Village Parents "Target"ing Bargains at Annual Shopping Event
Day’s Activities Also an Exercise in Budgeting

   SAN DIEGO — St. Vincent de Paul Village parents will participate in the organization’s annual Easter shopping event at the Sports Arena Target store, located at 3245 Sports Arena Boulevard on Wednesday and Thursday, March 20 and 21, between 7 and 8 a.m.

   More than 68 mothers and fathers will comb the store’s aisles, searching for Easter outfits and other necessities for each of their children.

   "As a child, I remember having new clothes to wear for Easter dinner," says Fr. Joe Carroll, president of St. Vincent de Paul Village. "It was one of the few times during the year we could dress up."

    Parents will be given $60 for each child and, with the help of volunteer shopping assistants from St. Vincent’s Ladies’ Guild, will canvass the store for clothing bargains, stretching every penny of their allotment. There are 265 children, from infants to teens, living at the Village.

   The $60 limit is strictly adhered to, says Father Joe, who stresses the event is a lesson in budgeting.

   "You’ll see a mom scrambling through a sales rack and a volunteer not far behind frantically tallying the items in the cart with a calculator," says Father Joe. "If they go over – by even a penny – they put something back."

   The experience also gives Village parents the rare opportunity to purchase entire new outfits for their children.

   "I’ve seen parents cry just because it’s been so long since they last bought their kids new clothes," says Father Joe. "It’s a really special experience."

   After the parents purchase the items they have selected, they will sit down with the volunteer who helped them shop and enjoy coffee and doughnuts.

   "That’s my favorite moment," says Father Joe. "They’ll sit across from each other and just talk – about their kids, about work, about life."

   The interaction is a crucial part of rehabilitation, says Father Joe, explaining that many of the Village residents walk away from the visit encouraged and invigorated to get back on their feet.

  For information on live remote opportunities or for more information on St. Vincent de Paul Village’s other Easter festivities, please call (619) 525-1608. To make a donation, please call (619) 687-1066.

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