By Father Christopher Kubat
Recently, Clarice Sabata from Ss. Mary and Joseph Parish in Valparaiso stopped by our main office (located in the beautiful St. Joseph Campus on 23rd and O streets). This is also the site of Gianna’s Java & Gelato, home of the most delicious coffee and gelato (Italian ice cream) in the city of Lincoln.
As you know, the proceeds from Gianna’s go to assist the many women who have escaped domestic violence and abortion, as well as their children, at St. Gianna Women’s Homes. My favorite flavor is chocolate hazelnut, but since some days I am not sure, I have to experiment. In the quest of ensuring it is fit for our customers, I taste test sometimes twice a day… but I can quit anytime, I can walk away anytime....
It was good to see Clarice, because she is a longstanding member of the UGLY group, a.k.a. Unconditionally God Loves You, a group of holy women committed to making sleeping bags for the homeless, as well as quilts. They have been doing this since 1997 and have now surpassed 4,000 items! 
This time, she dropped off a nice supply of sleeping bags made from donated clothing, sheets, blankets and new fabric as needed. She also brought quilts and other items for the homeless and for St. Gianna’s. These are the things that individuals living on the street need. This group even made some that were shipped to the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
I was so happy to see her and to receive this nice gift because it is not too early to start stocking up with these items. Before you know it, the snow will start falling!
We will also be needing warm coats, gloves, socks, boots, thermal underwear, hats and the like. Each year, people living on the streets come in, requesting these items. Individuals and families who are not homeless but live on fixed incomes also need these items.
I would like to personally thank all the ‘UGLY’ ladies, who work tirelessly by making the beautiful quilts and sleeping bags (which in fact are far from ugly!). I like their Ugly name too, because unconditionally, God loves you! I know my mother will be reading this, so I better go on the record saying, I want to personally thank all the beautiful Ugly ladies who love God and their neighbor as themselves.
Let me close be re-iterating my gratitude to all of our donors, who help us spiritually with their prayers, materially with items like the ones described above, and financially!
