Please keep all the food pantry volunteers in your thoughts and prayers.
The food pantry was used 146 times on December 3 and 113 times on December 10 for a total so far this month of 259. December schedule December 17 Food Rescue, delivery, CEDA December 22 Distribute Christmas dinners December 23 No prepacks December 24 Closed December 31 No deliveries, Food Depository closed, open at noon. I went to Jewel on Monday to see if they had any idea of how many dinners we would be getting for Christmas distribution. Unfortunately our contact, Jackie, is on vacation, so I'll try again this coming Monday. We have been distributing vouchers for the Christmas dinners the past few weeks. As we have done in the past, if the family received a Thanksgiving dinner, then we are not offering them a Christmas dinner. This way we can help as many families as possible. The total number of vouchers we distribute will depend on how many dinners we are scheduled to receive from Jewel. We have been truly blessed with donations the past few weeks. St. Hubert's had a Thanksgiving collection for their Sharing Parish. Unfortunately they couldn't take most of it, so it was offered to us. We picked up 5 vans of food from them. Churchill Chiropractic's annual collection for us consisted of 3 vans of food. We received a call from Schaumburg Township. Roto Rooter had a collection which they couldn't take because they are renovating their food pantry area. We picked up 4 vans of food from them. All of this really helped with our staple items and allows us to keep giving the families a sufficient amount. I didn't send out an update last week as there was not that much to report. Unless there is a lot of new information, I probably won't send one out next week. I'm telling you this because a few people commented on it. I guess it's nice to be missed. Weather - we have also been blessed with good weather the past few Thursdays. I'm sure that won't last. We've talked a little about how we would handle the food distribution as the weather gets colder. I know better than to tell the "guys" what to do. We'll have to make that decision each week. If it is too cold to continue with the outside distribution, we can have the carts ready by the food pantry door. The family can bring their ticket there and we can bring the cart to the car for them or they can bring it themselves. We can work it out when the time comes. If I don't see you before then, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas 🎅 and a blessed, happy New Year 🎉. I really miss seeing those of you who have been unable to come to the food pantry at this time. There is always next year. With the COVID vaccine availability coming soon, there is more hope for the future. I anticipate wearing a face mask for several more months and following safety guidelines during this time, but at least there is a potential end in sight. Thank you for all that you do 👼 LaVerne
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What is it that you like best about Advent? It is not an easy question to answer because most of Advent these days becomes obscured by the early celebration of Christmas.
For example, when I was a child, we used to decorate for Christmas on December 24th. Nowadays we start decorating for Christmas in November and if we did as the stores want us to do, we would decorate for Christmas in September! So you see, Advent, that precious time when we look at our hearts and look for the coming Jesus, it gets lost in Early Christmas! As a child, I loved Advent Calendars. We got to open a special little door each day that hid a picture of Jesus or the saints. My brothers and I would take it in turns. This week, we light candle number two on our Advent Wreath, which is another way celebrate Advent but apart from those things, how do we celebrate Advent and what is it that we most like about it? For me, it is the color green: evergreen. The fresh green of a wreath, evergreen plants, spruces and fir trees, all these colors point me to Jesus, who is ever-present, ever-true, and ever-loving. He is the permanent fixture in our world that is always changing. These Advent colors point me to Him. As you ponder Advent in the days to come, think about how any of what you are experiencing, points you to Jesus. A suggestion is to maybe look at the readings we use for Mass during this time. They are very rich and often poetic. Another suggestion is to ask yourself about Hope: what do I hope for during these days? What do I yearn for? And what does Jesus say to me about all those things. Remember, Advent lasts only four weeks, so you had better be quick to answer the question: what do I like best about Advent? Advent is a time to examine your heart. Make sure you are ready for when Jesus comes! Father Jeremy Thomas, Pastor |
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January 2023
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