A few scenes from SVdP’s “An Evening to Envision” fundraising gala in 2023.
St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County (SVdP) will host “An Evening to Envision,” a festive annual fundraiser for the McDonald Community Vision (MCV) Fund, on Friday, Nov. 15. Guests will enjoy a meaningful and memorable night at Eugene’s Venue 252, featuring dinner and two-hour open bar, guest speakers, an auction of very special items, fun chances to win a variety of prizes — and live music by the fabulous Shelley James & The Agents of Unity!
Tickets and table sponsorships are available now and easy to reserve through SVdP’s secure online form, so please sign up now while spaces remain!
All proceeds from this special night will support the MCV Fund, a versatile funding source that enables SVdP to act with agility in responding to local needs. In both name and action, the MCV Fund honors SVdP Emeritus Director Terry McDonald’s 50-plus year legacy of service and leadership. Your support now will sustain SVdP’s community-serving impact into the future.
MCV Fund history, impacts
SVdP established the MCV Fund following the COVID-19 pandemic to give the organization greater ability — and flexibility — to respond to future needs. Set apart from restricted donations designated for a particular purpose, these funds allow SVdP to act effectively when new opportunities arise to create community benefit. Here are a few examples of the positive impacts made by MCV funding in the past year:
- Supported rural high schools in reviving their woodshops and vocational offerings through SVdP’s “Sheducation” program, which gives students valuable experience building sheds for many of our affordable-housing residents.
- Retired all existing debt on an affordable-housing property in Florence, allowing SVdP to retain that much-needed resource for low-income community members there.
- Filled funding gaps allowing for the completion of Williams Place, SVdP’s new 10-unit property for veterans exiting homelessness; original grant funds did not cover the rising costs of construction and supplies.
- Allowed SVdP to build several new units to increase the affordable-housing stock in Oakridge, a community with one of the highest poverty rates in Oregon.
Future housing, mission support
As you might know, housing availability and affordability is intertwined with homelessness to a great extent. Looking ahead, SVdP will continue using MCV funds with a dual focus on housing and emerging, mission-oriented opportunities. This year’s priorities include using some of the funds to decommission aging, now-uninhabitable mobile homes built in the 1970s-80s and replace them with new, energy-efficient manufactured units.
Thank you for your continued support, and please join us Nov. 15!