After an electrical fire destroyed his family’s trailer, Tim Coleman took out a loan against his land to build a new home, but had only enough money for three concrete walls. “The job I had at a lumber yard didn’t pay much,” Coleman says, “and I had no way of finishing the house.” Out of options, he and his family lived in an old school bus parked next to their half-completed home. A year later, a friend put the Colemans in touch with Rural Parish Workers of Christ the King, a group of Catholic women who help more than 3,000 poor residents of Washington County each year. Through its network of supporters, Rural Parish Workers gave the Colemans materials to finish their home. “They really made a difference in our lives,” Coleman says. “We’d still be in the bus if it wasn’t for them.”
Stories like this inspired Laura Butsch to join Friends of the Rural Parish Workers, an organization dedicated to supporting the nonprofit’s efforts. “I love that the group not only gives things away, but it also gives people a means to help themselves,” Butsch says. “That creates a new legacy for families for generations to come.” Now in her 20th year with the group, Butsch is chairperson for this year’s Friends of the Rural Parish Workers Luncheon and Fashion Show at The Ritz-Carlton Oct. 9.
Started 48 years ago by a dozen Saint Louis University alumnae, the fashion show has grown to include 45 committee members and more than 600 attendees. This year’s event begins at 10 a.m. with clothing and art vendors, followed at noon by cocktails and lunch. The runway show, produced by Sean Phillips, creator of stlouisinstyle.com, and emceed by Elizabeth Tucker, features the latest fall fashions from Chesterfield Mall and West County Center. Participating stores include American Girl, Ann Taylor, Camille Le Vie, Evereve, Francesca’s, The Limited, Lindberg, White House Black Market and other fashion retailers from both shopping centers. “You feel like you’re at a runway show in New York, Paris or Milan,” Butsch says. Archbishop Robert Carlson will attend the luncheon, and 2015 Miss Missouri Rebecca Dunn will serve as a celebrity model in the runway show.
Although the Rural Parish Workers receives money from the Archiocese of St. Louis, the annual fashion show provides much of the funding for the group’s projects. “They truly rely on us because it’s a big part of their budget each year,” Butsch says. Money raised from the event helps provide families like the Colemans with basic needs, including shelter, food, clothing and medical supplies. It’s also used to support such services as a food pantry, self-help work programs, and educational, religious and social activities. “What most people don’t realize is there are more impoverished people living in rural parts of America than in the inner cities,” Butsch says. “Rural Parish Workers is not just giving a hand out, they are empowering these families to end the cycle of welfare.”
Pictured: Models from the Friends of the Rural Parish Workers Fashion Show
Photo: Bill Barrett
Photograph taken at the CWE Portland Place mansion of James and Michelle Mannebach
[The annual Friends of the Rural Parish Workers Luncheon and Fashion Show, benefiting the Rural Parish Workers of Christ The King, takes place Friday, Oct. 9, at the Ritz-Carlton. The show, produced by StLouisInStyle.com, features the latest fall looks from retailers at Chesterfield Mall and West County Center. Tickets start at $75, tables at $750. Pictured on the cover: Sean Phillips, founder of StLouisInStyle.com and Regional Director of Marketing for CBL & Associates Properties, which owns and operates Chesterfield Mall and West County Center. For tickets, call committee member Cathy Inkley at 314.469.1175 (home) or 314.780.1192 (cell). For more information, visit RPWCK.org. Cover photo by Suzy Gorman, Brioni shirt from Neiman Marcus]