Catholic Social Justice Alive at St. Michael
2009
A Year of Caring, Giving, Serving
It is often said that the true measure of any parish is how well it ministers to the poor and vulnerable in its midst. Your parish, through the generosity of its parishioners, is able to respond to that requirement through three primary outreach programs: The Saint Vincent de Paul Society Conference (SVDP), Food Collection for Christian Community Services Center (CCSC) and the Gabriel Project.
Over the past twelve months we have logged over 550 calls at the parish for those seeking help, and we provided direct service to over 1,500 clients/family members providing $22,000 in assistance for rent, and utilities.
During the year our SVDP conference also provided $1,500 in financial support to Catholic Charities, SVP Central, the Archdiocese Correctional Ministries, and Prince of Peace Parish. Each of these entities provides services outside of our immediate capabilities, and responds to our overarching mission to assist those in need.
We continue with our school and parish food drives throughout the year, and these items are picked up monthly by CCSC for delivery to their two pantries. Those served from this food source exceeded 1,300. Forty-five percent (45%) of those served were below the age of seventeen, while eight percent (8%) were sixty-five years of age or older. In addition to providing food and clothing to CCSC, we also supported their activities financially with $18,000.
The Gabriel Project is the third of our primary outreach programs. It assists those women or families who may need help with an unplanned pregnancy or basic infant care necessities. Your parish, under the direction of Elizabeth Labanowski and Chris Zenner, provides all the needs a mother might have relating to the daily care and clothing for her child. This year twenty-five (28) new mothers were provided car seats, play pens, clothing and diapers for their newborns at a cost of $2,800. The Baby Bottle Bounce Back project last spring was a tremendous success, and will run again in 2010. Elizabeth and Chris have also consulted a number of other parishes within the Archdiocese including Assumption, Holy Ghost, St. Mary’s, St, Frances de Sales and St. Jerome as to the establishment of their own Gabriel related work. Late in the year an anonymous donor provided a gift $5,000 for the work of the parish Gabriel Project in recognition of its effectiveness.
Additionally, charitable contributions were made to our twinning parish, Resurrection, San Jose Clinic, Cristo Rey Jesuit and the Dominican Sisters of Bolivia in the amount $51,500.
We can only undertake these activities because of you our generous parishioners who dedicate much of your talent, time and treasure to these outreach activities. Without you we could not provide this level of direct service so fundamental to our Catholic social teaching.
To volunteer, comment on or to learn more about our outreach programs, please contact Ray Sylvester at ray@stmichaelchurch.net or 713-621-4370.
Thank you for your support!