2025 - Summer and Autumn + 18 Year Celebration!

Summer Picnic:  August 3, 2025

Thanks to Diane and Ralph Mercuri, the JNMC annual picnic was a great time for all.

August Mission Support:  Friends of Night People

Our community supported this outreach agency, which has expanded greatly over the decades.  They estimate that they serve 100,000 meals per year to people in need from their Feed716 branches around the City of Buffalo.  In addition to the services shown below, they also provide showers and hygiene products for the clients.

Back to School Supplies for Response to Love Center and Sister Johnice

Thanks to the generosity of the JNMC and our partnership with The Teacher's Desk, we were able to deliver 58 filled backpacks, plus boxes filled with back-to-school supplies.  

August 20 Delivery, with Mary and Mike Lazickas, and Jack Leo

Sister Johnice Commented on Facebook:

The Newman Community continues to bless us every year. The backpacks given to our children are special and bring joy to the children and families. This year, over 300 backpacks were packed beautifully for our children through the long hours and a dedicated spirit of our volunteers. A pair of new sneakers for each child was added.

Our children are ready for school. Each child received a backpack according to gender, age and grade. We were able to get in touch with their schools and pack accordingly. We want to do our best! Thanks to Denise and Mary’s team, this week was filled with joy! How blessed with the Newman Community that partnered with us! The Grand Island Ladies VFW also helped with supplies. Together it was a God week for all.

May God bless you! With heartfelt gratitude and prayer, sister johnice

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Jack Leo

Our Mission Community is blessed to provide these backpacks for your young people. Thanks also go to John Mika and The Teacher's Desk.

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Mary Johnice

John Mika and The Teachers Desk are blessings from God to our mission. They came with smiles and generosity with their gifted backpacks. Always in our heartfelt and prayerful gratitude. .

September Mission:  P.A.T.H    People Against Trafficking Humans

Our community support for this local agency continued during the month.   The facility provides a wide variety of support services for victims of human trafficking in our area.   

October Mission:   Timau Mission

Sister Joanne Gangloff spoke to us and thanked us for our continuing support of the mission in Kenya.  For a variety of reasons, some sponsors for the children there have been unable to continue their support.  As a result, Sister told us that our donation this month will go to the scholarship fund to help those children who have lost their sponsor's support.   She also provided us with an update on the three children, who are sponsored by our JNMC.

///   A Thank You Note from Sister Joanne   ///

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November Mission Support:  VETS HERD

Our community supports VETS HERD again this November.  This local support agency helps women and men, who are military veterans.   Funding allows VETS HERD to help local veterans with a variety of home improvement projects, such as wheelchair ramps and other upgrades needed by veterans.  Whenever and wherever a vet has a need not covered by their formal insurance, VETS HERD will help.

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 JNMC:  18 Year Celebration

November 20, 2025

The community celebrated our three priests, Father Paul, Father Jim and Father "Duke" at a festive dinner gathering at Salvatore's.   The event was coordinated by the Outreach Committee, led by John Roba, and supported by Valerie Vullo, Leon Colucci, Ginny Hanley, Joanne Montante, and Jack Leo.   Close to 60 members of the JNMC attended the event as we thanked our three priests for their leadership and spiritual guidance.  

Father Paul began our celebration with a prayer of thanksgiving for all present and those who were unable to attend.   He prayed that the community would continue keeping our eyes and our hearts open to serve those people on the margins, who continue to need our support.   

John Roba announced that over $1 million has been donated to charities that have the greatest need.  None of this would have been possible without our priests.    In honor of their leadership, three donations are being made this month to charities who help people with food insecurity:  $1,000 per charity is being donated in their names to Hearts for the Homeless,  Friends of Night People, and Family Promise of WNY.  All three have recently sent out appeals for donations during this time of funding shortages.

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