We take so many things for granted — our homes, fresh water, lights, clean clothes, the list goes on and on. Some folks do not have these luxuries; they live on the street or in their cars.
The Justice Ministry at St. Brendan’s, Franklin Park, offers a Lenten project for their parishioners to help the homeless right from their own homes.
Each participant receives a calendar with a different entry for each day during Lent. If you have access to the listed item or if you do the daily task, put a small amount of money in a container. For instance, donate $0.50 every time you have a meal today, give $0.25 if your home has heat, etc.
This is an extremely meaningful and humbling exercise because it highlights so many of the simple things in life that we take for granted. It’s a great conversation starter for every age in a household.
At the end of Lent, St. Brendan’s parishioners bring the money to church and their funds will be given to Outreached Arms, a non-profit for the homeless.
The St. Brendan’s Justice Ministry is pleased to share this 2024 Lenten calendar with all parishes that would like to adapt it for their own awareness campaign. Each parish has the opportunity to designate an organization in their own community to benefit from the funds. It’s a legal-sized Word document available here.
Donna Aiello from St. Brendan’s has offered to advise parishes who may want to replicate this campaign. Donna can be reached via email at donna.aiello@forecastdirect.com