Ballerina and Me.” As a hands-on activity, 

the children made their own dance props, 

including fairy wands. 

Compared with low-income housed 

children, homeless children experience more 

health problems, developmental delays, 

increased anxiety, depression, behavioral 

problems, and lower educational achievement, 

says Hutcherson-Coba. “Because of Olivia’s 

involvement, hopefully there will be less 

this year.” 

FACTS 

Through the generosity of donors and the time and talent of volunteers, Father Joe’s Villages is 

fortunate to have a wide range of supporters who model our motto and who are truly Neighbors 

Helping Neighbors. 

In the meantime, these and 

other children in the Family 

Living Center will enjoy 

the fruits of another one of 

CECO’s grants to the Village, 

which provides $5,000 in 

support of nutritious and 

delicious meals to families 

there. e fourth grant gives 

$2,000 to the Village Family 

Health Center, which will 

use the funds for medical and 

dental supplies. 

As always, St. Vincent de Paul Village is 

grateful to CECO for its continued support of 

our programs and our neighbors in need. 

Angela Bull is the contract compliance 

manager for Father Joe’s Villages. 

Volunteering builds teams 

Many groups volunteer as part of 

team building. ese 

organizations were at 

the Village this spring 

lending a helping hand. 

On St. Patrick’s Day 15 

members of the Navy’s Aviator 

Survival Training Center from 

Miramar MCAS came to the Village 

and scrapped old skid pads on stairwells 

and replaced them with new. e group 

also made new window screens. 

On March 17, 15 team members from 

the western division of Burger King served 

breakfast at the Joan Kroc Center and Paul 

Mirabile Center. 

e Valhalla High School baseball team 

showed up on March 28 to do a landscape 

project at the Village. 

e professionals from Meeting Sites Pro 

spent an evening with children at the Village 

coloring eggs, reading and holding a relay in 

celebration of Easter. 

On April 13, 100 teens from the Agency 

for Jewish Education helped make baskets 

for Mother’s Day, and sort toys for Santa’s 

workshop. 

By the numbers 

The tallies are in, and in 2007 volunteer hours at Father 

Joe’s Villages increased by 10,539 over the prior year. 

10,000 – Number of people who fi lled more 

than 25,000 volunteer openings 

120,613 – Total hours volunteers “worked” 

$2,455,680 – Dollar value of volunteer hours 

if they had been paid 

Rock Bottom 

hosts day of 

hospitality 

e Rock Bottom Foundation 

hosted its fourth annual Miracle 

Gathering in December to bene t 

families at St. Vincent de Paul 

Village. e team at Rock Bottom 

Restaurant & Brewery in the 

Gaslamp neighborhood of San 

Diego, in conjunction with a variety 

of community organizations and 

businesses, provided families who 

could not a ord the luxury of a 

restaurant a day of hospitality and 

celebration with a meal and gi s. 

Held two Sundays a er Christmas 

as a nal season celebration, the 

event helps prepare children for 

the second half of their school 

year. Each child received a eece 

jacket, a Payless ShoeSource gi 

card, school supplies and an ageappropriate 

toy or gi . Adults 

each received a eece jacket and 

toiletry packet. Diapers were also 

distributed as appropriate. All 

guests enjoyed a professional self- 

or family portrait to commemorate 

the special day. 

“We are proud of our partnership 

with Father Joe’s Villages for its 

work directly caring for those in 

need in the San Diego community,” 

says Angie Leach, national 

programs manager for the Rock 

Bottom Foundation. “Our mission 

speaks to positively impacting 

hunger in our communities and 

inspiring a culture of giving 

and volunteerism throughout 

Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc.” 

Additional community groups 

sponsoring the event were e 

Gaslamp Quarter Association, 

County of San Diego, Denric 

Entertainment, Sysco, Kris 

Houle Photography, community 

volunteers and Rock Bottom 

Restaurant sta . 

Volunteers welcomed 

Interested in 

volunteering? For 

general volunteer 

information, call 

619.645.6411.

Support through grants, funding 

Father Joe’s Villages kept warm this winter with 

the gracious support of public and private 

contributors. 

