LDS church donates to St. Vincent de Paul store

CASA GRANDE — The St. Vincent de Paul organization in Casa Grande has long been known for helping people in times of need.

The organization runs a food bank and thrift store and regularly assists area people with food, clothing and other needs throughout Casa Grande, Stanfield and Maricopa.

But recently, the organization found itself in need when it was time to replace the aging security system in its thrift store.

They turned to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Casa Grande, which donated $4,030 for a new security system.

“The need for this grant donation from our church to St. Vincent de Paul came about when Deacon Bob (Penzenstadler of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church) contacted me recently and asked about the possibility of our church helping replace their antiquated security system,” said LDS stake Liaison Scott McEuen.

In response to the need, stake President Chad Rowley contacted Bob Shaha, regional welfare and self reliance director for the LDS to see if the church could help St. Vincent’s.

Jerry and Pat Scheiber, directors of the St. Vincent de Paul store, then invited McEuen and Shaha to visit the organization’s thrift store and offices, giving them a tour and showing them the outdated security system.

“After touring the facility as well as knowing the good that is done in that store, we came to the conclusion that this was, indeed, a worthy project to explore funding from our church’s humanitarian department,” McEuen said. “After completing the grant application and submitting to Salt Lake City, the Humanitarian Services Department came to the same conclusion.”

A check was issued to the organization in June.

McEuen said that the two churches have always had a good working relationship on various benevolent projects.

“I am certain that helping play into this positive decision, was due to the fact that a partnership has been formed over the years between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and St. Vincent de Paul,” he said. “We feel that helping individuals be spiritually fed is important, but it is also necessary to help individuals have food to eat — to take care of their physical needs.”

Working together, members of both faiths have formed personal relationships, he said.

On Thursday, members of the LDS church and St. Anthony Church gathered to celebrate the donation.

“Projects such as this are able to come about due to personal relationships that have been established with individuals such as Deacon Bob, Father Ariel (Lustan of St. Anthony) and other church leaders over the years and is ongoing today,” McEuen said. “Our church feels privileged to work hand in hand with many churches and organizations in our area to help the less fortunate. We are also fortunate to have local civic leaders who share the same vision. And, we are fortunate to have a local newspaper that helps build momentum and synergism through publishing these events.”

The philanthropic arm of the LDS church has also made several recent food donations to area food banks recently.

In May, the LDS Bishops’ Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City donated 12,000 pounds of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts to area food banks.

In April, they donated 80 tons of food to organizations in Casa Grande and Eloy.

Located at 405 E. Second St., the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store raises funds for the organization’s community assistance programs, including its food boxes for the hungry, back to school program, work with the homeless and assistance to those in need.

The store sells donated clothing, furniture, books, household items, electronics, appliances and other things.