St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
Pickerington, OH
Team Members:
Major Nicole G
John
B
Mary Jo F
Cris L
Dan N
Judy N
Rosemary O'
Susie P
Barb R
Michael R
Krista S
Deacon
Hector R
Beth T
Mandy VMichael S
Jim T
Marianne W
For the last several years this church has collected for our troops. The Spring 2010 collection was a HUGE success! (This message from Marianne W, our team contact:)
"We were delighted to send 22 boxes of emergency hospital clothing, toiletries, and cookies for the wounded troops at the Craig Joint Theatre military hospital at Bagram Field, Afghanistan. This included 127 “stuffed” backpacks. Each backpack contained sweats, underclothing, socks, flip-flops, toiletries, box of girl scout cookies, prayer card, and thank you card.
"The Pickerington American Legion assisted us with funds to purchase the backpacks. Also sent were 45 pairs of athletic shoes, individual sweats, assorted toiletries, and 75+ box of girl scout cookies. Finally, with extra funds we were able to send a Wii and DS units with games.
"Along with this effort, a boy scout working on his Eagle project collected items to send 25 “goodie” boxes to deployed soldiers with connections to 3 parishes in our area."
For the 2009 holiday season, the Seton Parish made
100 hand made quilts to send to the Craig Joint Theater Hospital at
Bagram AB! See below the slide show! Amazing job by Marianne W.,
Rosemary O' and the team!!!
Earlier in 2009, the team sent 20 cartons of sweats,
underclothing, flip-flops, socks, Girl Scout cookies and toiletries to
the brave patients at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram AB in
Afghanistan. Thanks you wonderful folks for your staying power!
In 2008, pajamas, t-shirts, underwear, toiletries, shower shoes, slippers, Girl Scout cookies, cards and DVDs were collected for the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Iraq.
"We LOVE doing this project," says Marianne W, one of its leaders. "It grows larger and larger each year. In fact this is the 5th year in a row that we have participated. We are already planning our program for next year - and hope to expand to include making quilts and (perhaps) putting our items in backpacks rather than ziploc bags.
"The quilting ladies are already underway with their effort. Our inspiration to do this came from Father Robert Cannon, a US military chaplain (a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force Reserve) stationed in Iraq in Dec 2004. He was featured in a news article by Catholic News Service. He had suggested the program (supplying emergency clothing to wounded warriors arriving at military hospitals without their gear) to his own home parish in Venice, Florida. When we heard what/how they did it, we jumped on the bandwagon too.
"This year one young man (Michael S) did a service project at school and involved his classmates in collecting goodies and toiletries which we included in the pacs and in the goody boxes to our own parish military connections. He is the cute little guy in the pixs (dark hair and braces). He and his school (Harmon Middle School in Pickerington, OH) donated LOTS of items."
"We also received monetary donations from the American Legion Post 283 in Pickerington and our own parish wonderful Knights of Columbus Assembly (Fourth Degree)."
The church does outreach year round for a variety of different causes. They do a large military outreach each spring and smaller military efforts throughout the year such as letters and cards for parishioners to their "own" military connections, cards made by children to them, and cards sent to a VA Hospital in Missouri.
You only have to look at the smiles of the adults and children to see their joy in hearts as they collect and pack the goodies for our wounded soldiers and the staff at the hospital in Baghdad where these goodies are bound. We are grateful to the Parish for their wonderful efforts to support our soldiers.
Thank you!
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