St. Vincent de Paul opens it’s doors for Easter Sunday

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - No matter what your story is or where you come from, everyone deserves to have a happy Easter. To make that possible for as many as they can, St. Vincent de Paul opened its doors to the community. Throughout most of the day, those in need of a hot meal and other essential items eagerly waited outside the doors for a little Easter treat.

“This is the first time we’re back sitting down in the dining room, and last Easter was to-go meals. This Easter, it’s nice to have people back in our dining facility,” said Michael Acaldo with St. Vincent de Paul.

Hot food, extra clothes, and Easter baskets for the little ones were all included. According to Acaldo, they served more guests than anticipated. He credits that to inflation, which is hurting many families.

“You know inflation is crazy. Every time you go to the grocery store, a week later, meat, and other necessities are sky high and going up every day,” Acaldo added.

The dining room was not only filled with people wanting a hot meal but with volunteers looking to make a difference.

“To give back and watch the smile on the faces and the children. No one should go without food, and no one should go without a bed to sleep in. So, anything that we can do to touch these people’s lives, and just one smile, makes me know that I’ve done something hopefully for the good of Baton Rouge and my community,” said Dawn Escott, who was there today as a volunteer.

It may not seem like much, but even the smallest gestures can make all the difference in the world.

“That’s what makes it worth it. It’s very hard to watch people in distress. And most of these people are in distress due to many issues. But to add just a little bit of joy to the day, just a little bit of happiness, makes my heart full and makes me want to continue to do this... it makes it all worth it,” Dawn continued.

This year marks St. Vincent de Paul’s 157th year serving the community. To find out how you can get involved in future charity events, click here.

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