A young guest at FEM holds up her handmade Valentine's Day bag.

Stickers of Love

The Dream Center kids get "creative" with Valentine's Day bags

The holidays are a special time at St. Vincent de Paul, especially in the NextPhase Family Dining Room. From costumes and trick-or-treating for Halloween, to crafts and toy giveaways for Christmas, the dining truly is a vibrant community for the families who come here each night for a hot meal and educational support.

This year, the kiddos celebrated Valentine's Day in the Dream Center by expressing their creativity and decorating Valentine's-Day-inspired bags with markers and any stickers they pleased. 

Amberly, pictured above, is a kindergartener who comes to the Family Dining Room with her parents. She proudly holds up the bag she designed with some of her favorite stickers.

Leslie Ramirez, the Dream Center Program Supervisor, said that some of the bags were even made with special people in mind, like siblings or parents. 

As Valentine's Day approached, the bags were filled with candies and notes to let the each of the kids know how special and loved they were.

This moment, a small part of a larger holiday celebration, shows just how much love goes into and comes out of the Dream Center each and every day.