2013-2014: Seventh Year of Service

July 2014:  Hispanic Migrant Workers Ministry

Our mission support for July is directed to the Hispanic Migrant Workers.  Our guest speaker, Doris Valentin, explained how our financial support in the past helped her and the staff to provide shelter for workers who were in desperate need and how with our help, she was able to go beyond such basic needs to enrich the lives of the workers and their families.  She told how our support gave them the resources to also help in schooling, faith formation and preparation for the receiving of the sacraments.   Our community donated "welcome kits" for the workers, including towels, shaving kits, shampoo and much needed baseball caps for the workers.   Our financial donation from the Sunday collections was $1,875.

July 27, 2014  -- The Annual Picnic

Thanks to the careful planning by Ralph and Diane Mercuri, our community picnic was a huge success.  The fine, sunny day allowed a crowd of over eighty friends and family to enjoy a wonderful picnic with great food and entertainment.

June 2014:  Harvest House is our mission for this month.  The ministry continues to grow with more classes in the New Hope Education Center;  more children coming to the ministry for clothing and necessities and more medical services provided to the un-insured in the Good Neighbors Health Care.   Our community is supporting the up-coming fund raiser scheduled for October with gift basket donations and by promoting the event with friends and the greater community.  Our financial donation to Harvest House was presented to Gary and Linda Tatu in the amount of $3,275.

May 2014:   Our mission for this month was Family Promise.  Their mission is to unite religious

and other organizations in responding to the needs of homeless families in our community.  The network provides a way for homeless families to receive temporary shelter, meals and assistance while seeking their own independence.   One special service provided by family promise is a resource center to allow families to get their children on their school bus while the parents use the resources to apply for jobs and other necessities for their families.   All of this happens at one location on French Road.  Our donation to the organization was $1825.

April 2014:  The Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) was our mission for the month of April.  This urban farm and education organization helps provide the inner city with fresh produce and fresh fish raised in their own tanks.  Our donation to the organization was $3,075.

Holy Week liturgies included the Seder with Father Paul on Holy Thursday; Good Friday commemoration of the Stations of the Cross with Father Duke Zajac; the Easter Vigil with Father Jim Crogio; and Easter Sunday mass with Father Duke Zajac.

March 2014:   Our community once again supported the Foster Care / Adoptive Program of Child and Family Services.   As in the past, this special-needs group provides funding to foster families so they can help furnish the children with special needs that they would not be able to afford under normal circumstances.   Our guest speakers explained how the funds received would be used to provide replacement eye glasses, music and dance lessons for autistic children, or bedding for children who would otherwise have no choice but to be sleeping together.    Our community donation for this worthy cause was $2,075.   Every dollar of our donation is earmarked for specific items for children in need, and none funds will go to the general fund of CFS.

Community Retreat at the Columban Center:  March 21-22

Approximately 25 members of of community gathered at the beautiful Columban Center for a 24-hour retreat.   Our guest speakers were Sr. Johnice, Paula Penepent and Father Fred Betti SJ.  We used this special time of prayer and reflection together to grow into a deeper relationship with God in our Hearts.   We followed the suggestions in a Henri Nouwen book, The Spirituality of Homecoming.
Mary DeWald provided the gift of her music and her spirit during both days of the retreat.

Our mission support for February 2014 will be directed to this long-time charity, established in 1969.   Each year, the meals served to the needy has increased, and was over 80,000 in 2013.   There are three sites providing the meals.   The main facility provides health care, dental care, counseling, education and a newly established pantry for food distribution.   Our speaker Ms. Nicole Gawel explained that people will eat more of the food they choose from the pantry versus food that is served to them.   Funding is totally from private individuals and foundations, but not from the government or social service programs.
Other services provided by "Friends" include free medical care, housing referrals, AA and counseling.

Flo Ruhl -- Good and Faithful Servant

Our dear friend was laid to rest on February 13, 2014 following a brave battle against several ailments.   The Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Gregory the Great, and was con-celebrated by Father Paul Steller and Msgr. Dave Lee.

