Thanksgiving is most often thought as a time for coming together with family and reflecting on all that you are most thankful for. Along with giving thanks, many families have their favorite holiday dishes such as stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and of course, turkey. While eating all of this delicious food, have you ever taken a moment to think about all of the families whom might not be fortunate enough to sit down to a warm meal?
Marywood University’s campus ministry has been lending a helping hand to United Neighborhoods Center for the Thanksgiving Adopt-A-Family project for a total of 33 years now. Marywood’s Campus Ministry partners with and receives family names from United Neighborhoods Center for this project. While the United Neighborhoods Center feeds 1,700 families, Marywood University’s goal is to exceed last year’s total sponsoring 170 families.
The average size of a family is four people and the average cost of a basket is $50.00. Anyone can sponsor a family or even donate money to the project. Once someone decides to sponsor a family, he or she would be given the contact information of the family and then would have to shop for necessities to fill the basket, put the basket together, and lastly, deliver it.
Sister Maria Rose Kelly, I.H.M. has made a clear point about the Thanksgiving Adopt-A-Family project, “In the famous Last Judgment parable, Jesus begins with these words, ‘Feed the Hungry.’ The Thanksgiving adopt-a family basket is one way we can give back, say our own thanks and let this word of Jesus take root in our heart. Thanks, Campus ministry, for again taking the lead on this.”
As Sister John Michele Southwick, I.H.M. in Campus Ministry said, “25% of children in Lackawanna County are hungry and my question is, can we help to make a difference in their lives through this program?” For more information, check out Marywood’s website, www.marywood.edu and click under “Campus Ministry” for more information on this project.
