HUNTERSVILLE — Members of St. Mark Church raised more than $25,000 and packaged 84,000 meals by 900-plus volunteers during the parish’s annual partnership with Stop Hunger Now July 16. The Raleigh-based Stop Hunger Now (www.stophungernow.org) operates meal-packaging programs at 20 cities in the U.S. and elsewhere, providing more than 225 million meals for people in 73 countries since its founding in 1998.
This year, it expects to package 45 million meals and ship more than $9 million in donated aid, mainly vitamins and medical supplies.
St. Mark’s meal-packing event included children, families, friends, Christ the King High School students and parents, seniors, clergy and staff.
Each meal feeds six people, so that means the parish packed meals that will feed half a million hungry people throughout the world. Stop Hunger Now will distribute these meals through feeding programs operated by partner organizations in developing countries that promote education, encourage children to attend school, improve students’ health and nutrition, address gender inequalities, stimulate economic growth, fight child labor, and are part of the movement to address global issues.
— Photo by Amy Burger
CHARLOTTE — Nearly 17,000 people helped to "Share God's Gifts" in the 2015 Diocesan Support Appeal, which concluded Dec. 31.
The 2015 DSA campaign raised $5,295,300 from 16,628 donors across the diocese – 3 percent over the campaign goal of $5,120,000 and the most ever raised in this annual appeal. Overall, 27 percent of registered parishioners across the diocese shared an average gift of $318.
The annual campaign funds more than 50 programs, including the core operations of 23 ministries and agencies that serve thousands of people across the diocese – most notably, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte for its counseling, food pantries, pregnancy support, refugee resettlement, elder ministry, Respect Life and other programs, as well as the programs and ministries of the Education Vicariate. It also supports multicultural ministries, seminarian education, the permanent diaconate, the annual Eucharistic Congress, and the diocese's housing corporation.
"In 2015, we made a concerted effort through our various campaign materials to share with parishioners all the wonderful things being done throughout the diocese thanks to their DSA contributions," said Kerry Ann Tornesello, associate director of development for the diocese.
"We asked everyone to 'share their gifts' of prayer and financial support, and they responded very generously."
Parishioners in all 92 parishes and missions in the Charlotte diocese fund the annual DSA. Each parish is assessed a goal based on its average weekly collection.
Parishes that exceed their goal get to keep the extra funds they collect, while parishes which fall short of their goal in donations from parishioners make up the shortfall from their operating budgets.
In the 2015 campaign, 50 parishes and missions exceeded their DSA goal in payments. Parishes that will receive rebates over $10,000 include St. Jude Mission in Sapphire; St. Bernadette Church in Linville; and Holy Cross Church in Kernersville.
Parishes that will receive more than $20,000 include St. Thérèse Church in Mooresville, St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem, St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, Holy Family Church in Clemmons, Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, and St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville.
"Our diocese is blessed to have thousands of people who 'share God's gifts' by serving in the ministries and programs funded by the DSA each year, and to have thousands more people who support these ministries with their financial gifts," Tornesello said.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter