December 15, 2023— Joy and Hope for Those In Need
This is the time of the year when the focus is strong on the gift of sharing and giving…generating joy and hope for all involved! There can be no better way to help those in need than participating in food or toy drives that’ll bring relief and happiness to countless families.
This Christmas season, St. Jude League Community Development donors support Claretian Missionary programs that have great impact in local communities across the US and Canada. We spoke with some of these programs that are hosting drives to give back!
Sacred Heart Parish in Prescott, AZ has been creating and handing out Christmas food boxes for over ten years. Each box includes just about everything a family can think of to prepare a Christmas dinner; turkey or ham, yams, macaroni along with some perishables like eggs, butter and milk. A Sacred Heart volunteer told us the box can feed a family for days and that on December 21st over 600 boxes will be delivered this year! The volunteer shared the program’s goal is to relieve some holiday stress for families who are swamped with other expensive needs like rent and ever growing bills.
At Our Lady of Protection Parish in Sherbrooke, QB, programs are assisting families of forced-migration to be helped above and beyond their need for legal asylum. Nearly 50 families are being provided with Christmas baskets thanks to the coordinated help of institutions in the area. Each gift basket is filled with between $150 to $200 of groceries to help celebrate Christmas dinner – and beyond. The main recipients are the families of recently arrived immigrants, who are settling in the eastern part of the region. The French-speaking and Latino community of Sherbrooke are blessed to count on the valuable collaboration and help of the Claretian Missionaries of the area.
Claretian Associates (CA) of Chicago, IL has been leading a drive to collect donations for toys and coats, along with cold weather accessories; scarves, hats, and gloves. Volunteers are committed to helping less fortunate children have a good Christmas and to especially help those who find it challenging to stay warm this winter. So far, they’ve raised almost $1,000 to purchase those items. CA has a special thank you to a generous St. Jude League donor for their special gift!
These, and many other Christmas programs like them, exist thanks to local parishioners, communities, the Claretians and all who support the Season of Need, including you!
The League is beyond grateful to be able to support these vital programs and appreciates our donors for helping us to do everything we can to help those in need. Please join us in supporting the work of these community life-lines. We appreciate each and every one-time and monthly gift in all amounts. Thanks to the generous spirit of another League donor, each gift will be DOUBLED at the very time when it is most helpful – in the Season of Need!
