Oct 2024: How have your almsgiving donations been shared in our community?
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How have your almsgiving donations been shared in our community?
(Updated Oct 2024)
During Lent of 2023, Most Blessed Sacrament asked you to participate in an Almsgiving Fundraiser to help the neediest and poorest individuals in our community. Our target amount was $10,000 and, as you know, we met and exceeded that goal in less than four weeks.
The Outreach Mission Team wanted to utilize these funds in an appropriate manner by which we were not randomly handing out cash or gift cards without background information and the verification of needs. It took some time to develop working relationships with several non-profit organizations in our area who could assist with these verification processes. We also wanted to be able to work with the Finance Council and Fr. Jerry to make exceptions in emergency situations or where a potential parish member or family might be involved.
Day By Day Warming Shelter
As you know, we have spent several years working with the guests at Day By Day Warming Shelter. As their programming has changed and shifted, so has our Outreach to the homeless community. Instead of most of our outreach taking place at the shelter, we now house a small pantry in our Mission Center and have Helping Hands Care Bags at each of our worship sites for individuals who come to our office or church doors. We also participated in a Car Care Bag project at the Farmers Market this summer that invited the community to fill a bag with hygiene supplies and share them with a homeless person they encountered.
Partnerships with Financial Assistance Agencies
Each week our parish receives a minimum of four requests for financial assistance. Today we are happy to say we work closely with St. Vincent De Paul, The Salvation Army, Advocap, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, HELP (Homelessness, Eviction and Loss Prevention), Winnebago County Human Services, Day By Day, and several other local agencies to direct individuals to the proper resources, allow information to be verified, and work with the agencies to provide the appropriate assistance. In some instances, once a referral to the proper agency is made, MBS no longer is called upon to assist financially.
Over the past two years we have been able to help individuals and/or families with rent assistance, household needs, refugee settlement, utilities, groceries, auto insurance, and infant needs.
Additionally, the Almsgiving Fund saved the lives of a parish family’s relatives who were being persecuted in Sri Lanka by covering the cost of airfare to Pakistan where they are able to reside for a period of time before coming to the United States to join their family.
WIT Academy Pantry Program
We have developed a pantry program with WIT Academy, the Oshkosh Area School District program that operates in our St. Peter site Mission Center.
The children in this program are typically from lower-income homes, sometimes with only one parent, and often have necessities that their parents are unable to meet. The pantry program allows them a one- day-per-month visit to the pantry where they may choose from items such as sweatshirts and pants, socks, belts, underwear, hygiene supplies, healthy snacks, and even household supplies. Parents may also request a visit to the pantry if they are struggling with specific needs.
The WIT staff has a relationship with our Parish Outreach Coordinator which allows them to communicate on an as-needed basis in addition to the monthly program. Our parish will also adopt these 22 students for our Annual Giving Tree this Advent and Christmas Season.Almsgiving Fund Summary
Below is a short summary of how your funds have been used over the past two years. This does not include documentation of referrals to other agencies where MBS is no longer called upon to “help” meet a need. Please join us at our Annual Meeting this November for a more detailed report.
Beginning Balance - $17,998.60- Rental Assistance - $1,547.45
- Household needs (parishioner) - $49.70
- Children’s items (parishioner and refugee family) $167.37
- Past due bills/auto insurance (parishioner) $423.16
- Gas - $47.00
- Groceries - $150.00
- Advent/Christmas Giving Tree – Tags not taken - $50.42
- Clothing (parishioner and homeless) $177.14
- Refugee Family fleeing Sri Lanka - $5,325.89
(Family of Parish Members) - WIT Academy 2024 Pantry Program Supplies – $897.38
- Supplies for Helping Hands bags for homeless at our door - $402.36
- Oshkosh Community Back to School Fair 2023 – $525.00
- Oshkosh Community Back to School Fair 2024 - $1,100.00
(These amounts cover the tags on our Giving Trees that were not taken by parishioners) - Farmer’s Market Care Packages for Homeless - $181.21 (Cost split with Evangelization Mission Team)
- Back to School Fair Cash Donation - $100
- Other Almsgiving Fund donations received in 2024 - $1,130.00