By Angela Bull 

S.V.D.P. Management 

e Capital Development division of Father Joe’s 

Villages was thrilled to have its Boulevard Apartments 

project awarded with funding from the California 

Tax Credit Allocation Committee, California Debt 

Limit Allocation Committee, and the City of San 

Diego A ordable Housing Program. e division’s 

Senior Development O cer, Lisa Hu , also received 

a scholarship for the Local Initiatives Support 

Corporation 2008 California Statewide A ordable 

Housing Development Training Institute. Separate from 

Capital Development, Father Joe’s Villages received 

a subcontract for the U.S. Department of Housing 

and Urban Development’s Homeless Management 

Information System grant with the Regional Task 

Force on the Homeless in San Diego. 

Toussaint Academy of the 

Arts and Sciences 

e Billingsley Foundation and the Masserini 

Charitable Trust and French Fund each supported 

Toussaint Academy with $10,000 in support of general 

operating costs. Qualcomm Incorporated awarded a 

generous grant of $30,000 in support of costs related 

to internship and a ercare expenses for graduates of 

the program. 


e U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development chose to renew its grants to St. Vincent 

de Paul Village and its Solutions Consortium partners 

for another year of providing shelter and services to 

residents of its transitional and permanent housing 

facilities in the amount of $4,481,494. e Children’s 

Services program received general operating grants 

from the San Diego Marriott Business Council for 

$2,000 and the CW5 “Cares for Kids” Fund for $20,000. 

e Village Family Health Center (VFHC) is grateful 

to the California Department of Health Services for 

its decision to renew its Expanded Access to Primary 

Care program for an additional three years. Likewise, 

the VFHC obtained a variety of support from recent 

grants, including $43,376 from the City of San Diego 

for services provided by the Mobile Health Clinic at 

the city’s Winter Shelter, $1,000 from San Diego City 

Schools to cover the cost of medications, and $5,500 

from the Pierre Fauchard Academy Foundation in 

support of dental supplies. In combination with Mental 

Health Services, the VFHC received a $50,000 grant 

from e Mason Hirst Foundation to pay for salaries, 

equipment, supplies and related costs. Union Bank of 

California gave $40,000 to help support the costs of 

serving families with children residing at the Village 

and the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs renewed 

its Per Diem program at the Village to serve homeless 

veterans and their families living there, as well. 


e Champion’s Volunteer Foundation gave $6,000 

to Martha’s Children’s Services program in support of 

general operating costs. e Emergency Assistance 

program received $5,000 from the Regional Access 

Project Foundation in support of Emergency Food 

Baskets and the Emergency Shelter program received 

$5,000 from Union Bank of California Foundation in 

support of general operating costs. e Food Services 

program received $40,000 from Desert Classic Charities, 

and $15,000 from the City of Rancho Mirage to help 

with the cost of food. In the nearby Medical Clinic, the 

County of Riverside Economic Development Agency 

awarded $10,000 to help cover the cost of a registered 

nurse’s salary. In addition, the Medical Clinic received 

a $50,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation and a 

$25,000 grant from the Bank of America Foundation. 

Finally, the Dragicevich Charitable Foundation 

provided $5,000 to help support the Village overall, 

which will be used in conjunction with a $525,000 

Supportive Housing Program grant from the County 

of Riverside Department of Public Social Services, as 

funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development. 

As always, Father Joe’s Villages is grateful to all who 

choose to invest in the success and well-being of our 

neighbors in need. 

Angela Bull is the contract compliance manager for 

Father Joe’s Villages. 

Thank you Linc Ward 

2007 Children’s Charity Honoree 

and recipient of the 

Father Joe’s Villages Award 

Your generosity, and that of all Children’s 

Charity Honorees, is a gift to San Diego. 

Melba Provence 

Students from Pepperdine 

University met with Father Joe 

Carroll as part of an alternative 

spring break program called 

Project L.E.A.D. — Leadership 

Education And Development. e 

group of nine students and two 

sta coordinators embarked on 

a road trip March 3-7 that took 

them to San Diego, Los Angeles, 

San Jose, San Francisco and 

Sacramento. 

In each city, students conducted 


Neighbor Helping Neighbors 


Pepperdine University students meet with Father Joe Carroll. 

Lessons in leadership 

leadership workshops at local 

high schools to encourage 

high school students to take 

responsibility for leading positive 

change within their schools. The 

team also met with prominent 

community leaders to discuss 

leadership and life experience. 

