Page 4 FGC intro.indd - Catholic Order of Foresters

Transcription

FGC
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Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/catholicforester
W
E
s
Expanding our reach
By Mary Kenkel
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Page 4 FGC intro.indd 4
Celebrating FGC’s fifth year,
COF members and courts stepped
up, welcoming more than
10,000 participants, an increase
from 8,500 participants last year.
Participation has blossomed,
growing from 3,500 in FGC’s
first year in 2009.
“As community outreach efforts
continue to grow in the fraternal
world, COF courts are embracing
FGC initiatives in ever-increasing
numbers,” COF High Chief
Ranger Dave Huber comments.
“FGC events have proven to be a
good way for local courts to bring
members of all ages together to
work on a common cause.”
And together, our members made
a difference.
We fed the hungry, clothed the
naked, welcomed the stranger,
cared for the sick and visited
the prisoner.
We responded to the Call to
Service in Matthew 25 — “For I
was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me
drink, a stranger and you welcomed
me, naked and you clothed me...”
“Our members are to be
commended for the positive impact
they are having on the communities
being served by FGC events,”
Huber states. “They are putting our
mission statement to action and
demonstrating our faith through
good works.” l
10,000
participants in 2013
45% COF members
55% non-members
8,500 participants in 2012
3,500 participants in 2009
© 2013 JUPITERIMAGES CORPORATION
F
rom Minnesota to Maine,
Nebraska to Michigan, and
Ohio to Texas, this year’s
Feeding God’s Children effort was
successful around the country.
With more than 10,000
participants in 127 Catholic
Order of Foresters courts across 13
states, we not only collected food,
toiletries and clothing, we also
cooked meals, planted gardens
and cleaned yards.
We baked cookies, gathered
firewood and wrote letters to
soldiers. We planned blood
drives, stocked shelter shelves and
worked at camps for the elderly
and disabled.
We partnered with neighbors,
fellow community organizations
and nearby courts. We collected
money, donated our time and lent
our talents for good causes.
Each year, COF members and
non-members join hands to make
a difference in parishes, local
communities and across the world.
This year was no different.
Catholic Forester | Fall 2013 | CatholicForester.org
9/12/2013 8:00:42 AM
FGC
‘Like’ us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/catholicforester
North:
Reaching out to the military
Top and Bottom: Holy Family 55 members played board games and spent time with
veterans in Sauk Centre, Minn.
By Erin Skaggs
S
oap, shampoo, coffee, books
and magazines tumbled into
boxes postmarked for soldiers
serving overseas.
“I was hungry and you gave me
something to eat. …I was a stranger
and you invited me in.”
Matthew 25:35 calls us to service,
and Most Holy Trinity 2257 in
Fowler, Mich., and Holy Family 55
in Sauk Centre, Minn., answered
by helping men and women serving
our country.
Members of Most Holy Trinity,
along with Men’s Auxiliary, Ladies
Auxiliary, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, worked
together to pack non-perishable
items into 16 boxes.
Each year before Christmas, Most
Holy Trinity’s youth group makes
Christmas cards to send with VFW
packages to soldiers. For the court’s
Feeding God’s Children event, court
members went an extra step by
collecting items, packaging them
and shipping boxes.
The court promoted the event
in the church bulletin, school
announcements and social media
and gathered items at the church.
“The local VFW often asks
family members if they want to put
items into shipments, and we were
able to send a box to my nephew
in the Navy and my brother-in-law
who was serving in Afghanistan at
the time,” Most Holy Trinity Youth
Director and FGC coordinator
Tami Rademacher recalls.
“The Ladies Auxiliary and VFW
members in attendance also were a
big help because they know what is
allowed to ship overseas and how
to pack.”
The court has heard the soldiers
appreciate the handmade cards and
know the boxes of items will also be
a hit.
After serving, many veterans
return home and have needs
directors. Hinnenkamp believes in
the charity’s mission for homeless
veterans and knew the court’s youth
could help.
“Living in a rural area, this is our
closest experience to homelessness,”
she says. “Many veterans are alone,
without family, and need support.”
The youth group and Holy
Family Chief Ranger Marlene
“Moe” Otte visited Eagle’s Healing
Nest to bake cookies with veterans,
play board games and play catch
while they learned about the
veterans’ needs.
“Many veterans are alone, without
family, and need support.”
that are difficult for overloaded
organizations to address.
A new home for veterans, Eagle’s
Healing Nest in Sauk Centre,
Minn., opened late last year at
the site of the former Minnesota
Home School for Girls. It includes
transitional housing, horses, an
organic garden, an industrial arts
building and a chapel. The home
is funded through donations and
volunteers committed to “healing
the invisible wounds of war.”
