![]() ![]() The summer at the Lofesnes household had a lasting impact on John. Lucille noted, “We thought he’d like to play ball, so we bought a right-handed glove but Johnny was left-handed and had no interest in baseball!” To Lucille’s surprise, John was more interested in the family piano, “I don’t think he’d ever had his hands on a piano before, but we found that he could pick out tunes by ear.” John Southall comes from a big family on Chicago’s west side and was one of around 50 school age children from Marillac who participated in the Friendly Town project the summer of 1970. ![]() To read more about MSV history, visit our history and heritage page.ĭr. “We were always looking to find ways to bring more children into our lives,” recounted Lucille, “we had four children of our own by that time, so having Johnny come was really special for us.”īlast from the past! A preschool teacher is seen here reading to the children in her classroom at St. ![]() The program, known as “Friendly Town” began in 1960 by the Community Renewal Society, bused youth from Marillac Social Center to host families in rural upper-Midwest towns as part of a cultural exchange designed to be a formative experience for the Chicago kids and the host families alike. In 1969, Lucille and her family answered an ad in the church bulletin for households interested in welcoming a young person from Chicago into their home for a two-week stay. “I picked up the phone and never expected this flood of fascinating history to come over the line,” exclaimed MSV Development Director, Dan Summins. One such piece of MSV history might have never been retold if it weren’t for a recent phone call from a Minot North Dakota number to our Development office a few weeks ago. With over one hundred years of history, there are countless stories that have been lost over the generations of families, individuals, and staff who have been part of the Marillac St. Cultural Exchange Program Brought Communities Togetherįront entrance of the old Marillac House building with children and staff waving from the steps, circa 1970's. ![]()
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