Among other leaders they met 

with were Dr. Charles Elachi, 

director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory and California Sen. 

Dave Cox. 

A special thank you goes out to the following churches 

for supporting the Million Meals Program and raising 

more than $6,000 by taking an additional collection at 

church services on Feb. 3, 2008, Super Bowl Sunday. 

Ascension Parish 

SM 

Blessed Sacrament Parish 

Christian Fellowship Congregational Church 

The Immaculata Parish 

Normal Heights United Methodist Church 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, San Diego 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish Youth Ministries 

St. Anthony of Padua Parish 

St. John of the Cross Parish 

St. Peter’s By the Sea Lutheran Church 

Torrey Pines Christian Church

16 


Earlie ‘Candy’ McClain 

August 22,1939 – Feb. 25, 2008 

Earlie McClain was an employee 

of St. Vincent de Paul Village in 

the maintenance department since 

Dec. 12, 1997. A er a long ght 

with cancer, Mr. McClain died at 

home with his loved ones present. 

Mr. McClain was born on August 

22, 1939, to the late Earlie McClain 

and Josephine Underwood in 

Meridian, Miss. He moved to San 

Bernardino, Calif., in 1966, where 

he worked as a mechanic for many 

years. His hobbies as a young man 

were shing, skating, bike riding 

Earlie McClain 


and dancing. 

Mr. McClain moved his family 

to San Diego in 1987, where he 

later became employed with St. 

Vincent de Paul Village. He joined 

Good Shepherd Baptist Church in 

2001 where he worshipped until 

the time of his death. 

He leaves to cherish him, his wife 

Margie McClain, four sons: James 

McClain of San Bernardino, Calif., 

Dennis McClain of Mississippi, 

Earl McClain and Tommy Wright, 

both of San Diego; four daughters: 

Gaynell Wright and Malinda 

McClain both of San Bernardino, 

Mellodee McClain of Barstow, 

Calif.; and Ruby McClain of San 

Diego; two sisters: Lessie Shack of 

Mississippi and Bobbie McClain 

of Florida; 23 grandchildren and 

25 great-grandchildren and a host 

of relatives including cousins, 

nephews and nieces. 

Mr. McClain, who was best 

known to his family and friends 

as “Candy” or “Candy Man,” has 

taken his nal journey to reunite 

with his daughter who preceded 

him in death, Monsha McClain. 

Kindly remember in prayer 

these friends of Father Joe’s 

Villages who left legacies to 

help our neighbors in need 

omas John Colling 

John B. Gardner 

Richard Guy 

Van Ingraham 

Robert Kane 

Adelle Alma Kelsey 

Florence May 

Catherine “Kay” Meierbachtol 

Myron Moore 

John Rockwell 

Anthony John Rosa 

Margaret Spellacy 

Takeko “Judy” Siemienczuk 

VILLAGE NEWS Emily Velez-Confer 

Father Joe Carroll digs in to break ground for Boulevard Apartments, 

which will provide affordable family housing in North Park. Assisting in the 

groundbreaking are, from left, Frank Riley, Housing and Urban Development; 

Wendy DeWitt, San Diego Housing Commission; and San Diego District 3 

Councilmember Toni Atkins. 

Mary Case 


with a weekly renewable voucher 

from the referring agency. We soon 

realized we had to rethink it.” 

“Rethinking it” ful lled the plan to 

create an agency-based continuum 

of care and eventually every program 

and service necessary to regain a 

life under one roof. “Looking back 

it’s amazing how few problems 

we’ve had, what we’ve done and 

how many people we’ve housed 

and helped,” Case says. “I just 

rolled with Father Joe’s ideas. 

I never saw it as too much.” 

Like in December 1986 when 

Case was eight months pregnant 

with her third son and Father Joe 

decided to have a holiday shelter 

at Golden Hall. “So there I was 

running around at the shelter eight 

months pregnant,” she recalls. 

With the support of her husband 

Terry, whom she will be married 

to 30 years in August, Case was 

able to do it all – raise a family and 

a have a conscience-driven career. 

“It’s a legacy that you need to give 

back, you need to see how you can 

make a di erence,” Case says. “I 

really feel like I did that knowing 

it was the right thing to do.” 

