Human Needs Committee
The name of the Human Needs Committee pretty much defines our mission - serve the human needs of our less fortunate brothers and sisters, and our parish family. We are a fairly small and dedicated group. We are involved in many projects throughout the year. Some of our recent activities include:
During the months of April and November, food is collected for the Farmington Food Pantry. This August we collected and provided school supplies for the needy in the Town of Farmington. For about 16 years we have sponsored a wreath sale. The proceeds benefit area charities, such as the Farmington Fuel Bank, Hartford Hispanic Health Council, Hartford Catholic Refugees. Several times during the year members prepare and provide meals for Tabor House I and II, residences run by The Sisters of St. Joseph for men and women with HIV/AIDs. At Christmas we place tags on a Giving Tree for various charitable organizations. In February we have a Teddy bear drive for children who are ill at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Parishioners knit and crochet items for various organizations and our committee members help distribute these items. Parishioners also prepare food baskets during the holidays for families in need in our area.
Many other members of our parish family also participate in various ways throughout the year, such as our Religious Education classes, who have helped our members with the transportation of food to the Farmington Food pantry. Co-chairpersons of the committee are Marlene Lindquist and Paula Sutak.
UPDATE November 9, 2004
A successful school-supply collection to benefit those in need in the Town of Farmington was held at the end of August and donated to Farmington Social Services for distribution.
November is the time for the replenishment of the Farmington Food pantry and donations are currently being made. Through coordination with Karen Herbert, this past weekend some 9th grade confirmation students brought donated items to the food bank and also volunteered to do so on the weekend of 11/21.
Five parishioners have volunteered to prepare food baskets for families in town for Thanksgiving.
For Christmas, the Giving Tree will be put up in the gathering space on the weekend of November 27/28. Some of the organizations that will benefit are Hispanic Health Council, Connecticut Children's Place, Farmington Fuel Bank, St. Elizabeth House, Tabor House and families in town (families provided by Farmington Social Services). We are also looking into the possibility of helping St. Justin parish in Hartford by including some tags on the Giving Tree for needy their parishioners.
Members of the committee and some parishioners continue to prepare and provide meals for residents of Tabor House I & II (men and women) on a monthly basis.
A connection has been established with a group from Westerleigh who knit and crochet various items - baby blankets, hats, mittens, scarves. Five baby blankets have been distributed to the Guild of St. Agnes and we're in the process of contacting convalescent homes to distribute other items.
The wreath sale is currently ongoing and ending this weekend. Thus far we have sold about 150 wreaths which will be scheduled for pick up in church on the weekend of December 4/5. Proceeds benefit rural Maine poor and those charities designated by the Human Needs Committee.
An update of the committee's activities has been included on the parish's website.
We plan to meet in January to finalize plans for our spring activities. We plan to hold a teddy bear collection for Connecticut Children's Hospital for Valentine's Day.
Paula Sutak