Flo was a member of our Newman community from the 70's and was always serving in any way she could to help others ... spiritually, prayerfully, socially and with her wonderful cooking.  We all learned how to be strong and faith-filled in the face of adversity from Flo and also her husband of 51 years, Dale.
As Father Paul concluded his homily, he suggested that Flo would now be hearing those words:  "Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter now into the joy of the kingdom prepared for you."  

January 2014 --  St. Luke's Mission of Mercy

Our community is supporting this very special charitable organization in Buffalo's inner-city.   In this particularly harsh winter, St. Luke's has been providing food and shelter for the homeless on the infamous "Code Blue" nights.

In addition, our speaker at mass, Mike Taheri, talked with us about the educational program at St. Luke's for young people that has been so helpful in molding and shaping them for a better future.  The success rate for the young people moving on to Catholic high schools and to college is phenomenal.  

   St. Luke's helps with transitional housing as well and provides medical help for those with no insurance.  All of these services are provided by volunteers, and the funding for all programs comes from private sources.   Our community donation from our Sunday collections was $3,425.


December 2013 --  Christmas Outreach

This month, our community is helping many organizations who feed the needy in and around Buffalo.   A $1000 donation was made to each organization:   

Hearts for the Homeless

Heart, Love and Soul

Loaves and Fishes

South Buffalo Food Table

Massachusetts Avenue Project 

and

A stove was purchased for a family-in-need.

Our community also donated dozens of gifts for the GED students and their children, who rely on the assistance from the Response to Love Center.   Thanks to Pam and Tom Lawless for coordination of this gift-giving project.

Father Paul celebrates mass on Gaudete Sunday.

November 2013  --  Vietnam Veterans of America

We are remembering all veterans who have served our country and their families this month.  The local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 77 is located in Tonawanda.   They support the needy veterans by way of the food pantry, referrals for housing and direction for receiving counseling for PTSD.   The local chapter receives no government funding and relies solely on private donations.   Their goal is to assure that no veteran is forgotten or neglected and is treated with dignity.   Our community donated dozens of grocery bags filled with Thanksgiving foods along with gift cards for local supermarkets ... all on time for the veterans and families to prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas.   Our monetary donation was $2,375, which was warmly received by the veterans.   

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NOTE!!   Click here to review past years' blog entries, from 2007 to 2012 ...

October 2013 -- Timau Mission
We renewed our commitment to Sr. Joanne Gangloff, OSF at the Timau Mission in Kenya.   We also reconfirmed our commitment to financially support three young Kenyan boys at the mission:  Evans in high school, Freddie in grade 4 (shown in the center of three boys) and Duncan in "baby" school.  Evans is ready to finish high school at the end of 2013 and is away at school, so a current photo is not immediately available.

At the annual pancake breakfast, Sr. Joanne thanked the community and reminded us how important our support has been.   Our pancake breakfast was well attended and great thanks go out to Joanne Montante and John Roba plus the set up crew and kitchen crew.   And thanks to Leon Colucci, who made arrangements once again to rent the banquet hall at the Getzville Vol. Fire Hall.  Our community's donation to Timau Mission was $4,500 plus $1,200 to support the three Kenyan boys for another year, including their school, clothing and food.

Joanne Montante - Party Planner

John Roba, Sr. Joanne, Sr. Fran and Sr. Bea

Jerry Bent with Sr. Joanne

Pancake Chefs!  Mike Lazickas, Steve Hanley
Tom Stoddard, John Roba, Jerry Bent, Perry Figliotti

Father Duke celebrated the mass with Mary DeWald and Nathan Riexinger leading us in song.

To view more photos, click here

To view updates from Sister Joanne about our three boys at the Timau Mission, click here

September 2013 -  As we begin our seventh year of service in an effort to help those who have the greatest need, our community supported Little Portion Friary on Main Street in Buffalo.   For the past two years, volunteers from our community have helped prepare and serve meals to the residents in this half-way house at least once per month.    Following the presentation by Art and Mary Haberman, our community contributed $2,525 to assist this group of people in their mission.   They are dedicated to help the residents get to the root cause of their difficulties, work on amending their lives, and do everything they can to keep from returning to the same problem once their stay is complete.