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Community Corner

Divine Mercy Outreach of St. Theresa's

An organization within the Catholic church grew from grew from an inspiration to help those in need.

In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina took its toll on Louisiana and Mississippi, people all over the country were inspired to help, including a small group at a church in Ashburn. Six years later, Divine Mercy Outreach of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church has grown from three volunteers to 300 and has centered its efforts on those in need closer to home.

“We felt that God was calling us to create an outreach group and since then it has grown leaps and bounds,” said Marianne Guidos, the organization’s coordinator.

Divine Mercy has become a major outreach program within Loudoun County, assisting families and individuals who are experiencing difficulties such as homelessness, eviction, overwhelming household bills and illness.

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“By offering our help and encouragement we are able to help these individuals and families get back on their feet and become self sufficient,” Guidos explained.

The group does this by providing financial support as well as various household items, including furniture, toiletries, cleaning supplies, food and clothing.  Many of the donations come from parishioners in the church.

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“People always come through when there is something that we are in need of. We are blessed with wonderful people,” said Guidos of the congregation.

At Christmastime, St. Theresa’s put up a Christmas tree full of cards representing families in need. The parishioners fulfilled the needs of all of the people represented on the tree. And because of the generosity of people that own storage facilities and pickup trucks, Divine Mercy is able to store donations year-round.

But what makes the biggest impact on the outreach program is its major fundraiser, Catholic Consignments. Held twice a year, the event generates big bucks for the organization.

“We gross about $60,000 for each of our two annual consignment sales. After we pay out consigners, we net a total of $30,000 each year. All of that money goes back into the community,” Laura Dumouchelle, Catholic Consignments’ coordinator, said.

The next sale will be held Saturday, March 19, at St. Theresa’s Church, which is located off Broadlands Boulevard. From 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., shoppers can comb through multitudes of clothes, toys, layette items, furniture and large equipment. All of the items are classified as gently used. From noon to 1:30 p.m., all items are marked 50 percent off.  Then, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., the sale turns into a “dollar dash,” where everything is sold at huge discounts.

Catholic Consignments is such a highly anticipated event that people regularly drive from Pennsylvania and New York and plan their yearly visits around the date of the sale. Dumouchelle said that’s because of the “quality of offerings” and the “good bargains.”

The icing on the cake is that all of the money goes to charity and stays in Loudoun County.

“Ashburn is such an affluent area that sometimes we forget that people in our own communities are less fortunate and are in need of help,” Guidos said.

But if the growth in the number of volunteers over the past six years tells you anything, it’s that Divine Mercy will be helping its neighbors for years to come.

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