How would life be di erent if she 

hadn’t done the right thing? 

“We joke about that because there 

are people who see the agencies as the 

problem. ey think if it weren’t for 

us, the homeless wouldn’t be here.” 

Birdies for Babies 


Monday, May 12, 2008 

Bernardo Heights Country Club 



ryan.pocock@neighbor.org. 

Register online at 

www.birdiesforbabies.org. 

A ordable 

Housing 


families,” says District 3 

Councilmember Toni Atkins. 

“ is project will bring us one step 

closer toward our goal to provide 

a ordable housing for homeless 

families in San Diego. It not only 

lls a need, but also contributes to 

the ongoing revitalization e orts 

in North Park.” 

Boulevard Apartments will have 

three 1-bedroom apartments, 

18 2-bedroom apartments, 

three 3-bedroom apartments, 

underground parking and a 

roo op garden and play area. 

Costs are estimated to be $11 

million. Nine apartments will be 

available for families that are at risk 

of becoming homeless and have at 

least one adult with special needs. 

Another affordable housing 

tower is currently under 

construction at 16th and Market 

Streets in downtown San Diego. 

When complete, the building will 

be the rst ever high-rise to o er 

100 percent a ordable housing 

in San Diego for families. e 

12-story building will provide 136 

one-, two- and three-bedroom 

apartments. 

Japan 


e cultural exchange allowed 

us to share our experience working 

with immigrant youth and issues 

of diversity. 

Visiting one of the Japanese 

nonpro ts gave TAAS sta an 

amazing case of déjà vu. 

e Yokohama agency Y-MAC 

assists youth with education and 

employment, has dormitories 

for 30 young people, and even 

has a restaurant, which employs 

participants and graduates from 

their program. To the smallest 

detail, one could have easily just 

described TAAS and our café, 

Pierre’s Place. 

is year marks the 50th 

anniversary of the Sister City 

relationship between San Diego 

and Yokohama. We are looking 

forward to playing host when 

delegates from Yokohama visit 

San Diego in 2009. Until then … 

Sayonara! 

Rick Newmyer is director of 

Toussaint Youth Villages.

Red Boudreau Trial 

Lawyers Dinner 

Michael I. Neil, Esq., to be 

honored May 17 

Accomplished San Diego 

attorney and retired Marine Brig. 

Gen. Michael I. Neil, Esq., will be 

honored at the 24th Annual Red 

Boudreau Trial Lawyers Dinner on 

Saturday, May 17, 2008, at the US 

Grant Hotel. 

Neil will receive the 2008 

Daniel T. Broderick III Award at 

the event bene ting children at 

St.Vincent de Paul Village. 

Since joining Neil, Dymott, 

Frank, McFall & Trexler in 1972, 

Neil has tried more than 135 

Superior Court civil jury trials to 

verdict. Neil is a member of the 

American Board of Trial Advocates 

Success 


it was like a generation thing, year a er year, my 

parents did it, my grandma did it. We did not see 

nothing wrong with it, it was just a way of life. 

Q. How did the programs at Martha’s change 

your life? 

A. It’s taught me discipline and money management 

… every month you put money into savings. At rst 

I would be shocked … “I have to put how much in?” 

As time went by I wanted to put more in because if I 

am wasting my money I feel like I am wasting my life. 

You go through classes such as Challenge to Change, 

money management, job searching skills … and little 

doors started opening for me here and there. It gave 

me the opportunity to go back to school and to learn 

(computer) programs. It really motivated me and gave 

me the determination to get out there. Being here has 

allowed me to see myself as a person, knowing that I 

wanted to go to the next level. 

Q. How have Martha’s programs changed 

– A Children’s Village – 

Set in east San Diego, this 

rural village will nurture 200 

homeless and foster children, 

providing them a permanent 

home, a quality education, 

and a solid foundation of 

responsibility and values. 

with the rank of Diplomat; 

the Federation of Defense and 

Corporate Counsel (FDCC); the 

Defense Research Institute, and 

the American Bar Association. 

