On May 18, Marillac St. Vincent Family Services (MSV) held their annual Lumiere Gala, formerly Fleur de Lis, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of St. Louise de Marillac’s — known as “Lumiere” or “vision of light” — pursuit to be in service to others. Her mission and initial efforts manifested into the Daughters of Charity in Paris, France, which later laid the foundation for the now century-old organization we know today as Marillac St. Vincent Family Services in Chicago.
At the gala, guests were welcomed to an evening of dining — catered by Food for Thought — while sipping on Diageo brand spirits — with specialty cocktails such as the Lumiere Lemon Drop. Afterwards, attendees broke into dancing, with the help of entertainment from Howl2Go, before the live and silent auctions kicked off — all of which was set to the beautiful backdrop of Chicago’s skyline. Also featured was a video highlighting MSV’s recent impact in Chicago communities and, most notably, Me’Chelle Robinson performed her spoken word piece for the audience, fittingly titled Lumiere.
As a longtime partner of MSV, AT&T was recognized for their outstanding contributions to the organization. For their support, they received the Luminary Award which was accepted by Eileen Mitchell, President of AT&T Illinois and former MSV trustee.
In massive thanks to the 300 people who attended the fundraiser, the Lumiere Gala raised $600,000 for their programs such as maternal and infant health; early childhood education; before and after-school care; youth programming; community outreach services; and senior care programming. Securing these resources ensures that the MSV team continues to deliver quality care to program participants in their time of need.
Want to support MSV’s work and the people they serve? Visit Marillac St. Vincent Family Services and donate.
To watch Me’Chelle Robinson’s powerful spoken word piece, Lumiere, stream it online — courtesy of MSV.
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Margaret Smith is a Chicago-based writer and editor with a passion for socio-political storytelling about their community. They are a graduate of Columbia College Chicago.
