16 February, 2004
May God continue to bless all of you for your kindness and generosity in helping us help others in the name of our dear friend, Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M. We hope you enjoy reading the project updates below and finding out how YOU HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of others.
One-Hundred Souls
This past Christmas season, 102 boys went to school at their PA State
Rehabilitation Center and when they returned to their rooms ... there were
packages on each of their beds containing new sneakers, socks, underwear and
undershirts! They had no idea who these gifts were from until they noticed
the Mychal's Message prayer card inside each package. Then they knew that
strangers, in the name of our beloved Father Mychal Judge, had sent these
packages to them. According to the nurse there, the boys were "ecstatic."
"Their faces said it all," she told us. "One little guy had no socks until
his package arrived. In fact, he wore his sneakers with no socks, and when
he took them off, his feet were ice cold. He was especially grateful for
his new socks." That nurse also arranged through friends and family to
purchase new hats and gloves for each of the boys. "Christmas was
especially joyful around the Center this year," she told us. "The boys
gleamed." One boy shared a card that came with his package which encouraged
him to look around at all the good and know that there was goodness inside
of him. The nurse thanks everyone who participated in this project.
Project Undercover and Holy Hats
On Saturday, February 1st, Mychal's Message was back on the Bread
Line on W. 31st Street in NYC! Thanks to all of you, everyone
received a package containing an embroidered fleece blanket, a new hat and a
new pair of warm winter gloves. A "Tiny Treasure" was also placed in each
of the packages as well as a pack of crackers and a prayer card. We'd like
to share some of the experiences of that day with you ...
Before we left ...Carol and her daughter, Sara (part of the core group of Mychal's Message) picked up the last of the packages ... one came from a friend Missy in California who had trouble buying gloves in sunny California! She explained that when she purchased the gloves, a man behind her in line asked why she was buying so many. When she told him the story, he said, "Mychal would like that." He too knew our beloved Father Mychal.
We had enough gloves ... Thanks to so many generous people, we had plenty of gloves to give everyone a pair. Leigh Ann (one of our volunteers) drove to meet Carol with many donations of gloves.
The morning ... It was 15 degrees. We were bundled up from head to toe and had toe warmers in our shoes! Jean and Laura joined us from Our Lady of the Angels in Little Falls, NJ to help distribute our packages. Father Cassian Miles, O.F.M. greeted us on the street. He took the little ones (Christopher, 5 1/2 and Erin Mary, almost 3) inside to warm up before the Line began.
A surprise ... A group of men and women had set up a pile of blankets down the street. They too had a similar vision. They were there in the name of God to give blankets away to the homeless. We were glad that God brought us all together that morning with a similar goal.
Our homeless friends ...
David greeted us with a warm smile at
about 6:30 that morning. He asked what we'd brought this time. We told him
blankets, gloves and hats. He was grateful and got in line. Today, David
had a violin case with him which he had just gotten the day before from the
garbage. We asked him if there was a violin inside. "No," he replied, "but
I don't need one." He went on to tell us how much more respect and
conversation he had received in the 24 hours since he'd found that case.
"People think I'm a musician," he said, "and they're talking to me and
treating me with respect." When we asked David what we could bring in with
us next time, he said, "Just a smile. A smile is all I need."
Rose was happy that we could match
up a set of gloves, hat and scarf to the coat she had received in October
during "That Second Coat" project.
Pedro approached us in only a blazer
and asked us if we'd brought a coat with us. He walked away in a brand new
leather jacket smiling from ear to ear.
Harold also needed a coat. He was
very patient and waited until the Line was finished, hoping we had an extra
one in the car. We went to the cars and looked - no coat. He continued to
wait and hoped we'd find one. We went back to the cars to look, this time
praying first, "Father Mychal - Harold needs a coat." We opened the car,
tore open a black bag of donated items that were picked up the day before,
and not only was there a coat ... but it was just Harold's size and the
warmest coat you'd ever seen - filled with down! We put it on Harold,
zipped it up and watched him walk down the street smiling and feeling warm -
inside and out!
Bob stopped to talk a while after
receiving his package. "Gambling was what got me here," he explained.
"Everybody has a problem - something that got them here. I lost everything,
everyone." He went on to say, "I'm grateful for this city and the good
people that live here. They see to it that we won't starve. Lots of
churches offer us food, and this church, St. Francis of Assisi, gives us
sandwiches and coffee every day. If that's all we had, it would be enough.
We would survive." A sweet and gentle man with blue eyes, white hair and a
beard, Bob would have reminded you of Santa Claus.
It was a wonderful day with many beautiful moments shared by all! The New York Daily News carried a wonderful story the next day.
COMING SOON: Stocking the Inn and Blessed Bloomers III – Watch email and our website for more details!
-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