A member of the San Diego 

Padres Board of Directors, Neil is 

past co-chairman of the American 

Ireland Fund, and past chairman 

of the San Diego County Regional 

Security Commission. With a degree 

in Pre Law from San Diego State 

University (1962), Neil is a LLB, 

Boalt Hall School of Law, University 

of California at Berkeley (1966). 

A recipient of the Navy Cross 

and the Purple Heart for action in 

your children? 

A. Every family has to have structure. My kids now know 

that they eat dinner at a certain time; they go to bed at a 

certain time. My oldest daughter, she’s 13, she’s gone up two 

grades since we have been here. She’s really been focused on 

her school. ere was a time in my life that I did not even 

enroll my kids in school. ey know now that mom goes to 

school, they go to school. ey know there is a structure and 

a routine that is going to bene t them. 

e biggest thing is we work together. I spend time 

with them now. I read to them. I do things with them 

now I never did before – I never spent time with my 

kids. My oldest daughter comes to me now. Before she 

didn’t want to have anything to do with me, now she 

comes to me, we do her homework together. 

Q. Where would you be now without the services 

of Martha’s Village & Kitchen? 

A. I would have relapsed into drugs. I wouldn’t have 

ever gone to school, my children would still be in grades 

behind, there would have been a great downfall if I 

would have never came here. Martha’s has really been 

that stepping stone for me to get to where I am going. 

Martha’s de nitely saved my life. 

Naming Gift Opportunities 

– 16th and Market – 

is 12-story building in the 

East Village neighborhood of 

San Diego will provide safe, 

welcoming homes for 136 

families with low, moderate or 

xed incomes. 

For more information, please contact Margot Jouett at 

619.446.2100, or margot.jouett@neighbor.org 


Michael I. Neil, Esq. 

the Vietnam War, Neil again served 

his country during the Persian 

Gulf War when he was called back 

to active duty as commanding 

general of the Marine Corps Base 

at Camp Pendleton. 

For more information, or 

to purchase tickets, please 

contact Chris Van Orshoven 

at 619.787.3150, or by email at 

chriscasd@yahoo.com. 

– 15th and Commercial – 

To be built on the site of the 

current Bishop Maher Center 

at St. Vincent de Paul Village, 

this facility will include a 

Child Development Center, 

a new Bishop Maher Center 

providing transitional housing 

for adults, and four oors of 

a ordable studio apartments. 


Read and Raise Funds for 


Neighbors Helping 

Neighbors® 

Bookfair Voucher 


Barnes & Noble 

Point Loma BookStar/ 

Loma eatre 

3150 Rosecrans Place 

San Diego, CA 92110 

P: 619.225.0465 

Present this voucher at the time of 

purchase on Saturday, May 3, 2008, and 

a percentage of the net sale will be 

donated to St. Vincent de Paul Village. 

e following transactions are not 

included in BOOKFAIR totals: e 

purchase of gi cards. e purchase of Readers 

Advantage Memberships. 

Register # 

Transaction # 

For o ce use only: 

Amount of sale before tax less purchases of 

Gi Cards and Readers Advantage Memberships: 

OK to photocopy voucher

18 


Baby Bucks 

pay o for Project SAFECHILD 

“ 

Baby Bucks can be used for infant, toddler and pre-school 

items . . . and have proven to be highly motivational and 

popular with our residents 

Connie Mullan, Children's Services 


This Mother’s Day there are 

many homeless mothers getting 

the help they need to regain their 

independence at St. Vincent de Paul 

Village through a variety programs 

that help them become successful, 

self-su cient citizens. 

One such program is Baby Bucks, 

a program of Project SAFECHILD, 

an early identi cation and 

intervention program for children 

and their families residing at the 

Village. When parents complete 

classes and activities in Project 

SAFECHILD they earn Baby 

Bucks, which they exchange 

for hygiene products, toys and 

educational items. 

“Baby Bucks can be used for 

infant, toddler and pre-school 

Did You Know? 

1872 

1907 

1914 

2008 

Mother’s Day was rst 

suggested in the United States 

by Julia Ward Howe, who 

wrote the words to the “Battle 

Hymn of the Republic.” 

Ana Jarvis began a campaign 

to establish a national Mother’s 

Day. She persuaded her 

mother’s church in Gra on, 

W.Va., to celebrate Mother’s 

Day on the second anniversary 

of her mother’s death. 

