Catholic Charities USA\/Hurrican Relief and the F-M-WF Sheltering Churches project will be the recipients of the Thanksgiving Day Offertory Collection at Nativity this year.
\nCatholic Charities has an established presence in many of the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy and is already providing services such as emergency shelter, food, direct financial assistance, counseling and spiritual support, regardless of race, religion or socio-economic status. Their work comes in the midst of their annual “Fighting Poverty with Faith” campaign, whose theme \u00a0this year – “Building Opportunity Through Affordable Housing for All” – is especially timely.<\/p>\n
The Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Sheltering Churches will begin providing\u00a0overnight shelter \u00a0in December for the “overflow”\u00a0 population from our established shelters. This much-needed and highly successful program will be the second recipient of our collection. Training sessions for volunteers have already begun and will continue in December, January and February.\u00a0 Nativity has offered our support to both Blessed Sacrament and St. Mary’s, but volunteers are certainly \u00a0welcomed to serve at any of the participating churches.<\/p>\n
Thanksgiving is always an appropriate time to count our blessings, and many of us \u00a0would include the warmth, comfort and security of our own homes.\u00a0 Both of these relief\u00a0efforts, however, require long-term commitment,\u00a0 so please keep these people in your prayers and consider a financial gift beyond our Thanksgiving Collection.<\/p>\n