Give Me a Chance fundraiser scheduled for Sept. 7

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OGDEN — Enchantment in the Summer Garden, the primary fundraiser for Give Me A Chance, a Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul ministry that serves low-income women and children, will be held on Sept. 7 this year.

Give Me A Chance was founded in 2010 by Daughter of Charity Sister Maria Nguyen, who established the program as a way for low-income women to achieve self-sufficiency. GMAC teaches workplace skills such as sewing, computer and keyboarding to low-income women to enable them to obtain better jobs. It also provides art classes for all ages and an after-school program for children.

Currently the program is run by three Daughters of Charity — Executive Director Sister Arthur Gordon, Sr. Milagros Federico and Sr. Lucia-Lam Nguyen.

Enchantment in the Summer Garden, which will be held at the center’s Guadalupe Garden, will include hors d’oeuvres, dinner by Union Grill, a silent auction, music by Shades of Gray and a live auction. In addition, during a fashion show, women from the program’s sewing classes will model some of their creations as well as merchandise from the DeMarillac Formal Attire store. The store provides training opportunities for individuals in sewing, alterations and store management.

Members of the art classes will also display their work, some of which will be for sale, throughout the garden.

The fundraiser is “very, very important for all of the programs we have —  all of the classes for low-income women and children are free of charge, “ Sr. Arthur said. “The people who come and give, they really become part of what we’re able to accomplish here for the women and children; we couldn’t do it without them.”

The Guadalupe Garden, which is adjacent to the Give Me a Chance facility on Grant Avenue, was dedicated in October 2016. The garden, which features a winding pathway through trees and flowers, an oriental-inspired bridge across a flowing creek and a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, is meant to serve as a place of relaxation and prayer.  The fountain is surrounded by memorial stones dedicated in memory of donors’ loved ones.

“The garden is getting more beautiful all the time,” Sr. Arthur said.

Attendance at the fundraiser has grown every year, and Sr. Arthur said they’re anticipating even more participants than ever. This year Bishop Oscar A. Solis is planning to attend the event.

Enchantment in the Summer Garden will be held in a large tent so inclement weather should not be a problem.

Give Me A Chance also hosts a yearly golf tournament to help provide funding for the program and its facilities. The sisters are exploring options to renovate its large hall to provide more classrooms, Sister Arthur said.