Where passion meets impact
In the Auray household, St. Vincent de Paul is described as a ‘yes’ charity.
YES to ideas.
YES to partnership.
YES to getting things done.
Bob and Marion Auray found that SVdP’s culture of ‘yes’ creates common ground, welcoming everyone to contribute and play a meaningful role in building a better community.
For Bob, his ‘yes’ moment came after attending SVdP’s annual breakfast fundraiser. He left feeling on fire and wanting to do more — something beyond giving his dollar.
That led him to get involved with Angels on Call, a SVdP smartphone application and giving platform that offers a one-to-one opportunity for a donor to provide instant financial support to a person or family on the verge of homelessness or already on the street. Bob has backed the project with time and money, playing an integral role in the app’s development and vision.
“It comes down to head, hands, heart,” Bob says. “Do things to stimulate your mind, do things to keep yourself physically active, but also do things to keep your spirits enthused.” Angels on Call has provided Bob with that opportunity.
As Bob grew his relationship with St. Vincent de Paul, Marion found a way in which her talents and animal rescue background could help. She saw a gap in care for pets of people experiencing homelessness and with SVdP, founded the Companion Animal Program (CAP).
“They could have told me, ‘We only focus on human services,’” Marion says. “There are a million reasons to say no. And yet, they said yes. I just find that extraordinary.”
Now CAP has pet pantries established at each of SVdP’s charity dining rooms and hosts wellness and spay/neuter clinics with many community partners, including Arizona Humane Society, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, and Midwestern University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Marion and Bob both volunteer at the wellness clinics, helping care reach a previously underserved population of pets, while also giving owners hope. (Pets are often their only source of companionship.)
“I don’t ever again want to be a donor only,” Marion says. “There has been so much more fulfillment for me as I’ve grown my involvement and been part of St. Vincent de Paul’s growth.”
Not only have the Aurays generously donated to the Common Ground Capital Campaign in support of the new animal clinic to be built as part of Ozanam Manor II, but they’ve also made a Common Ground Endowment gift to make sure that the SVdP programs they love and help spearhead will be here to respond to community need for years to come.
“Our commitment is two-fold,” Bob says. “In the near term, we’re helping to get Angels on Call and the CAP clinic launched. But we also want to make sure our programs continue long into the future. We see Angels on Call and the animal clinic as part of our legacy, something we can leave behind.”
“The generosity of spirit is in all of us, but we don’t always have an opportunity to let that run. I think St. Vincent de Paul has given us that opportunity. Let the generosity run.” – Bob & Marion Auray