A friend of Annette
Hinnenkamp, the youth director
of Holy Family 55 in Sauk Centre,
Minn., is one of the charity’s
“Each house takes turns cooking
for everyone on the property and
(they) use items from their garden
as part of their therapy,” Otte
explains. “The veterans like to have
visitors come in and bake because
they don’t enjoy baking as much.”
The youth group was impressed
with the home and the many
healing services it offers veterans,
Otte recalls. The youth realized
the veterans are involved in the
community and have wonderful
skills, she adds.
The court plans to expand this
FGC event to do more with other
area youth groups. l
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Page 5 FGC North.indd 5
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9/12/2013 8:10:45 AM
FGC
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East: Feeding children
s
Top: Volunteer Josh Wintle and Montcalm 501 Treasurer Dick Lemire grilled hotdogs for the court’s FGC
event.By Mary Kenkel
W
ith only four participants,
Montcalm 501’s Feeding God’s
Children efforts were small in
number but mighty in impact.
The court members volunteered at Roca
Kidz Club in Manchester, N.H.
Together, they cooked more than 200
hotdogs and 12 pounds of macaroni and
cheese, feeding more than 100 inner-city
children and some parents.
“We were small, but powerful,” New
Hampshire/Vermont State Chief Ranger
and Montcalm Recording Secretary Vicki
Lemire recalls.
“The kids loved the macaroni and cheese,
and it went over very well.”
Roca Kidz Club has been serving kids in
Manchester for two years, providing food,
fun and faith activities every Thursday.
Children arrive around 5:30 p.m., are fed
at 6 p.m., and then enjoy such activities
as basketball, crafts and face painting. The
night ends at 7:30 p.m., after an inspiring,
faith-filled message.
When Lemire started volunteering in
January at Roca Kidz Club, she helped
raise money for a new grill and painted the
building for the kids.
After a couple months, she knew it would
be a good opportunity for the court to get
involved. The other officers agreed.
“We decided it would be the perfect
activity for FGC since we’d be feeding
inner-city kids,” she comments.
6
Page 6 FGC East.indd 6
“I’m hoping next year, we can even do a
Matching Funds event for the Roca Kidz
Club. If we could even raise $1,000, that
would feed (the kids) for at least a month.”
Each week, Roca invites a guest to speak
to the kids about religion.
When Montcalm participated, an
illusionist with religion-based magic
tricks performed for the kids.
“We’re there to spread
the word. We want to
teach these kids that
God is in your heart.”
“It was very crowded that night because
of the illusionist,” Lemire remembers with
a laugh.
Overall, Roca Kidz Club serves the
children through mind, body and spirit.
And that’s something Lemire believes
Montcalm can support through its
Fraternal Outreach efforts.
“Everything’s all incorporated around
God,” she remarks. “We’re there to spread
the word. We want to teach these kids that
God is in your heart.
“They’re really encouraged to come and
just be kids and learn about Jesus.” l
9/16/2013 8:38:17 AM
FGC
South:
s
Cramming baby cribs
Below: First graders enjoyed an ice cream social for collecting the most items
for Mary Queen of Heaven 2512’s FGC event.
By Mary Kenkel
T
wo pack-and-play cribs
overflowed with diapers,
bottles, tiny socks and
colorful onesies.
Donations from Mary Queen
of Heaven 2512 members and
parishioners crammed each crib.
“It really was something a little
bit different,” YD Julie Gauthier
says of the court’s new “Cram the
Crib” efforts for this year’s Feeding
God’s Children in Erlanger, Ky.
In an attempt to appeal to the
parish and school children, the
court decided “Cram the Crib”
would be a fun, special FGC
effort to help Rose Garden Home
Mission, a crisis pregnancy and
community outreach center staffed
by the Franciscan Daughters of
Mary in Covington, Ky.
“There’s a lot of activity in our
area with FGC, but unfortunately
another organization in our school
had just done a food drive,”
Gauthier explains. “We thought
that (planning another food drive)
would seem competitive and
wouldn’t be well received.
“But FGC is great, so we thought,
‘How could we still participate and
be involved and make it a little
more appealing, novel idea?’”
“When the devastation in Oklahoma
happened, the kids wanted to donate
their shirts.”
The court set up the pack-andplay cribs in the parish center and
dropped off boxes in each parish
school classroom. Each class was
challenged to collect the most
items, with an ice cream social
rewarded to the winning group.
