Children receive donated toys on December 23, 1948, at the St. Vincent’s Infant Asylum, an orphanage, which later merged with the DePaul Day Nursery and Settlement House to become the St. Vincent de Paul Center. (Image courtesy of Special Collections and Archives)
This year, the DePaul University Library is supporting the Marillac St. Vincent Family Services holiday donation. Marillac House in East Garfield Park is seeking new, unwrapped toys to assist families in providing gifts through the organization's Christmas Store.Families in Marillac House programs typically select toys and gifts at a Christmas Store stocked with the donations. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year volunteers will fill specific wish lists and have the presents packed and ready for pickup. Either way, gifts are tailored to the children and families in their social service programs to make their holidays special and personal.
For those interested in participating, gifts should be donated in new, unwrapped condition. A donation box is located near the entrance of the John T. Richardson Library in Lincoln Park. Library staff will deliver the toys to Marillac House in time for volunteers to organize them for the Christmas Store. The organization has an Amazon Wish List for gift inspiration. If you choose to order from Amazon, you may ship the gifts to yourself and deliver them to the library by Friday, Dec. 10 at noon. Alternatively, ship directly to Marillac House (212 S. Francisco Ave. Chicago, IL 60612) to arrive by Dec. 14.
Marillac House also is accepting volunteers at the Christmas Store Dec. 14 – 17. For more information, contact volunteers@marillacstvincent.org using the subject line “Volunteering at the Christmas Store."
Library staff chose to work with Marillac St. Vincent Family Services this year because of the DePaul's current and historical intersections. The university was honored with the 2021 Outstanding Community Partner Award at the Beacon of Hope luncheon in October for the many partnerships between the university, the Lincoln Park St. Vincent de Paul Center and Marillac Social Center in East Garfield Park.
The Daughters of Charity founded these social service programs in Chicago more than 100 years ago. They began with kindergarten and settlement house services, and continued to provide vital programs and services in the areas of early childhood education, youth services and community outreach services. Louise de Marillac and Vincent de Paul founded the Daughters of Charity in 1633 in Paris.
Special Collections and Archives holds archival collections on the Daughters of Charity as well as a collection of documents and photographs detailing the history of the St. Vincent de Paul Center.