Thanks to St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation of Eastern Tennessee Inc. and the work of Mary Lampagnano, a parishioner of St Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Glade, grant funds have been awarded to the St. Vincent de Paul Foundation of Cumberland County.
St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation provides assistance to East Tennesseeans through programs of charity, health and edu cation.
The $2,700 grant runs through Nov. 30, 2026. The funds will be used to purchase clothing items, shoes and personal care items appropriate for Neighbors In Need who are currently staying at WyndRidge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Crossville.
“You can tell when the Holy Spirit inspires people to reach beyond what mere humans think they are capable of doing and becoming,” said Teresa Bryerton, who will be administering the grant. “Such was the case in early 2025 when members of the St. Francis of Assisi church in Fairfield Glade joined together to create a local chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.”
St. Vincent de Paul Society groups exist all around the world to encourage people to band together to meet the needs of others in their communities – right in their neighbors’ homes, to help alleviate suffering.
Anyone can join these non-profit foundations and receive training to go, in groups of two, to visit people in the community who have been identified as needing immediate assistance.
“In general, our Neighbors In Need (NIN) may need help to pay this month’s rent or utilities, require car repairs, food, clothing or even information about where to reach out for these and other kinds of assistance,” Bryerton said.
In addition to visiting people in their homes to offer help, there are others in this ministry who visit lonely, low-income people who have no local family to visit them in their temporary, or long-term homes, such as WyndRidge.
“Our neighbors in need usually are on Medicaid and have limited resources of their own to purchase clothing or shoes or even personal care items,” Bryerton added.
Contact Kim Dix at svdp.cc.tn@gmail.com for more information about joining, helping or donating to St. Vincent de Paul Foundation of Cumberland County.