500 stockings are filled for the less fortunate

Intermountain Catholic

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The Saint Olaf community comes together in with their families to fill stockings for men, women, boys, and girls who go to the Saint Vincent de Paul Center for a hot meal on Christmas Day. IC photos by Christine Young

BOUNTIFUL — The Saint Olaf Parish Women’s Council held their Annual Stocking Stuffer and potluck dinner Dec. 5 in the Saint Olaf McNamara Center.

The Stocking Stuffer is held so the Saint Olaf community can come together to help those less fortunate and those in need at Christmas time. They filled 500 stockings are filled and then delivered to Catholic Community Services (CCS) Saint Vincent de Paul Center on 200 South and 400 West. The stockings are given out on Christmas Day, along with a hot meal served by the Jewish and Muslim community.

Three hundred stockings were filled for men, which is the largest population of those who go to Saint Vincent de Paul on a daily basis for a hot meal. One hundred stockings were filled for women, 50 stockings were filled for boys, and 50 stockings were filled for girls.

The eighth confirmation class helped sort items to earn services hours. Students from Judge Memorial Catholic High School who attend Saint Olaf Parish also earned service hours.

The donated stockings are filled with toiletry items parishioners collect throughout the years as they travel on business and on vacation. The stockings are placed in a red plastic bag along with a hat, gloves, and scarves the women tied at their September general meeting. The children each received a toy. The Saint Olaf students made Christmas cards to go in each of the red bags.

The women’s council serves coffee and donuts following each Mass on Sunday throughout the year from September to May. From June through August, they serve cookies and coffee outside. Proceeds from coffee and donuts and coffee and cookies are given to the Saint Vincent de Paul Center to use for those in need.

This is a project the parish looks forward to every years that gives even the small children satisfaction.