Dinner Auction
Our heartfelt thanks go out to Roger
Gibeault and Mary McGinley, who
hosted the Fourth Annual Vermont
Dismas House Perennial Sale. This
year’s spring event brought in $4,450
to benefit Vermont Dismas House.
Roger, a founding member of VDH
and past Board President, and Mary,
also a longtime volunteer of VDH,
have combined their passion for
gardening and their commitment to
social justice issues to pull off an
amazing event that dazzles even
veteran gardeners. They hosted the
event at their home on Pine Street.
Spring Perennial Sale a Great Success
Page 2 of 4
Twenty years later almost 400 former
prisoners have called Vermont
Dismas House home. The house has
been painted different colors over the
Vermont Dismas House Celebrates… (Continued from page 1)
Roger was constantly potting up
perennials in his makeshift potting
workshop, which had taken over the
garage. When Mary wasn’t at his side
she was keeping us fed with home
baked goods. Walter Papps, another
friend of Dismas helped with set up
and break down as well as potting
plants.
While it rained for five out of the five
days the sale was held, it didn’t
discourage hardy Vermont gardeners.
They came in rain slickers and
umbrellas.
IBM volunteers hold a potting party
before Plant Sale
years and the flower gardens have
become more elaborate but many of
the original volunteers and staff are
still involved. The staff at Vermont
A record crowd of 350 people
attended the 21st Annual Vermont
Dismas House Dinner & Auction held
on May 14th 2006. Dismas House
raised over $51,000 for their important
work.
Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead
Man Walking was this year’s guest
speaker.
Sister Helen became pen pals with an
inmate on death row and later wrote
about that experience in her book,
Dead Man Walking. Sister Helen told
her Dismas audience that Dismas
House is important because of its
focus on reconciliation, giving former
prisoners a chance to redeem
themselves. “Redemption is about
when we fall, when we struggle, when
we mess up and get up again and
make something of ourselves,” she
said. “Dismas House is a sign of hope
that human life can be restored.”
Vermont Dismas House honored
Marmete Hayes and Mercy Sister
Miriam Ward, both of Burlington with
the annual Jack Hickey Award.
Edmundite Father Richard Myhalyk,
President of the Vermont Dismas
House Board of Directors, presented
Richard Gagné with a surprise award
for 20 years of service furthering the
mission of reconciliation.
House Director Richard Gagné was
part of the committee that eventually
opened Vermont Dismas House in
Burlington.
Richard Gagné and Family
Dismas House
are grateful to that
group of volunteers who had the
vision and compassion to stand with
those who have been incarcerated.
Sister Miriam Ward and Marmete Hayes receive award
96 Buell Street · Burlington, VT 05401
802.658.0381 · info@dismasofvermont.org · www.dismasofvermont.org
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