WHY PARTNER WITH US? A
WHY PARTNER WITH US? A parish partner helped Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel in Puerto Rico rebuild after Hurricane Maria. YOU’LL SEE THE RESULTS. The partnership won’t end once you’ve made your gift. We’ll share updates, stories and photos. It’s a moving experience to see how much your gifts can do, and how grateful the people you help will be. ENGAGE THE CHILDREN IN YOUR PARISH. Schools can join a larger parish project, or take on one of their own. In fact, a number of the missions we support specifically serve children, including: • Summer Camps • Youth Centers • Sisters’ Ministries It may be most meaningful to let the students discuss several projects and choose one that they feel moved to take part in. It’s up to you and your parish leadership. These relationships between Catholic Extension and the ministries that need support is what makes the difference between “helping” and “serving.” Melissa Howlett, director of religious education at a Chicago-area parish, said it’s the difference between “coming out, meeting people, being with people … as opposed to coming with our own agenda.” “Catholic Extension does such a good job seeing who’s already there, working hard, and investing in those people,” she said. With the support from this parish, a “literacy wagon” program is fighting summer learning loss among the children of migrant farmworkers in the Yakima Valley in Washington State. Read the full story at catholicextension.org/literacy-wagon. PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION Southern California parish helped sisters’ outreach A southern California parish raised funds during Lent in support of the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in Puerto Rico. The parish assisted the sisters so that they can continue their outreach to the poor and vulnerable. The parish pastor said, “We wanted to connect our parish and school to our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico, who are struggling with recent earthquakes and past hurricanes.” A parishioner even blessed this effort with an initial matching gift. In a letter to the parish, Sister Margarita wrote, “Thank you and your parish for your gestures of love, collaboration and solidarity with our Congregation after the devastating experience of the earthquakes and for all your hard work raising funds to help us in all our needs. Thank you for helping us, and through us, all the families we serve.”
