This year, our Parish Lenten Project is for the benefit of the Assisi House.
Each Lent, every Catholic is asked to take up some form of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and our Parish Lenten Project is an opportunity for us to do that collectively as a parish family, praying, sacrificing, and giving for the good of this valuable Catholic ministry which serves individuals in need right here in our local community.
As a faith-based organization, the mission of the Assisi House is to provide housing for unhoused or housing-insecure individuals in small, communal settings where each person is treated with dignity and respect.
Our parish mission calls us to practice our faith as St. Margaret did – that is, to go out into the neighborhood and share faith with others while meeting their most basic needs, seeing them as the children of God they are. The mission of the Assisi House closely aligns with this mission and vision for the community and offers an excellent opportunity to put our faith into action this Lent.
So how can you help?
Pray
- Pray for the success of the work of the Assisi House.
- Pray for individuals living in Assisi House communities, that the blessing of this home and community might help lift them to new opportunities.
- Pray for the staff members who support and serve the Assisi House clients.
Give
- Give money to support the work of the Assisi House. You can donate online (see link below) or using the specially marked envelopes found in the Church pews.
- Donate items to help community houses feel like home – there are some basic essentials that are always needed. Our school community will be running a drive so that the students can participate in this parish project too. Parishioners can deliver requested items to the school to contribute to this effort; stay tuned for details about their fun collection plans and the dates!
Serve
- Serve with the Assisi House in a variety of short- and long-term commitments: as a mover/deliverer for donated furniture, a ride for residents to appointments, or a person to accompany a resident and use your unique skills to support their needs (a listening ear, resume writing, financial knowledge, etc). You can see a full list of volunteer positions on their website or on flyers in the back of Church.
BE SURE TO NOTE IN HONOR OF “SMOS” IN THE DEDICATION SECTION OF YOUR ONLINE GIFT.
Assisi House Meal Train
The Assisi House organization’s newest house, Keokuk House, has opened and residents started moving in a few weeks ago. It is their tradition to provide dinners for a new house when it opens. They’ve created a meal train for Keokuk House at the link below. All of the details are listed on the meal train page, and this will also send reminders to you before your scheduled date. Additionally, there is an option to donate to the meal-train page, all donations will go toward stocking the house with pantry items, non-perishables, and house supplies. The goal is to provide meals twice a week through the end of May. This is a great opportunity to get to know residents & build community in the house.
Questions? Contact Adam Kepka, Assisi House Resident Support Specialist.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MEAL TRAIN AND SIGN-UP