“The winning class was really
thrilled to have won,” Gauthier
recalls. “It definitely fostered a little
bit of a competition.”
While competing to be the top
class, students also learned the
importance behind the cause.
“We reiterated what they did and
how it helps people so they could
understand,” Gauthier describes.
“We wanted to tell them
thank you from Catholic Order
of Foresters and also from Rose
Garden Mission while explaining
the importance of their actions.”
And instead of wearing their
bright purple FGC shirts, all
participants decided to donate
their shirts to Oklahoma tornado
recovery.
“When the devastation in
Oklahoma happened, the kids
wanted to donate their shirts,”
COF Associate General Agent
Mark Hehman said. “So,
somewhere in Oklahoma, there
are 300 FGC shirts.”
Mary Queen of Heaven’s
donation shows the outreach
possibilities of FGC. l
Page 7 FGC South.indd 7
7
9/12/2013 8:12:55 AM
W
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FGC
1
s
West: Helping widows
Top: St. Mary 1234 members took a break after doing yard work at Dorothy Fangman’s home.
Left 1: Max Pavelec, Jaymn McCarville, Emmeric Pavelec raked at Marcia Weber’s house. 2: Jim Junk, Tom
Kies, Ed Craig, Max Pavelec and Emmeric Pavelec. 3: Jim Junk and Dan Schmitz. 4: Jim Junk installed a
lightbulb as Marcia Weber looked on.
By Erin Skaggs
T
wenty-five COF members ranging in
age from 4 to 84 came together on a
sunny, 75-degree day.
St. Mary 1234 YD and Feeding God’s
Children coordinator Dan Schmitz couldn’t
have asked for a more beautiful day.
St. Mary 1234 in Waterloo, Iowa,
prepared to help St. Stephen’s Catholic
Youth Center with necessary office painting
and yard work for the court’s FGC event.
While gathering materials, the court
members remembered two dear
fraternalists, Jerry Weber and Joe Fangman,
who had passed away recently.
“We wanted to also give back to our
fraternalists who had given so much of their
time over the years,” Schmitz explains.
“We figured their wives could use some
extra help.”
Both members were active in their
court’s activities.
Court members played cards with
Fangman every week when he was unable
to attend court meetings due to his health
issues. He was the court’s previous YD.
As for Weber, he was involved with COF
for more than 30 years. His wife Marcia
was touched during the FGC event when
2
3
she saw the camaraderie of all those who
had been involved with her husband.
“They had so many people come and
help. It didn’t take much time,” Marcia
Weber recalls. “They cleared out the
garage, took recycling out for me, washed
windows, cleaned out my gutters and even
helped me carry some heavy boxes
of glassware upstairs.”
Due to the great turnout and weather,
court members were able to divide up the
participants for a variety of tasks at both
the Webers’ and Fangmans’ houses.
“It made us feel like we were doing a
good job and fulfilling our mission” as
COF members, Schmitz recalls.
“The kids raking and carrying boxes at
the houses to help our seniors really built
the character of our youth.”
After admitting some initial difficulty
deciding on a FGC event, Schmitz
remembered any Fraternal Outreach event
can be impactful.
“You would be amazed at how many
people come together when you mention
your project,” Schmitz says.
“Start small and it will grow with people’s
help and God’s blessing.” l
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Page 8 FGC West.indd 8
9/12/2013 8:13:51 AM
FGC
FGC Photo Gallery
1. Holy Family 1, Chicago, Ill.
Packed nearly 32,000 meals for
children around the world for Feed My
Starving Children
2. St. Mathias 102, Schererville, Ind.
Cleaned St. Michael Cemetery and
collected canned goods to stock St.
Michael Food Pantry
1
2
3. Baumgartner 109, Hammond, Ind.
Cleaned St. Joseph Church grounds
and collected 40 bags of food for
church food pantry
4. Mary Mother 332, Burnsville, Minn.
Packed meals for Feeding My
Starving Children
3
4
5. St. Matthew 367, St. Paul, Minn.
Packed food and collected $100 for
Feed My Starving Children
6. St. Joseph 433, Columbus, Ohio
Filled U-Haul truck with 6,000 items
of clothing, furniture, household items,
toiletries and toys for St. Francis
Family Center
5
7 St. Peter 519, Chippewa Falls, Wis.;
St. Mary 537, Eau Claire, Wis.; Christ
the King 1923, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Joined Girl Scouts and Catholic
Fraternal members to clean petting
zoo barn and pick up branches at
Irvine Park
8. Northstar 588, Red Lake Falls, Minn.
Stuffed 510 bags of food for 510
children to eat for two days for North
Country Food Bank and donated $100
6
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Pages 9-14 FGC LIST.indd 9
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9/16/2013 8:42:55 AM
FGC
1. St. Francis 607, Worthington, Iowa
Joined Worthington Jr. Helpers 4-H Club,
St. Paul Parish, St. Paul School and City
of Worthington to load van with food
and paper products and collected nearly
$357 for Rural Community Food Pantry
2. Holy Ghost 636, Dubuque, Iowa
Held food drive and filled truck for St.
