The Society of St. Vincent de Paul reported that a group of moms and daughters joined forces to collect food and supplies for the community's needy. 

The teams of moms and daughters from the Sonoran Centennial Chapter of the National Charity League (NCL) are dedicated to the areas of community service and cultural experiences, among others. In July, the teams were able to work with numerous individuals from the community as they collected donations in 15 driveways as part of the Driveway Drive for St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Vincent’s volunteer engagement liaison, Shawn Donnelly, is the individual who conceived the Driveway Drive and thought it was a great way to harness the involvement of the community while staying safe from possible transmission of bacteria.

“The basic principle came from showing you can help those in need by creating a drive without leaving your own driveway,” Donnelly told St. Vincent de Paul. 

The NCL Sonoran Chapter collected vast amounts of food and other vital supplies. Their total collection of food weighed in at 592 pounds. They also collected 238 books, 53 toys and board games, 26 new pairs of men’s socks, 15 men’s t-shirts and three packs of adult diapers. 

“Now, maybe more than ever before, we need to be creative and intentional to reach out and allow our community to have an impact and help others,” Donnelly said. “As we are all physically distancing, we need to come together however we can. By providing these opportunities, we remind everyone we are all in this together and that we can continue to make a difference in the lives of others.”

The donations from the Driveway Drive went to St. Vincent’s Dream Center for Children and the Resource Center, both of which work tirelessly to help those who are in vulnerable situations.