President Woodrow Wilson 

proclaimed Mother’s Day a 

national holiday. 

Your contributions of new 

items goes directly to our 

neighbors in need to change 

their lives this Mother's Day. 

items through our Baby Bucks 

Catalog, and have proven to be 

highly motivational and popular 

with our residents,” says Connie 

Mullan, program assistant. “ ere 

is a large assortment of items for 

parents to choose from including 

bathtubs for infants, toys for 

toddlers, and puzzles and games 

for pre-schoolers. Family Bucks 

are also given for completion of 

many Project SAFECHILD classes 

and can be used to purchase fun 

activities for families.” 

Project SAFECHILD services 

include ongoing prenatal care for 

mothers and for children age birth 

to 5; developmental assessments; 

and onsite interventions and 

community referrals. Speech 

and language assessments and 

individual therapy are provided 

by a speech pathologist. Multiple 

interventions are provided based 

upon results of the development 

assessments including parent/ 

child dyadic therapy, child play 

therapy and family therapy. 

Group interventions include 

parent education, baby classes 

and speech enhancement groups 

for toddlers and pre-schoolers. 

Since September 2004, 

approximately 600 parents have 

received Baby Bucks, a program 

created by Ruth P. Newton, Ph.D., 

supervisor of the Child and Family 

Track in Mental Health Services 

and funded by your generous 

Mother’s Day donations. 

Village resident Sara C. and her son, Kevin, with Connie Mullan. Sara participates in Project SAFECHILD and earns Baby Bucks, which she uses to ‘purchase’ necessities for her son Kevin. 

A Children's Village 

Naming Gi Opportunities 

Chapel 

Chapel Sanctuary 

Capel Sacristy 

Chapel Altar 

Chapel Baptismal 

Stained Glass Window 

School Classroom 

Saint Statuary 

$3,000,000 

$500,000 

$150,000 

$100,000 

$50,000 

$25,000 

$25,000 

$5,000 

For more information, please contact 

Margot Jouett at 619.446.2100, or 

margot.jouett@neighbor.org 



Alexis reads a letter she wrote to 

her mother during a graduation 

at Martha’s Village & Kitchen. They 

are residents regaining their lives at 

Martha’s.

$1 for Onesies 

at Taco Del Mar 

Look for displays in San Diego area Taco Del Mar stores to make a contribution to 

the Mother’s Day Drive. For $1 (or more) you can put your name on a card and hang 

it on the line to help a homeless mother and child. 

Taco del Mar restaurants locations: 

• Fenton Marketplace • 

2245 Fenton Parkway 


• Grand Plaza • 

133 S. Las Posas Rd. 

San Marcos, CA 92078 

• Adams Elementary 

• A to Z Wireless 

• Ecobaby 

• High Tech Middle 

School 

• Island & 11th • 

1000 Island Avenue 


• Morena Vista • 

Trolley Station 

5175 Linda Vista Road 


– OUR PARTNERS – 

A special thanks to the many businesses and organizations throughout 

San Diego hosting drives this Mother’s Day. 

• High Tech High 

• Kalypsys 

• La Jolla Country Day 

• Luth Research 

• Manchester Grand 

Hyatt 

• Style Child 

• Taco Del Mar 

• The West Group 

o n m a r k e t 


Mother’s Day 

“Mothers & Babies 

Are Homeless Too” 

Send your gi or gather these NEW ITEMS to help 

moms working toward independence at the Village. 

All contributions are appreciated, especially items in bulk such as diapers and wipes and 

the bold-faced items, which are in high demand. 

• Baby bath tubs 

• Bottles & bottle 

warmers 

• Baby carriers 

• Baby gyms/mats 

for tummy time 

• Baby lotion (lavender) 

• Baby shampoo 

• Baby dolls, Baby Dora 

• Diapers (Size 2-5, 2T-5T) 

• Blocks 

• Bubbles 

• Coloring Books 

research Intelligence from knowledge. 

