Hundreds of new toys and items of clothing will be distrbuted
Thanks to our generous contributors and the parishoners of St. Ann’s hundreds of children will be able to enjoy unwrapping gifts of toys and new clothing this Christmas. We are most grateful to all who have made this possible.
The Immokalee High School Mexican Foklore Dancers were a highlight of the Christmas Party
The Guadalupe Staff and volunteers hosted the CCDOV 2011 Christmas Party in Immokalee. Delicious Mexican dishes and warm Christmas Cheer was shared by over 100 of the staff.
Maria Ramos (center) presented the $7,000 Gala proceeds to Elaine Stanley (left) Chairman of the Advisory Board and Ninfa Drago, Program Director, Guadalupe Social Services.
Council of Hispanic Business Professionals’ Third Annual Gala was a joyful evening of dining and dancing. event took place on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at Kensington Golf and Country Club, Naples. The proceed’s from this year’s Gala will be donated to the School on Wheels, a project of Guadalupe Social Services, Catholic Charities of Collier County. The School on Wheels mission is to improve the lives of women in Immokalee by teaching them conversational English. Hundreds of women from Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti and El Salvador and other countries are isolated in worker camps and trailer parks in rural Immokalee and are functionally illiterate.
Annually over 400 guests enjoy companionship and good cheer
Under the leadership of Dr. Francisco and Ruth Smith our 2012 Emerald Ball Committee has begun its work to make the 2012 Emerald Ball another smash! The date is Saturday, March 17, 2012.
Yes a very special St. Patty’s Day for all who attend.
Our host site for the evening will again be the Ritz Tiburon. This signature Collier County Event now in its 27th year has raised milions of dollars for our programs and services and we trust you will want to play a part. Thanks to the generosity of John and Sue Morrison our Patrons will enjoy a festive evening on Thursday evening, March 7. For Patron Party information please call or email.
Knights and Dames of Malta Made Light Work of the Backpack Prep
As our readers know there are children in America that rely on resources such as free or reduced-priced school lunch, during the school year. Here in Collier County over 20,000 children receive free or reduced lunches every school day!
But what happens on the weekend? Are they receiving nutritious meals? How often? Questions to ponder. The BackPack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations.
The BackPack Program concept was developed at the Arkansas Rice Depot, after a school nurse asked for help because hungry students were coming to her with stomachaches and dizziness. The local food bank began to provide the school children with groceries in non-descript backpacks to carry home.
In addition to providing nutritious food to school children in need, some BackPack Programs provide extra food for younger siblings at home and others operate during the summer months when children are out of school and have limited access to free or reduced-priced meals.
Backpacks for Collier Kids
We have been exploring initiating a “backpack” program here in Collier County. There are several agencies in Lee County working with Harry Chapin who provide this program including St. Vincent DePaul and CCMI. It is not available in Collier. Part of the problem is cost. These meals cost approximately $2.35- $2.50 per child, per week.
During the last month of the school year we launched a “test” site in cooperation with CCSB and one elementary school in Golden Gate, Mike Davis Elementary.
We discussed this proposal with Ms. Dawn Hauser, Director of Nutrition Services for the School District. She pointed us to Mike Davis Elementary School in Golden Gate as having an identified need with a willing principal, Bob Spano, who would assist. In addition, preliminary discussion with ‘Kids Against Hunger” indicates that they would collaborate as well. Catholic Charities mustered several volunteers from our present pool as well as drawing from area churches. We received a commitment from the Knights and Dames of Malta to assist us in packaging, etc. The meals were assembled, packaged and placed in backpacks and distributed to the fifty children selected on Fridays.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice (which includes Collier County) again received a four-star efficiency rating – the highest possible – from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities. More than 90 percent of the charity’s money is spent directly on programs.
Visit www.charitynavigator.org for more information.