Vincent de Paul Society
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
3. St. James 669, Sun Prairie, Wis.
Worked with Sacred Heart School
students to collect 200 food items and
$50 for Sun Prairie Food Pantry
4. Hampshire 729, Hampshire, Ill.
Teamed with St. Charles Borromeo
students and staff to collect nearly
1,500 items for Burlington/Hampshire
Food Pantry
5. St. Anthony 743, Watkins, Minn.
Joined Holy Cross School baseball team
to clean baseball field and collected 10
pounds of food for Food Shelf
6. St. Francis 774, Rickardsville, Iowa;
Holy Cross 881, Holy Cross, Iowa;
Sts. Peter and Paul 1709, Sherrill, Iowa
Collected $3,800 to buy food supplies
and joined LaSalle Catholic School,
LaSalle Youth Group and Catholic
Financial Life branch to package nearly
15,000 meals for Kids Against Hunger to
be sent to Haiti and Central America
7. St. Leo 786, New Munich, Minn.
Teamed with TriParish Chuches of New
Munich, Freeport and St. Rosa to collect
more than $11,000 and package more
than 83,000 meals for Food for Kidz
8. St. Henry 902, Saukville, Wis.
Packed food for 67 children for one year
for Feed My Starving Children
9. Holy Trinity 1054, Winsted, Minn.
Teamed with students and local groups
to collect more than $10,000 and
package more than 70,000 meals for
McLeod County Food Shelf and Food for
Kidz, which sent them to Afghanistan
10. St. Mary 1099, Gilbertville, Iowa
Gathered canned goods and $500 for
Northeast Iowa Food Bank
11. Smulders 1101,
Deaborn Heights, Mich.
Sold homemade bread, served soup after
masses and raised nearly $900 for St.
Vincent de Paul
12. St. Mary 1173, Dell Rapids, S.D.
Served picnic and took children and
elderly with disabilities fishing and on
horse and tractor rides
10
9/16/2013 10:03:35 AM
FGC
1. Assumption 1291, Osceola, Wis.
Laid out summer clothes at food shelf
and cleaned parish and cemetery
grounds and inside church
2. St. John 1321, Chaska, Minn.
Packaged food for third-world
countries for Feed My
Starving Children
1
2
3. Canton 1358, Canton, Ohio
Partnered with students and
parishioners to donate
non-perishable food and money
to St. Joseph Cupboard
4. St. John 1375, New Haven, Ind.
Donated two boxes of canned goods to
Sacred Heart Parish food pantry
3
4
5. St. Stephen 1380, Newport, Ky.
Collected 100 canned goods, 100
personal items and money and
decorated place mats for Parish
Kitchen and Hosea House
6. St. Joseph 1407, Lamberton, Minn.
Collected food and money for
Wabasso Area Food Shelf
5
6
11
9/12/2013 8:25:29 AM
FGC
1. Sts. Peter and Paul 1416,
Doylestown, Ohio
Collected 1,000 food items and money
from school-wide food drive and
community for Doylestown
Food Cupboard
2. St. Peter 1492, California, Ky.
Stuffed bus with more than 3,000 food
and household items and collected
money for St. Vincent de Paul and
St. Bernard Food Pantry
3. Karel IV 1502, Chicago, Ill.
Worked with parish and Cub Scouts
to collect 10 boxes and 39 bags of food
and nearly $500 for St. Vincent de Paul
and Mater Christi Parish
4. St. Joseph 1554, Osmond, Neb.
Joined with St. Mary students and
CCD students to collect more than 100
cleaning items and toiletries for Osmond
Food Pantry and COF member in need
1
5. Our Lady of Lourdes 1651,
Rice Lake, Wis.
