by Katie Patrick
CSS volunteers teamed up with the Knights of Columbus Nov. 13 to host the annual “Coats for Kids” event at our downtown Lincoln location. This event is led by the Knights of Columbus, who throughout the month of October promote the collection and gather coats, hats, scarves, and gloves at parishes across town in preparation for distribution to the many families we serve at CSS.
This year was particularly festive thanks to the efforts of Volunteer Coordinator Desirae Hagenbucher, her team of volunteers, and local businesses, including the Cookie Company. As families walked through the line, selecting correct sizes and preferred colors, they finished up with cookies and hot chocolate.
More than 450 kids received warm winter coats this year and we want to express our deep gratitude on their behalf and ours to the more than 60 Knights of Columbus and CSS volunteers who helped throughout the day.
We also want to especially thank all of you who donated coats, hats, scarves, and gloves for the event. Each one of you is an important part of our work, and we would not be able to accomplish our mission without you.
To that end, there has been a great deal of support and volunteerism from the community this year. With the Coats for Kids event and the arrival of more than 100 refugees from Afghanistan in the past couple of months, there are so many individuals in our parishes and across the state we have to thank.
Additionally, earlier this month we received donated turkeys in Lincoln that we both kept onsite and redistributed to our outreach offices in Auburn and Hastings. When it was all said and done, our staff and volunteers in Lincoln, Auburn, and Hastings distributed more than 350 turkeys and holiday food baskets to families in need.
Again, this would not have been possible without you. Thank you! Thank you for all the ways you support the work of CSS so that we can help those in need.
We have much to be grateful for this time of year as we celebrate Thanksgiving and approach Christmas, but more importantly, as Catholics, we begin our transition from a period of reflection to a period of preparation in anticipation for the coming of our Savior, which is the most beautiful gift of all. Wishing you a blessed Advent season.
