1983

OUR VILLAGE:
The Center leased motel housing for 200 at the El Cortez Travolator. Services included overnight shelter, breakfast, basic medical care and a one-room school operated by the San Diego Unified School District.

St. Vincent de Paul Ladies Guild founded to assist Father Joe and the Center.

This volunteer corps of Father Joe’s former parishioners was formed into the Ladies of Charity, Auxiliary to St. Vincent de Paul Center. The Ladies assisted in fund raising activities and volunteered their talents to many programs at the Center and later St. Vincent de Paul Village. In 1994, the Auxiliary became the Village Ladies Guild, having voted to focus its efforts entirely on serving and raising money for St. Vincent de Paul Village. Through the years, the Ladies have worked selflessly in many important Village traditions, such as:

• helping parents find presents for their children at no charge at the yearly Santa’s Workshop and Easter clothes for the children during the annual spring shopping spree
• serving countless meals including the day after Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and many days between
• assisting every June at the annual San Diego International Triathlon benefiting the Village
• helping register and assist participants in Father Joe’s annual Thanksgiving Day 5K in Balboa Park
• stuffing hundreds of thousands of envelopes with appeals from Father Joe

Early member of the Ladies Guild and Father Joe

SD HISTORY:
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II visits San Diego.

FATHER JOE:
Father Joe begins publishing a St. Vincent de Paul Center newsletter in February,
with news of the Center, plans for the Village and ways to support it.