• Underwear 

(for ages 2-5) 

• Flowers 

• Jewelry 

• Perfume 

 

– INFANTS – 

(Ages 0-2) 

• Baby wipes 

• Blanket sleepers 

• Diapers (newborn – size 3) 

• Diaper bags 

• Diaper genie & re lls 

• Diaper rash cream 

• Hairbrush/comb 

(infants & toddlers) 

– TODDLERS – 

(Ages 2-3) 

• Toys emphasizing concepts 

• Sippy cups 

– TOYS – 

• Crayons (large) 

• Games for preschoolers 

• Paint-with-water books 

• Onesies (infants) 

• Socks (infants) 

• Picture frames 

• Gi baskets 

• Day of beauty 

– HOST A DRIVE! – 

• Nail clippers for infants 

• Newborn receiving 

blankets 

• Rattles/infant toys 

• Teething rings 

• Toothbrush (0-1 year old) 

• Washcloths 

• Training toothbrush & 

toothpaste (size 2-3) 

• Paintbrushes 

• Wooden puzzles 

– CLOTHING – – PRE-SCHOOL – 

(Ages 3-5) 

• Pre-school toys 

We appreciate your contribution to 

HONOR MOTHERS with gifts such as: 

 

 

• Manicure 

• Pedicure 

Get family, neighbors & co-workers involved and HOST A DRIVE. Start collecting 

now and deliver your contributions May 5-9, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. to Father Joe’s o ce at 

3350 E Street, San Diego, CA 92102. 

For more information on hosting a drive, contact 

Kate Wilson 

E: kate.wilson@neighbor.org 

P: 619.446.2111

20 


Planned Giving FAST 

Use your home’s equity with a reverse mortgage 

By Staff Writers 

Paying o a mortgage can 

bring a homeowner enormous 

peace of mind and increase the 

sense of comfort and security the 

home already provides. If you 

are a homeowner who could use 

additional income, that sense of 

comfort and security isn’t the only 

bene t under your roof. rough 

a government-backed program, 

homeowners over age 62 who 

own their home (or have a small 

remaining balance) can obtain a 

reverse mortgage that converts 

some of their home’s equity into 

tax-free cash. 

A reverse mortgage is not a 

traditional home 

equity loan; the 

bank pays you, 

rather than you 

repaying the 

bank. You receive 

regular, tax-free 

payments from 

the bank until 

you pass your estate to your heirs 

or bene ciaries. With a reverse 

mortgage you maintain title and 

ownership of your home, continue 

to pay property taxes and insurance, 

and never owe more than your 

home is worth. Interest is accrued 

only on the proceeds you receive, 

and compounds until repayment 

of the loan. ere are no income, 

FACTS 

A reverse mortgage can fund 

health care expenses, debt 

reduction, a second-home 

purchase, or even college 

funds for your grandchildren. 

employment or credit requirements, 

and none of your other assets are 

a ected, including Social Security 

or Medicare bene ts. 

For example, John and Jane 

Homeowner are both over the age 

of 70 and own their house free and 

clear. ey have two grown children 

who don’t want to inherit their 

parents’ home. e Homeowners 

He gives because he knows 

‘where the money goes’ 

By Miriam H. DiBiase 

Making the decision about 

which charity to support 

can be di cult. Independent 

charity evaluators, such as Charity 

Navigator, assign ratings to 

nonpro t charities to help inform 

your philanthropic decisions, 

but other factors can in uence 

a charity’s reputation. O en 

the best recommendation for a 

charity comes from the agency’s 

own employees, who experience 

the day-to-day operations and 

nancial decisions made with the 

donors’ generous gi s. 

Perhaps the greatest vote of 

con dence for a charity is an estate 

gi from a long-time employee. 

For Father Joe’s Villages employee 

Alex Bellevue*, it wasn’t the 

organization’s four-star Charity 

Navigator rating that convinced 

him to make an estate gi . It was 

his own observation of the positive 

changes our programs make in 

people’s lives. “I’ve worked at Father 

Joe’s for over 10 years, so I know 

where the money goes,” he says. “I 

know donations go directly to help 

individuals who need help.” 

Alex’s emotional connection to 

the work of St. Vincent de Paul 

Village has grown as he’s changed 

positions within the agency. As he 

saw the lives of neighbors in need 

being a ected by the programs at 

St. Vincent’s, he resolved to help 

support the agency in the future. 

He gured the best way to do that 

was to name St. Vincent’s as a 

bene ciary in his will. 

