St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore is pleased to announce the launch of Equinox, a unique event to raise funds and awareness to end homelessness in Baltimore presented by M&T Bank. On Friday, September 24, 2021 approximately 500 people will gather at the Baltimore Museum of Industry to enjoy a Chesapeake-inspired menu, beer, wine, and spirits, creative lighting, silent and live auctions, and lively and fun music from Reverend Smackmaster & the Congregation of Funk.
The theme for Equinox is “Be the Light You Want to See”. Funds raised will go directly to supporting shelter and housing programs of St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore.
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Equinox is important because on any given night, over 4,000 people in the Baltimore region experience homelessness. As the largest provider of homeless services in the area, St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore is leading the way towards achieving an end to homelessness in our community. SVDP offers a wide range of services and solutions to address this complex community problem, including individual and family shelters, prevention, shelter diversion services, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing.
“Our services continued uninterrupted throughout the pandemic. But the economic impact of Covid-19 has brought new challenges, with thousands of people now facing severe financial hardships and eviction” said John Schiavone, President & CEO of SVDP. St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore is actively working to prevent more people from falling into homelessness, and moving those struggling with homelessness to housing. This new event will provide a way for people to support this important and urgent cause and be part of the solution.
Due to these unprecedented times, to ensure a safe and enjoyable event for everyone, SVDP is taking some precautionary measures for this year’s event. The main event activities will be outdoor using the venue’s outdoor pavilion and additional tented areas. Pre-registration will be required for all attendees that will include vaccination verification, and those working the event, will be vaccinated as well. When inside the Baltimore Museum of Industry building, guests will be asked to wear a mask. These important safeguards will allow for an amazing, worry-free event for all guests.
We are very pleased to announce the following sponsors for Equinox. Additional sponsors will be added throughout the summer in advance of the event:
Background on Event: The name Equinox is drawn from the twice a year astronomical event when daytime and nighttime are of equal duration all over the world. Historically, the Fall Equinox was a time for harvest celebrations that united communities and involved people coming together to share the bounty from their fields. In that spirit, the Equinox event is a celebration of the ideals of kindness, sharing, and equal opportunity for all, symbolized through light.
The planning for our debut Equinox event began in the summer of 2019 and was originally intended to be held in September of 2020. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced those plans to be put on hold and a virtual event was held in its place. While the pandemic is still not fully behind us, amazing breakthroughs in vaccine technology has allowed every adult to now have access to safe vaccines. With many in our community vaccinated against COVID-19, and the number of vaccinated adults growing every day, we believe that by September 2021 the Baltimore community will be more than ready to enjoy a safe, outdoor event—especially after 18 months of social distancing!
About St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore: St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore is a leading provider of community services to people suffering from the effects of hunger, homelessness and poverty in Baltimore, Maryland. Our mission is to ensure those impacted by poverty have the skills, resources, and opportunity to achieve their full potential.
