Saint Mary of the Lakes

VOLUNTEERS

In addition to the Ministry, Store and Food Pantry, volunteers run the Food Maintenance Program for the families who need monthly help with food products so they can get back on their financial feet. Throughout the year, the Knights of Columbus, Council 6520, many of whom have wives who are volunteers, are a tremendous help to us, not only collecting food at the Fall Food Harvest, but also distributing the food at Holiday Gifting time, and making home deliveries for the disabled and elderly who cannot make the trip to Jones Road.

Holiday Gifting activities—for Easter, Back to School, Thanksgiving and Christmas--would be impossible without the help of volunteers. The Knights of Columbus, St. Mary of the Lakes School students, the Junior High and Senior High Youth Groups and School PREP students all get involved in these projects. Some volunteers come in for training to prepare them for meeting with our guests at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of their time and talents!

People in the area help us by donating to the cause, giving up part of their own holidays to guarantee that others are helped. Many donate to us the turkeys they earn because of their purchases at local grocery stores, and that helps a lot when you are putting together 400 or so bags of food for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners! Students in the area look for creative ways to help in the community—some bake cookies or make placemats, which are included in the family’s bag of groceries for holiday dinner. These activities keep the Christmas spirit alive all year long, not just for the holiday season.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you willing to share your time and talents to ease the suffering of those in need?

Will you consider volunteering? You would bring your own special skills and interests, make a contribution of your time and spirit. You’ll touch many lives and rest easier with the joy of knowing you helped others!

In Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical GOD IS LOVE, he said “The church is God’s family in the world. In this family no one ought to go without the necessities of life.”

In Proverbs 19:17 we read that “whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full.”

The late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin offers us a guideline: “No one is called to do everything, but each of us can do something.”

If you would like to join hands with us to help those in need, please click here for a volunteer application form. After you fill it out you may either bring it to the office at the Thrift Shop; mail to us at P.O. Box 1131, Medford, NJ. or email to SVDP@smlparish.org. You’ll be glad you did!

Thank you!