“ e agency as a whole does a 

good job giving rounded services 

to everyone,” says Alex. “It’s not just 

AA, it’s not just shelter. It’s a whole 

range of services to meet everyone’s 

individual needs.” 

Joe Perucca, planned giving o cer 

for Father Joe’s Villages, applauds 

Alex’s decision, not only because 

it helps ensure the future of the 

organization, but also because of the 

Yes, I want to know more about Planned Gifts! 

Please send me more information on how a Planned Gifts to 

Father Joe’s Villages ® will benefi benefi t me. me. 

Bequest Pooled Income Fund Life Estate 

Charitable Remainder Trust Bank Account Benefi t IRAs/Life Insurance 

I / We named Father Joe’s Villages in our estate plans. 

Name 

Address 

City State Zip 

Phone ( ) E-mail me at: 

Please detach and send to: Joseph Perucca, Planned Giving Offi cer 

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

Please make your choice 

of Father Joe´s Villages: 



Toussaint Youth Villages 

Toussaint Academy of 

the Arts and Sciences 

A Children’s Village 

Rancho San Vincente 

National AIDS Foundation 

/Josue Homes 

Your charitable gift of Father Joe’s Villages is a personal expression of your goals, interests, and 

beliefs. Whatever the size or form of your gift, we will work with you and your financial advisors to 

prepare a plan that reflects your interests and objectives and provides maximum benefits both to 

you and to Father Joe’s Villages. 

would like to leave their house to 

Father Joe’s Villages as an estate gi , 

and in the meantime they could 

use some extra cash to make home 

repairs and take a much-needed 

vacation. eir reverse mortgage 

consultant advises them to choose a 

lump-sum payout option to nance 

their home repairs and vacation, 

and then to switch to a monthly 

installment payout to supplement 

their income. ey pay no taxes on 

the money they receive because, as 

a loan, it is not considered income. 

When John and Jane have 

both passed away, their home 

is transferred to Father Joe’s 

Villages. Our sta sells the house, 

repays the bank for the equity 

faith it shows in the agency’s work. 

“Alex is in a good position to know 

what happens to the donations we 

receive,” Joe says. “He has worked 

directly with our clients and behind 

the scenes. Leaving an estate gi 

to Father Joe’s Villages shows 

his con dence that our nancial 

decisions will continue to bene t 

those who need the most help.” 

Alex’s estate gi will also honor 

his father. “My dad passed away 

and le me some money,” Alex says. 

Father Joe’s Villages 

3350 E Street 


Tax ID 33-0492304 


3350 E Street 


Tax ID 33-0492302 


83791 Date Avenue 

Indio, CA 92201-4737 

Tax ID 33-1777892 

the Homeowners removed, and 

neighbors in need bene t from the 

remaining balance. 

A reverse mortgage can also 

fund health care expenses, 

debt reduction, a second-home 

purchase, or even college funds 

for your grandchildren. An initial 

meeting with a reverse mortgage 

consultant, a third-party counseling 

session, and a home appraisal are 

the main steps in a process that can 

take less than a month to complete. 

Total our-of-pocket fees are usually 

around $300. 

For more information, please 

contact Planned Giving O cer Joe 

Perucca for a referral to our trusted 

reverse mortgage consultant. 

“My dad was friends with Father 

Joe, and I know he had an a nity 

for the type of work we do. So I 

know it’s the right decision.” 

Leaving an estate gi to Father 

Joe’s Villages might also be the right 

decision for you. As Alex discovered, 

it’s easy to name Father Joe’s Villages 

as a bene ciary in your will. 

Miriam H. DiBiase is a major 

gi s o cer for Father Joe's Villages. 

*Name changed to maintain privacy. 

Estate Planning 

Using bene bene ciaries’ full names – spelled correctly – and 

including up-to-date addresses is half the battle in creating 

an indisputable estate plan. If you have remembered one 

of Father Joe’s Villages in your plan, check your documents 

and be sure this information is current and accurate: 

Toussaint Youth Villages 

3350 E Street 


Tax ID 91-2154722 

National AIDS Foundation/ 

Josue Homes 

3350 E Street 


Tax ID 33-0781710 

Questions: Contact Joseph Perucca at 

619.446.2143 or jperucca@neighbor.org.

Survival to success - Father Joe's Villages

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