News from Mychal’s Message
February 15, 2005
Dear Friends:
We’re sorry that it’s been a while since you last heard from us, but rest assured your prayers and donations have made it to us. Armed with both we are keeping Father Mychal’s memory alive through good works inspired by him.
In this e-newsletter:
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New Projects: Blessed Bloomers IV, In God We Trust, and Prayer Bears
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Project Update: I Will Carry You – Backpacks still needed: Deadline only a few weeks away!
Blessed Bloomers IV – Through September 2005: We can never forget that this ministry began with one pair of socks ... one pair which quickly turned into one thousand pair. And we can never forget that while distributing those socks, we were approached by a homeless man who asked us for underwear. Once again we are collecting new men and women's underwear, undershirts and socks to be distributed to the homeless on 9-11-05. We will begin on the Breadline at St. Francis Church in New York City. We hope to have enough underwear to give to the many people that depend on our donations each year. Read more about this project by following this link: www.mychalsmessage.org\projects\projects.htm#bloomers4.
In God We Trust (A Mychal's Message Project Especially for Children!) – Through December 2005: In this project, Shannon invites you to celebrate the years of your life or the life of someone close to you by collecting 1 birthday dollar for each of those years. When your donation is received, Shannon will send you a birthday card thanking you for helping her to help others. Father Mychal taught us to "Let the Lord take us where He wants us to go." In this project, Father Mychal has guided us to a soup kitchen in Raleigh, NC (Clay Aiken's hometown). The Shepherd's Table (www.shepherds-table.org) serves a mid-day meal every day to "anyone who walks through their doors - no questions asked. Read more about this project by following this link: www.mychalsmessage.org\projects\projects.htm#godwetrust.
Prayer Bears (Because Fr. Mychal knew the important task of a Teddy Bear) – Ongoing: Inspired by bears that have come to us in many ways, we hope to give teddy bears to homeless children living in shelters throughout the year. In this project, we will collect new (store-bought or hand-made) teddy bears. One of our prayer cards containing Fr. Mychal's prayer will be attached to each bear, making it a "prayer bear." It is our hope that the words, "Lord take me where you want me to go" printed on each prayer card will help the bears get to where the Lord (and Fr. Mychal) wants them to go. Read more about this project by following this link: www.mychalsmessage.org\projects\projects.htm#bears.
I Will Carry You – Only a Few Weeks Left and Backpacks Still Needed
Shannon celebrated the 14th anniversary of her life-saving liver transplant on January 29th, 2005. She invited some friends for a sleepover and asked them all to bring backpacks for the homeless in lieu of gifts for her. In the I WILL CARRY YOU project, Shannon is collecting new men's backpacks to give away to the homeless in New York City in mid-March. Since our website posting and newsletter announcement of the project, Shannon has collected almost 75 backpacks. She is half way there and hopes to have 150 to bring into New York City in mid-March. If God is calling you to do so, please send a new backpack to Shannon at MYCHAL'S MESSAGE, P.O. Box 6404, Lancaster, PA 17607. Thank you, and God bless you for your generosity. Read more about this project by following this link: www.mychalsmessage.org\projects\projects.htm#carry.
* * Mikie’s Gift Project Recap * *
MIKIE'S GIFT
Project Results
January 1, 2005
Thanks to the generosity of so many people, MIKIE'S GIFT changed the lives
of 572 men and women this Christmas. Christmas stockings arrived from
13
states (FL, GA, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, ND, NJ, NY, OH,
PA, and WI). Most were
the traditional red-and-white Christmas stockings, while
others were hand-made. ALL were packaged with love and filled with a
warm winter hat and gloves, a
pair of socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste,
deodorant and shampoo, and a shaver and shaving cream. Some had candy and nuts;
others had pens and paper; and others had McDonald's gift
certificates.
The response to this project was overwhelming. An initial goal of 200
stockings was exceeded soon after the project was announced.
St. Benedict's Church PREP (Parish Religious Education Program) in
Mohnton, PA filled 220
stockings, one for each of their students and faculty members. The students
then joined us in mid-December at a homeless shelter where the first of
those stockings were delivered - Crispus Attucks in Lancaster, PA - which
received 30 adult stockings and 6 children's stockings.
Every one makes a difference. Three local families wanted to get their
children involved in MIKIE'S GIFT, so they held their own drive on
Thanksgiving weekend. They asked their friends and neighbors to help them
"fill their wagons" by donating items needed to fill stockings for Mikie's
Gift. Trailing their red wagons behind them, the children walked through
their neighborhoods and collected 20 shopping bags FULL of stocking items!
St. Mary's School in Hackettstown, NJ and Our Lady of the Mountain PSR
(Parish School of Religion) in Schooley's Mountain, NJ also wanted to be
involved. Combined, their students collected items to fill 125 stockings.
The Youth Group at St. Leo the Great Church in Lancaster, PA got together
one Sunday afternoon and baked Christmas cookies. They too wanted to help.
Baked with love (and a lot of fun!), those cookies would be given away on
the streets of New York to homeless men and women these teenagers would
never meet.
Stockings arrived daily, and the count continued to rise. Our next delivery
was to Milagro House in Lancaster, PA - a homeless shelter for women and
children. There we met a pregnant woman whose baby girl was due in late
February. "I will name her Hannah," she told us. We said a little prayer
for Hannah as we delivered the box of brand-new baby girl's clothes that had
been donated to us the week before. Cases of baby diapers ("Blessed
Bloomers for Babies") were also delivered there that morning, as well as
baby formula and women and children's winter coats. We left them with 20
women's Christmas stockings and 40 teddy bears for the children ("The Teddy
Bear Project," details coming soon!).
