CCS and community leaders kick off campaign to help the hungry

Intermountain Catholic

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Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon (at podium), Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and Catholic Community Services Citizen Advisory Board member Denise Winslow spoke at a press conference Aug. 14, promoting the Dinner at Vinny's fundraising campaign to provide meals for people in need. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — A new fundraising campaign to help provide meals for people in need is underway at Catholic Community Services.

"Dinner at Vinny’s" is the evening meal served at CCS’ Saint Vincent de Paul Center in Salt Lake City every night of the year. A new online effort asks the community to buy shares of stock to provide the meals.

Until last October the Salvation Army provided the evening meal at the St. Vincent de Paul Center. Since then, "a group of concerned citizens stepped in with needed funding and volunteer hours to ensure these meals continue to be served," said Denise Winslow, Citizen Advisory committee member, at an Aug. 14 press conference that announced the campaign.

However, more help is needed. "We need to sell at least $1,650 in shares to support the evening meal for one year. The budget is $84,000 a year, $7,000 a month, $235 a night or 40 cents per meal," Winslow said.

A $50 share of stock will provide 120 meals; shares also can be purchased for $10 or $20.

"The involvement of the community means we can serve 400 to 600 meals each night," said Catherine Putnam-Netto, CCS’ Citizen Advisory committee chairwoman. "This is an easy way to participate; all anybody has to do is go online and buy a share and learn more about the program."

The number of people needing housing and meals continues to grow exponentially, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker said at the press conference. "We are vigorously addressing homelessness and hunger in Salt Lake City; they are complex issues, but the government alone cannot do it, nor can businesses, social service organizations or citizens do it alone. But we can address these issues together."

Dinner at Vinny’s is the result of community partners working together, said Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon. "In Salt Lake County 41 percent of the homeless now are families, and to me that is unacceptable," he said. "One of every 50 school-age child is homeless, so hunger is a daily part of their lives, and many more are unsure of where there next meal will come from. So we need Dinner at Vinny’s and other food pantry programs."

The evening meal was started in 1983 by Pastor Ginger Memmott of Wasatch Presbyterian Church; two parishioners, Paul Hewitt and Rafael Kyremes; and the Salvation Army.

"Pastor Memmott visited a homeless shelter and dining hall in San Francisco and started a meal in Salt Lake City," said Hewitt. "We made arrangements with the various shelters and ran a bus route for seven years every Tuesday night from October through April and bused about 300 people to various churches for a meal. During Easter Holy Week we served a dinner the whole week. The program grew and moved to the Salvation Army Center and then St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall."

For information or to purchase stock in Dinner at Vinny’s, visit share@dinneratvinnys.org.