Webster family still making difference at St. Vincent de Paul

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN | alcorn@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Descendants of Donald and Louise Webster arrived en masse Friday morning to help prepare and serve meals at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall.

Preparing and serving meals at St. Vincent de Paul on Front Street is a tradition for the Webster family that began five years ago “as a service project to demonstrate to the relatively privileged youth in our family that many in our community are much less fortunate, hungry and even homeless,” said Mark Boyd.

“Donald and Louise Webster were longtime residents of Youngstown, and we believe they would be very proud of this family tradition,” he said.

That first year, Boyd, of Columbus, arrived at the dining hall with two nieces and two granddaughters in tow: Gabrielle, Kierra and Daisha Boyd and Madison Hayes, who were little girls at the time.

He dubbed it the Webster Family Youth Project; but as the years went by, more and more adults in the family became interested, and the little girls became teenagers who say the experience makes them feel good.

“Most people are out shopping doing something for themselves. It feels good to give back. It makes you very grateful for what you have and makes you realize not everybody has that much,” said Gabrielle (Gabby), 13, a student at Howland Middle School.

“I like coming out and making a difference. I like helping. It makes you feel good,” said Kierra, 15, a student at Moniteau High School in West Sunbury, Pa.

Daisha Boyd, 14, a leader at Rayen Early College, said she is glad to come to the dining hall to help “as much as I can” some people who can’t do it themselves.

More than a dozen of the 50 grandchildren, great-grandchilden and great-great-grandchildren of Donald and Louise Webster worked at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall on Friday, many of them adults.

“Over the last five years, we have come to realize that the lesson [we wanted our children to learn] is just as meaningful and rewarding for the adults in our family,” said Mark Boyd, a 1978 graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School and a 1983 graduate of Youngstown State University.

“It’s beautiful, bringing the family together to help people,” said Dawn Bissell of Rutland, Ohio, Boyd’s girlfriend.

“Maybe we are not wealthy, but we have family and friends and it feels good to give back,” said Boyd.

With Donald and Louise Webster deceased, the succeeding patriarch and matriarch of the family are Willard and Joan Boyd, a professor at YSU.

“You like to see your kids and grandkids coming out in this day and age, when many are so self-centered,” said Willard, a Postal Service employee who retired as the North Lima postmaster.

“It’s also gratifying to see the appreciation of the [St. Vincent de Paul] patrons,” he said.

The Webster family is grateful to the “wonderful and dedicated staff of the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall for providing a venue that allows us to give back to our community while teaching our youth a valuable lesson in community service and gratitude. We encourage other families to donate their time and money to this outstanding organization,” said Mark Boyd.

He offered special thanks to Skip Barone, dining hall director, who “from day one has made us feel at home here. No matter how many we bring, he finds a place for us,” he said.

“In addition to putting out very good meals and his managerial skills, he has a big heart. He is a walking saint,” Boyd said.

Barone said individuals, churches and community organizations are welcome to contact him at 330-746-1128 about donations of time, money and new and lightly used clothing.