People fill trucks to help St. Vincent de Paul after fire
Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published December 15, 2006
Southfield — There was a line of cars and trucks stretching around a parking lot at Lawrence Technological University Dec. 6, but there was no horn-honking.
They came from all over the area to drop off no-longer-needed toys, clothes and household items to the St. Vincent de Paul Society during a special drive to replace items lost in the Dec. 1 fire at the Flat Rock location, which gutted the building. The cause of the fire was still under investigation as of early this week.
From the Lawrence Tech drive and a drive the day before at Oakland Mall, the society was filling its seventh truck with items for needy families by about 5 p.m. of the second day.
Although the Flat Rock site burned, there is now a trailer about a quarter-mile north of where the store was, in a vacant shopping center south of Vreeland Road, in the 27000 block of Telegraph Road, where donations are being accepted. Donations will be accepted there from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
In less than a week, four trailers set up at the Flat Rock site were filled. It will be at that location indefinitely, and General RV Center of Brownstown Township will provide a recreational vehicle to keep volunteers, which are still needed, warm.
Allstate Insurance was to present a check to the Flat Rock Fund Tuesday. Wayne State University also held a drive last week.
Bill Brazier, St. Vincent de Paul executive director, said donations from the drives included winter clothes, gloves, mittens, hats, toys, bric-a-brac and even bicycles.
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 To donate
To learn more about what items to donate, locations of other stores at which to donate, donation hours, volunteering, making monetary donations and updates, call (877) ST-VINCE (788-4623) or visit www.svdpdet.org.
Monetary donations can also be sent to St. Vincent de Paul, 3000 Gratiot Ave.; Detroit, 48207, Attn: Flat Rock Fund; and through any Fifth Third Bank branch. | He said it was a "true surprise" how many people turned out to make donations, and said experiencing the generosity of people was "very touching," he said.
At the Lawrence Tech drive, student volunteers unloaded backseats and backs of pick-up trucks as cars pulled in close to the trailers, keeping the line moving rather quickly. Although most of the items were from closets and basement, among the donations were new toys, such as three boxes of toy penguins from the new movie "Happy Feet."
Hal Losey, of Berkley and a University of Detroit-Mercy graduate, said he was at the drive to bring in the items he no longer needed.
"I really feel sorry about what happened," he said. "We had some extra things to give to people."
Barbara Adkisson of Oak Park said she was at the drive because she wanted to help. "I've got a lot. I thought I'd share it with someone."
Brazier said funds raised will aid in the immediate recovery efforts for families served in the downriver community and help to open a new thrift store and donation center in the area.
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