St. Mary's is excited to continue to partner with CARITAS in a new way as they expand their resources to those they serve. With the completion of the new CARITAS Center, Congregations Around Richmond Involved to Assure Shelter (CARITAS) are needed in new ways, rather than shelter. Through Bridge Weeks, we can continue to provide nutritious meals, donate necessary supplies, and soon, spend time with our CARITAS friends during activity evenings. A Bridge Week consists of three components: meals, hosting a drive, and an activity night (activity night will begin at a later date due to continued safety precautions). St. Mary's has signed up for May 21-26.

As part of this week, St. Mary's is preparing and delivering a wonderful dinner and several days worth of bagged lunches for women at the new Emergency Shelter & Healing Place. As the "host a drive" item, we plan to collect essential items they need for their every day classes, as they work towards recovery with their peers.

Please click the Sign-up Genius link here or below. Choose an item you would like to donate or prepare. All items should be delivered to St. Mary's kitchen by Friday, May 21 at noon.

As part of the Confirmation Workshop this week, 8th and 9th grade Confirmands packed over 140 hygiene kits for GoochlandCARES. These kits consisted of travel sized shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, body lotion and a comb, toothbrush, toothbrush holder, and a bar of soap. These hygiene kits are passed out to clients and families of the food pantry at GoochlandCARES.

Thanks to the initial response to the Goochland YMCA Snack Bags drive back in February, St. Mary's has been able to pack more snack bags these past two months. Elementary school-aged kids from St. Mary's have been decorating bags with stickers, drawings, and words of encouragement. Then they come to St. Mary's kitchen once a month to pack them for 30 students. There is enough donated food to pack snack bags through the end of the school year! Another round of snack bags was packed and delivered this week!

St. Mary's is part of a publishing project to offer a new book in support of our outreach partner, Education Equals Hope (E=H).

 

In January 2020, Ashley Cameron led a mission team from St. Mary's to Quito, Ecuador to join with E=H in providing support to parish life within the faith communities of Emaus and Romerillo. Once back in Richmond, a member of the team, Wayne Dementi, presented the idea of publishing a children's ABC book. The book would share the beauty of Ecuador – its geography, culture, and language – through photos and captions presented in both Spanish and English. 

The book team formed with Cameron Vivanco, co-founder of E=H, serving as the author, Kelly Cox Vivanco serving as graphic designer, Wayne Dementi as publisher, and Ashley Cameron offering photography captured during her repeated missions to Ecuador over the years. The photograph of the student shown on the cover is one of Ashley's. The team is delighted to have received back cover endorsements from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Michel and Lisa Zajur of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Francisco Carrión Mena, Ecuadorian Ambassador to the US. The team is, also, excited about this book being presented at the International BookFest in June.

 

The plan is for the book to be released during the summer. And there is much excitement surrounding the involvement of St. Mary’s community with its launch! All proceeds will go to E=H.