Each year, Rochester’s Holy Apostles Church distributes gifts and food baskets to city residents through its Christmas Blessings Project.
A heightened need to feed local families during this Christmas season has prompted a new focus for the 2024 event, which will take place Dec. 16.
“In a special way, the food distribution this year is even more critical, because the schools will be off for nearly two weeks in a row (at Christmas),” Father Anthony Mugavero, Holy Apostles’ pastor, explained in an email to the Catholic Courier.
Betsy MacKinnon, Holy Apostles’ volunteer coordinator of outreach programs, said families that already are “food compromised” have an even harder time at Christmas, and their food insecurity will be exacerbated this year by the schools’ two-week winter holiday.
“Our kids right now in school are getting breakfast and lunch, and so (the school break) provides a great big void for two whole weeks, and we’re a little bit concerned about it. So, this year we will be adding even more to the food baskets so that we can help parents cover a little bit over those two weeks,” MacKinnon said.
Christmas Blessing Project provides clothes, food and gifts for both children and parents
The Christmas Blessings Project provides families in need with gifts for children — from clothes to toys to board games — as well as a blanket for each family and a special gift for the parents, MacKinnon explained. Recipients are welcomed to visit the church to select the gifts of their choice, assisted by volunteer “personal shoppers” from the parish and the Rochester community.
After presents are wrapped and ready to be sent home with a family, the parents will go to the rectory’s back door to receive a food basket, which will include either a ham or a turkey, plus fruits and vegetables, potatoes, bread, soup, cereal, pasta, desserts and other food items — including Christmas candy, MacKinnon noted.
“Everybody deserves a Christmas treat,” she said.
Hunger Relief Grant assists hundreds of Rochester city families
Holy Apostles purchases food for the baskets using Hunger Relief Grant money it receives through Rochester’s Catholic Charities Family and Community Services. Hunger Relief Grants are funded in part by the annual Catholic Courier/Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal.
“We’re so grateful to the Hunger Relief Grant program, because we do get assistance from them, and that really helps us,” MacKinnon said, noting that the parish also receives food donations from parishioners throughout the month of November.
Each year, Holy Apostles prepares to help 100 to 110 families, and if there are leftover food baskets, they are given out as people come to the parish looking for food throughout the month of December, MacKinnon explained.
Christmas Blessings Project a group effort of volunteers
According to MacKinnon, the Christmas Blessings Project event is a group effort involving many volunteers who take about two months to organize and prepare for the annual event.
MacKinnon said that suburban parishes typically donate hundreds of toys, clothes and blankets, which then have to be sorted, stored and then displayed in the church by the volunteers.
After displaying and organizing the clothing and gifts, volunteers assist recipients who register and come at their appointed times to receive the gifts and food baskets.
Volunteers also wrap the gifts so families can open them on Christmas morning, MacKinnon said.
In addition, two volunteers always are on hand who pray with shoppers if they desire. Once participants have their wrapped gifts and food baskets, volunteers also drive them home.
MacKinnon lauded her fellow parishioners and volunteers who participate in this and other ministries at Holy Apostles year-round.
“That’s why I love our parish, because we see the needs, and we do the best that a simple, inner-city, small parish can do. And sometimes, we’re doing a lot, and we don’t even realize it,” she said.