Filled grocery cart with food and
gathered nearly $200 and $50 gift card
for We Share Food Pantry
6. Sts. Peter and Paul 1709, Sherrill,
Iowa; St. Francis 774,
Rickardsville, Iowa
Cut and stacked firewood for heating and
campfires for special-needs kids
at Camp Albrecht Acres
2
7. St. Joseph 1725, Melbourne, Ky.
Filled hay wagon with food for
St. John’s Food Pantry
8. Sacred Heart 1737, Dodge, Neb.
Joined 4-H Club and parish youth group
to package rice, soybean powder and
dried vegetables to feed 5,400 people
for Mercy Meals
12
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9/12/2013 8:25:54 AM
FGC
1. St. Anthony 2046, Castle Rock, Wis.
Collected food for Depot Exchange
Community Thrift Store and
Food Pantry
2. St. John the Baptist 2050,
Rapids City, Ill.
Served meal at Rock Island
Homeless Shelter
1
3. St. Francis Xavier 2067,
Malvern, Ohio
Partnered with parish women’s club
to donate more than $500 to Malvern
Christian Care Center
4. St. Joseph 2094, Cold Spring, Ky.
Stuffed the bus with more than 1,000
food items for Rose Garden Mission
2
3
5. St. Aloysius 2172, Shandon, Ohio
Joined parish and collected hundreds
of toiletries and more than 500 rolls of
toilet paper
6. St. Joseph 2463, Sioux City, Iowa
Held clothing and food drive
for local mission
4
7. Mother Teresa 2493, Eden, S.D.
Gathered 1,500 pounds of food and
money through food drive for Marshall
County Food Pantry
8. St. Patrick 2495, Jackson, Neb.;
St. Philip 880, Sioux City, Iowa
Held clothing and food drive
for local mission
5
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13
9/12/2013 8:26:00 AM
FGC
1. Pope Francis 2521, Saco, Maine
Joined local Catholic school and Good
Shepherd Parish to collect more than
2,000 pounds of food for three
food pantries
2. Cincinnati Central Chapter
Raised more than $400 and collected
1,200 food items and toiletries for
Mary Magdalen House and Vine Street
Neighborhood Service Center
1
2
Additional courts
No photos available
1. St. Mary 293, Crown Point, Ind.
Collected 33 units at blood drive and held
food drive for God’s Groceries for St. Mary
Church, St. Anthony Medical Center
2. St. Joseph 364, Dayton, Ohio
Collected food for St. Peter Food Pantry
3. St. Martin 879, Richmond, Minn.
Picked up flowers and garbage at Sts.
Peter and Paul Cemetery
4. Bishop O’Conner 1304, Randolph, Neb.
Gathered 180 food items for Randolph
Food Pantry
5. Nativity 1592, Belgium, Wis.
Trimmed trees, picked up branches,
repaired lawns, cleaned gutters at Divine
Savior Parish and St. Mary’s Chapel
6. Immaculate Conception 1727,
Omaha, Neb.
Rounded up two boxes of food and
three bags of clothes for Siena/Francis
Homeless Shelter
7. St. Edward 2145, Waterloo, Iowa
Fed lasagna, salad, baked beans,
watermelon, bread and cake to 25
homeless at The Catholic Worker House
8. St. Jude 2189, Dayton, Ohio
Collected five boxes of food for East
Dayton Community Services
9. Most Holy Trinity 2257, Fowler, Mich.
Gathered items to send to military
Winner!
Mark it!
You voted, and the
FGC T-shirt color for
2014 will be…
It’s never too early to start
planning for FGC. Mark your
calendars. Here are some
important dates to remember:
ROYAL BLUE!
March 7:
We received more than 250 votes before
the poll closed in late August. Royal blue
claimed 35 percent of the vote, beating
out green, light blue and orange.
T-shirt order deadline
Thank you for your participation!
Turn in FGC paperwork
14
May 3:
Official FGC date
June 30:
10. St. Mary 2286, Alton, Iowa
Joined Spalding Catholic Schools and
Remsen St. Mary’s and St. Pat’s parishes
to package more than 114,000 meals
to send to Honduras and exceeded
1 million meals in seven years
11. St. Ignatius 2503, Brunswick, Neb.
Worked in assembly line to package food
for needy children across the world
and collected money for Mercy Meals
of Nebraska
12. Our Lady of the Lake 2506,
Ashland, Wis.
Gathered 333 pounds of food and
donated $345 to The Brick Ministries, and
Bremer Bank matched the money
Let’s go above and
beyond in 2014
Consider how your court could:
— Partner with another
community organization
— Work with a local Catholic school
— Assist elderly community
members
— Help at a homeless shelter
— Serve your neighbor
— Have fun while making
a difference
9/12/2013 8:26:05 AM

Page 4 FGC intro.indd - Catholic Order of Foresters

Transcription

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