Mission House was busy in December with gifts for the holiday season gathered by Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church and other area residents and presented to this nonprofit organization’s leadership to help in their care of this area’s growing number of homeless and uninsured residents.
On Dec. 10, the monthly food collection by Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church’s parishioners was presented to Mission House Kitchen coordinator Frank Box and volunteer Wendy Alderman by church parishioner Christopher Bayer.
Dec. 11 brought another very special gift of additional food donations made by area resident Nora McWilliams, who had just celebrated her 9th birthday and, in lieu of birthday gifts, she asked for food donations for the homeless.
Nora and her father, Rickie McWilliams, made the delivery to Mission House. Mission House Executive Director Lucas Seilhymer was leaving at the time of their evening arrival but stopped to provide a quick tour of the facility to Nora and her father, telling them about the services at that evening’s busy medical care clinic for uninsured area residents who would otherwise have no other means of care.
Seilhymer also identified where Nora’s gifts would be added to the food pantry and where the evening’s meal preparation for homeless was underway by area volunteers.
On Dec. 13, the season’s gift-giving continued when two presentations of gift cards to nearby grocery, discount stores and pharmacies were made to Seilhymer and event and development coordinator Chelsea Basilius.
The first presentation of gift cards collected by The Senior Group from Our Lady totaling $865 was presented by the Ministry Leader Joyce Scott and Senior Group member Pattie Raviotta. The second presentation was of gift cards collected by parishioners themselves totaling more than $2,600 to assist with Mission House’s care of the homeless and families in need that visit their clinic.
