1. Mosaic Towers as Tribute to Donors, Staff and Volunteers
2. Faith-based and Community Organizations Prosper Through Village Training Institute
3. Residents Take Part in Village Housekeeping Chores
   By Martha Lepore
4. Equipping Clients with Skills to Earn Livable Wage
   By Barbara Hagey - Special to Village New

Mosaic Towers as Tribute to Donors, Staff and Volunteers

  St. Vincent de Paul Village entered the record books when it unveiled the world’s largest glass mosaic to dozens of supporters and staff of the organization at a ceremony held on Sunday, September 28.

  The artwork, titled "Neighbors Helping Neighbors: A Tribute to Donors, Volunteers & Staff" was designed and erected by Botti Studio of Architectural Arts, a Chicago-based company whose ancestry dates back to late 16th-century Italy.

  The mosaic, mounted on the west-facing wall of Villa Harvey Mandel, a Village affordable housing complex, stands 72 feet tall and stretches 42 feet from side to side. Each section of stained glass, mounted on prefabricated cement slabs, measures 3 feet by 5 feet. The complete work is comprised of 226 slabs with a total weight of more than 6.75 tons.

  According to Father Joe Carroll, president of St. Vincent’s, a visual representation of the Village’s appreciation for its supporters is long overdue.

  " Since 1982, the people of San Diego have stood by St. Vincent’s and supported the life-changing services we provide our needy neighbors," he says. "A proclamation of this magnitude symbolizing our thanks is significant. However, it is dwarfed by the caring and community-minded people of this great city who have made a significant difference in the lives of thousands of children, families
and single adults who have found themselves homeless."

  The mosaic features the many ways Village supporters have contributed to the organization over the years. Likenesses of volunteers accompanying children to summer camp, a doctor treating a patient, a foster grandparent comforting an infant and other displays of outreach adorn the piece.

  The 3,024-square-foot mosaic is visible from as far away as Coronado and will bid adieu to Padres fans as they leave Petco Park heading east on Imperial Avenue.