2024 - A Message from the Chair
With the end and beginning of each year, I often times find myself in a state of reflection. I think this is natural for many of us. In the moments leading up to the clock striking midnight on the last day of year, who doesn’t look back at the prior 365 days with some semblance of apprehension, joy, fulfillment, or even confusion?
“Where did all the time go, and what was accomplished?!”
As Chair of the St. Patrick Center Young Professionals (SPC YP) Board in 2023, two words come to mind when thinking about this question.
Impact
In 2023, SPC YP helped serve hundreds of meals through our monthly dinner service at St. Patrick Center and their Women’s Night Program. Focused on high-needs women experiencing homelessness, Women’s Night Program is our board’s monthly opportunity to serve St. Patrick Center clients, many of whom suffer from mental illness or substance abuse disorders.
I’ve never left these dinner services without an appreciation for the work St. Patrick Center does, gratefulness for my fellow board members, and a clear sense of the impact each of us can have every day.
Awareness
SPC YP volunteered at and supported several St. Patrick Center programs throughout the year, one of which was Christmas Wishes. Christmas Wishes assists more than 450 SPC clients and their families in purchasing Christmas gifts. As a board, we fundraised and sponsored ten families, and ultimately wrapped presents as a board at our annual Christmas Party.
Buying a present so someone else may celebrate Christmas – this seemingly simple act leaves me with the profound belief that we are all connected in our humanity, in our community, in our neighborhoods.
When I talk to people about Christmas Wishes, Women’s Night Program, or St. Patrick Center in general, they seem to share this belief too, which fuels me when thinking about how we can continue to drive awareness around SPC’s mission in 2024.
The story of 2024 has yet to be written, but I know it will be full of “Thanks You”s. With my tenure on the SPC YP Leadership Team drawing to a close this summer, I could not be more grateful for the SPC YP board members new and old, SPC staff, and everyone in-between who made 2023 a year worth looking back on with a smile.
As we look into 2024, I welcome you to join me in our mission of continued impact and awareness! If you are a young professional interested in joining the SPC YP Board and our fight against homelessness in the St. Louis region, please fill out the new member application and reach out to Rachel Hansen (rhansen@stpatrickcenter.org) to get started.
