CAPUCHIN COMMUNITY SERVICES HOLIDAY DRIVES BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, PARISHES, SYNAGOGUES ENCOURAG
Capuchin Community Services that serves Milwaukee’s working poor and homeless is kicking off its annual Holiday Drives. Businesses, organizations, parishes, and synagogues are encouraged to participate.
“Many of our families have a roof over their heads, but cannot afford to shop for the fixings of a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas meal,” Capuchin Community Services Executive Director, Br. Rob Roemer, OFM Cap., explains. “When you think about the holidays, you think of family. The Holiday Food Box Program and Christmas Toy Drive brings families together. Each food box has the ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas meal.”
Typically, 1,000 food boxes and turkeys are distributed at Thanksgiving. Another 1,000 food boxes including turkeys or hams are distributed at Christmas. Also, toys are distributed to 1,000 families with children aged 10 years or younger at Christmas. We are also seeking hats and gloves for children to be added as additional gifts for Christmas. Lastly, organizations can request a bin for our T&T drive, (toilet paper and toothpaste) for our many working poor Milwaukee families.
“People are looking for avenues to help others during the holidays. Capuchin Community Services has many methods where families can help other families,” Br. Rob Roemer explains. “We encourage businesses and organizations to contact us and let us know how many food boxes they can fill or toys they can provide for children 10 years old and under. We drop off the boxes and the food shopping lists. We pick up the filled food boxes and toys then distribute them to our families. It’s always a happy day! Our families are very grateful for the assistance.”
Families qualify for the program by attending one or more empowerment classes whose topics include health, finance, wellness, nutrition, job skills, etc.
“The holidays are tough when you are a poor family,” Br. Rob Roemer concludes. “It’s difficult when you have to choose to pay a bill or to put food on the table. Capuchin Community Service’s goal is to help Christ’s poor and to keep families together. Our Holiday Drives do just that.”
To find out how your group can help Milwaukee’s families this holiday season, go to www.CapuchinCommunityServices.org or call Mike George, Volunteer Coordinator, with any questions: 414.933.1300, ext. 1113.
CAPUCHIN COMMUNITY SERVICES: with two locations, St. Ben’s Community Meal and the House of Peace, serves the poor, the hungry, the homeless. www.CapuchinCommunityServices.org
ABOUT HOUSE OF PEACE: The House of Peace assists families and individuals in meeting their spiritual, material, and emotional needs. The House of Peace helps families to remain together and to promote self-sufficiency. It provides food, clothing, and pastoral care to the poor plus houses the UWM House of Peace Community Nursing Center and Marquette University Legal Clinic that serves the same population.
ABOUT ST. BEN’S COMMUNITY MEAL: St. Bens Community Meal has been Milwaukee’s largest regular potluck dinner since 1970. 75 organizations (including churches, temples, and mosques) provide hot, home-made dishes six days a week to those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Over 2,000 meals are served each week. Additional ministries include Ascension-St. Mary’s St. Ben’s Clinic that provides prevention-focused health care to those who can’t afford it, Open Door Ministry that provides case management services to homeless individuals and St. Benedict the Moor parish. All ministries are located at 9th and State Streets.
Capuchin Community Services is a Capuchin ministry and is part of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph which is headquartered in Detroit and serves Capuchin ministries worldwide. www.TheCapuchins.org
For additional information, contact:
Tim Hinkle, PR Director
Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph
Phone: 313.949.5769
