Basic Needs – 2022 Year End Report

On behalf of the Church of the Nativity’s Basic Needs Committee, we would like to thank our many volunteers, committee chairs, the generous support from our parishioners and help from Nativity staff.  We are excited to share that together we were able to provide assistance for hundreds of families in different ways in 2022:

Basic Needs Funding: Year-Round; Co-Chairs: Sandra Delmonico, Raquel Falotico, Bill Gesell
Supported: 100s of families with food, housing, caregiver help and other relief

Eagles Up: Year-Round; Co-Chairs: Bill Gesell, Sandra DelMonaco, Raquel Falotico, Annie DiDomenico, Kelly Kachinski
Supported: 100s of troops sending out 338 Packages to Romania, Kuwait, Marshall Islands, Djibouti, Qatar, Iraq, Kosovo, Poland, and ships at sea

Food Pantry:  Year-Round; Chair: Jo Heath
Supported: 100s of families through food collected in bins in the church year-round and extra support at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas

Lunch Break: Year-Round Monthly dinner or lunch; Co-Chairs: Bill Gesell, Linda Gesell, Mary Haynes, Kathy Ramirez
Supported: 100s by providing food every month in 2022 to Lunch Break

School Supplies: Summer; Chair: Marybeth Bull
Supported: Over 150 Littles and their families with School supplies

Box of Joy:  October; Chair: Annie DiDomenico
Supported: Sent 96 boxes to children and families in 3rd world countries filled with toys and goodies for distribution over the holidays

Food Baskets: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter; Co-Chairs: Amanda Stevens and Kelly Kachinski
Supported: 105 local, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, St. Peter Claver families

Advent Project:  December; Co-Chair: Jo Heath and Tammy McKenna (Mary Haynes for 2022 ornament creation)
Supported: Over $6500 was collected and donated to Covenant House

Gifts for Seniors: December; Chair: Kathy Ramirez
Supported: Over 100 residents at local senior homes with gifts for the holidays

We also send a huge thank you to all of you who:

  • Volunteered your time supporting our committees and outreach
  • Donated food, turkeys, hams or items throughout the year to support our families and troops
  • Donated money through various ways at The Church of the Nativity
  • Donated School Supplies
  • Donated Senior Gifts
  • Made the ornaments for the advent project
  • Sold ornaments at masses
  • Purchased ornaments or made donations during Advent
  • Helped us assemble food baskets
  • Delivered baskets to families or organizations we support
  • Led food drives in your neighborhoods and brought the food to the church
  • Made handmade cards for our holiday baskets or packages to the troops
  • Bought gift cards for our families
  • Made online donations to support local families during the holidays
  • Brought the food up to the pantries weekly from the bins in the church and sorted
  • Purchased, organized, or made food in our kitchen for Lunch Break
  • Made boxes to be sent out for the holidays to children in need
  • Helped us spread the word in bulletins or communications through the church
  • Set up rooms, trees, tables, etc. in the Church for our events

We’re sure we are missing lots of other tasks that you all did that helped us make 2022 a huge success. We just can’t thank you all enough for all your time, contributions, and generosity.

On behalf of the Basic Needs Committee, we would like to wish a happy, healthy and love-filled New Year for all of you and those you love.

May God Bless you all and fill your homes with faith, love, joy and peace.

Amanda Stevens and Marybeth Bull
Co-chairs of the Basic Needs Committee