More than 200 parishes, schools, organizations and Catholic nonprofits are putting the final touches on their 2020 #weGiveCatholic campaigns. Northeast Ohio’s online day of Catholic giving will take place on Dec. 1.
At St. Malachi Parish on Cleveland’s Near West Side, members of the #weGiveCatholic team are helping to spread the word about the daylong event. Jeanette Shemo said they have a $25,000 goal this year. This is the fifth year St. Malachi has participated in the crowdfunding effort.
“The money we raise will be used for our Back Door Ministry, Monday Night Meal program and to assist other parish ministries,” Shemo said.
New this year is a matching gifts feature. “We received $8,250 from generous corporate and individual sponsors,” Shemo said, noting members of the parish #weGiveCatholic team approached supporters from parish’s Malachi Run, a major fundraiser. Corporate sponsor Onix Networking; CBG Tech Solutions, a vendor; Steve Switaj, a supporter of Malachi Center; parishioners Fred and Karen Kappus and an anonymous donor stepped up to provide the $8,250 in matching gifts for those donating to St. Malachi’s #weGiveCatholic effort.
She said the Monday Night Meal program was paused in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Many of our volunteers are elderly and it wasn’t safe for them,” Shemo explained. For more than 40 years, the program has served area homeless and others in need by serving a hot meal every Monday night. Shemo said the hope is that the Monday Night Meal program will be able to return safely.
In the meantime, the parish’s Back Door Ministry shifted from the back door of the rectory to the school hall in order to continue the program safely. Pre-packaged hot meals are distributed. “We provide about 125 meals daily,” Shemo said.
Coordinating the program is a parishioner who is a chef, who plans and cooks nutritious meals in the hall’s professional kitchen.
In addition, numerous other ministries assist parishioners and others in the area. Shemo said #weGiveCatholic will help St. Malachi continue its outreach work, which touches the lives of countless people each year.
For more than 150 years, St. Malachi has been serving the Old Angle area in Cleveland. Shemo said the parish’s #weGiveCatholic team – which includes herself, Nadge Herceg, Lou Keim, and Carrie Sekerak – has been planning and publicizing this year’s campaign through social media platforms, the parish bulletin, website, email and videos. One video features a person who had been homeless and benefited from the parish ministries. Others share a message from the parish music minister, pastoral minister, #weGiveCatholic team and Father Michael Gurnick, parish administrator. The videos can be viewed on the parish website.
“We want to build on our ministries and make them better,” Shemo said. She credited support from the Catholic Community Foundation, which helps participating entities to plan and implement their #weGiveCatholic efforts, as making a difference. “The training sessions were very helpful and the resources they provide helped guide us,” she said. Shemo said the idea to secure matching donors was something new the parish team decided to try this year, thanks to a suggestion during a training session.
Another #weGiveCatholic participant this year is Fatima Family Center in Cleveland. Director LaJean Ray said the pandemic forced a suspension of in-person services at the center back in March, but staff members are doing their best to stay in touch with senior citizens who relied on the center for socialization and other needs.
“Our seniors have been isolated since March and it looks like it will be that way for a while longer,” she said, referring to the pandemic. Staff members use phone calls and conference calls to stay connected, sometimes offering things like Bible study during a call.
“We’re hoping to purchase devices like iPads and tablets that we could distribute to our seniors so they can connect with us remotely, as well as activity boxes, Mother’s Day plants, etc. to let them know we care about them,” Ray said. About 145 seniors are registered members of the center’s senior program.
During the final days before #weGiveCatholic, the Catholic Community Foundation’s support team is reminding participants to continue pushing out their message and provide links on their webpage for the campaign.
The foundation is introducing two new ways to engage donors on Dec. 1: text to donate and sharing livestream events from #weGiveCatholic headquarters on that day.
Donors can text GIVE to 216-290-0330 to make a donation to the ministry of their choice. And on Dec. 1, a livestream from the headquarters can be accessed at weGiveCatholic.org/live_stats. Programming is planned for 9-10:30 a.m., noon to 2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Among those scheduled to appear are Father Don Oleksiak, vicar general; Bishop Edward Malesic; Father Dan Schlegel, vicar for clergy and religious; Deacon Jim Armstrong, executive director of communications for the Diocese of Cleveland; Frank O’Linn, diocesan superintendent of schools; Pat Gareau, president and CEO, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland, and more.
The livestream also will include Christmas music, prize announcements, leader board updates, interviews with participating organizations, a livestream of the noon Mass from the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, an Advent reflection and encouragement from the bishop and other surprises.
Participating organizations in this year’s #weGiveCatholic also can compete for thousands of dollars in prize money throughout the day.
Click here for more information on #weGiveCatholic.