Mikie's family also wanted to remember Mikie in this project. His
grandmother sent a box full of stockings, each packaged in warm winter socks
tied together in place of a stocking … each one prepared with great love.
In her grief, Mikie's mother was also busy filling Christmas stockings. "I
will fill 15 stockings," she told us, "one for each year of Mikie's life."
Her stockings were the last to arrive and brought our final count up to
572! Even Santa's sleigh would have a hard time carrying all those
stockings!
Soon we got word from our homeless friends in New York City. They had found
a way to reach us! They asked that a message be given to us through our
special friend, Fr. Cassian Miles, OFM
(pictured left with Shannon). "It is cold, and we need warm
coats," was that message. With only two weeks left until our trip into the
city, we began spreading the word that we needed warm winter coats. God is
so good, and we collected almost 100 coats to bring with us.
On Saturday, December 18th we arrived at St. Francis Church in New York City
and began unpacking our bags full of Christmas stockings. It was 6 a.m. and
our homeless friends were already lining the street. We walked through the
line and gave away every coat that we brought with us.
After receiving the sandwich and coffee given so graciously by the friars,
the homeless men and women were greeted by Mychal's Messengers. Each man
and woman was given a Christmas stocking and a special treat of homemade
Christmas cookies and a container of cold milk (with a straw). Mychal's
Messengers included Shannon, along with her brother and sister, Christopher
and Erin, and her cousins Callahan, Sean, Aidan and Meghan, all wearing
red-and-white Christmas hats. Her Nana and Pop, Mom and Dad and friends
Carol and Sarah were also there, along with her Aunt Jen and Uncle Bobby.
There were many of us today, remembering Mikie and praying for his grieving
mother. Fr. Cassian gathered us in a warm circle as we all joined in a
prayer of thanksgiving for all that was received and all that would be given
away. Shannon played her new Clay Aiken Christmas CD as we started to meet
and greet our friends. "Merry Christmas" wishes, smiles and hugs were
exchanged as we gave away the stockings in memory of Mikie and helped
fulfill his last wish. Somehow we knew that he was with us.
Our morning in
New York
can best be described by Shannon's cousins who joined us that day. To these
children, the men and women who lined the street were just that - men and
women. They saw no difference in them. It was only after we explained that
these men and women had no home that they began to understand why they were
there. And even then, the beauty and innocence of children shined through.
If only we could see the world through the eyes of a child …
Callahan, age 7 - "They all have such nice manners. Everyone said, 'Thank
you.'" … "I'm thinking that we have so much and I'm glad we're giving some
away."
Sean, age 5, after seeing a homeless man asleep on the street - "My bed is
so comfortable and I'm sad for the man who has no bed."
Aidan, age 4 - "It was fun! I liked giving out the cookies."
Even Meghan, age 1 ˝, tried to reach down to give away a pack of cookies
too.
And Shannon's Uncle Bobby - "Watching my 4 year old child give cookies and
milk to a 40 year old homeless man is very humbling and very powerful."
We put the remaining stockings in our vans and went into the friary for hot
tea and coffee with Fr. Cassian and Bro. Tom
(with Shannon, left). The children had hot
chocolate with milk (and ice cubes, thanks to Brother Tom) and enjoyed
homemade cookies. We estimated about 160 men and women on the line that
morning. We thanked God for the success of our project and for every one
who filled a stocking for Mikie.
Before we left the church, we met Liivi (pronounced Lee-vee,
pictured below, left) who was unpacking her stocking on the street.
She was so grateful for her new gloves and put them right on as she danced
joyfully up and down the
steps
of the church. She asked if we had an extra Christmas hat and was
happy that we did. She posed for a picture and waved goodbye, shouting
"Happy Christmas" as we got into our vans.
We drove by the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center as we headed for Harlem.
There, Fr. Benedict Taylor, OFM awaited us and the 225 stockings we brought
him for CREATE (various shelters and programs to aid the homeless).
We left New York City with empty vans and full hearts.
When we returned home, still we had more stockings, and they continued to
arrive until Christmas. "Lord, take them where You want them to go." Those
stockings were delivered and gratefully received by St. Brendan's Church in
Ormond Beach,
FL for their Christmas food drive for the homeless
migrant workers in
West
Volusia County. And yet, there were still more stockings left … the
remaining stockings were delivered to the Coalition for the Homeless in
Daytona Beach, FL (a center which provides 200-225 meals per day, as well as
laundry services, showers, haircuts, and nursing to the homeless).
A little boy named Mikie was born on Christmas Day 15 years ago. This year,
he went to heaven to be with Jesus. And this year, 572 men and women's
lives were touched because of him. May his memory live on in the lives of
all those who knew him, loved him and were touched by him.
-Kelly Lynch
Mychal’s Message Founder
In peace,
Your Friends at Mychal's Message
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Mychal's Message, Inc. is registered as a charitable organization with the Department of State's Bureau of Charitable Organizations under the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act, 10 P.S. Section 16.2 et seq., and is authorized to solicit charitable contributions under the conditions and limitations set forth under the Act. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of State, Bureau of Charitable Organizations