Catholic Charities Receives Spare Change to Support Elmira Community Kitchen
Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler Counties was recently presented with $10,059.77 from the Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish. These funds represent spare change donated by parishioners.
From mid-September to the end of February, parishioners contributed their spare change each weekend at the parish churches – Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Casimir, St. Mary, St. Patrick and Saints Peter and Paul. The funds raised have been used to keep the Elmira Community Kitchen doors open and continue to welcome neighbors with to-go lunch bags until the dining room can be reopened. Nancy Koons, Executive Director for Catholic Charities commented, “The Coin Box Collection is an excellent example of how parishioners put their faith into action and care for those in our community.”
In May, the Elmira Community Kitchen celebrated 39 years of serving free meals to local neighbors in need. In 2019, a total of 23,495 meals were served at the Elmira Community Kitchen with the assistance of 239 volunteers. There are 26 faith communities and organizations that partner with the Kitchen year-round to prepare and serve the meals. Meals were served 267 days, Monday through Friday, as well as the last Saturday of each month, with special meals on Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.
Recently, due to COVID-19, Staff have served over 5,400 to-go lunches, Monday through Friday. The community support has allowed the Community Kitchen to continue to meet the needs during this unprecedented time.
Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler’s mission is about helping the most vulnerable members of our community and impacting their safety and well-being. Catholic Charities works to create change in the lives of individuals, families and the community. Community partnerships, such as this one, are essential in creating a safety net for those in need. If you are interested in assisting, please visit cs-cc.org or call 607-734-9784, ext. 2133 and speak with Katie Rhodes regarding ways you or your organization can help. It’s amazing what we can do together.