Sodality May Charity Focus: Greater DC Diaper Bank

Sodality Supports the Community Through New Monthly Charity Focus
Blessed Sacrament Sanctuary Sodality has postponed the Annual Bazaar for 2020 and instead we will highlight a Monthly Charity Focus all year long.  Our units have been asked to nominate local charities to support and each month we are soliciting donations to the selected organization.  Normally we would donate 50% of our Bazaar proceeds to these worthy organizations ($40,000 in 2019), but due to the current pandemic our fundraising has taken a new form. We welcome support of all Blessed Sacrament parishioners for this effort to help those in need in our community.

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May Charity Focus - Greater DC Diaper Bank

Sodality's May charity is sponsored by the Stella Maris unit. During the month of Mary and when we honor our Mothers, Stella Maris will be collecting funds for the Greater DC Diaper Bank, their long-time charity.  Did you know the Great DC Diaper Bank delivers an average of 175,000 diapers to 4,000 families each month in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia?

How you can help:
1.  Donate directly to the Greater DC Diaper Bank at  THIS LINK  (Please note you are giving in honor of the Stella Maris Diaper Drive, so we may track donations.) 

2.  Shop the Greater DC Diaper Bank's Amazon Wish List  LINK HERE .

3.  Have you been spring cleaning and have diapers or other supplies you would like donate?  Please contact Diane Mego ( pitt2dc@gmail.com) to make arrangements.  
Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
 

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April Charity Focus - The Consortium of Catholic Academies (CCA)
 
During the month of April the Mary Undoer of Knots unit invites you to join Sodality in supporting The Consortium of Catholic Academies (CCA).  Located in the District’s most underserved communities and established by the Archdiocese of Washington to provide access to an excellent Catholic education in a safe and nurturing setting, the CCA’s four schools - Sacred Heart, St. Anthony, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Thomas More – serve an extremely diverse student population of PreK through 8th graders.  
 
The CCA provides vital, transformative educational opportunities to 800+ students, over 70% of whom live below the poverty line, through tuition assistance, before/after school care, supplies/technology, and social/emotional support. Please visit the CCA website ( www.catholicacademies.org) to learn more!
 
How you can help:

1. Please visit the CCA website (www.catholicacademies.org) to learn more, watch video, and consider making a donation.
2. Purchase an item from the CCA’s School Supply WishList on AmazonSmile at https://smile.amazon.com/hz/charitylist/ls/24QO0D60ZQW1C/ref=smi_ext_lnk_lcl_cl
3. Designate the CCA as your AmazonSmile charity 

 

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March Charity Focus - Special Olympics Montgomery County (SOMO)

For the month of March Sodality’s Star of the Sea unit has selected Special Olympics Montgomery County (SOMO) as our featured charity in focus. SOMO provides a year-round training and competitive sports program for Montgomery County children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or closely related developmental disabilities. Scores of Blessed Sacrament parishioners are involved in SOMO’s programs as athletes, cheerleaders, unified sports partners, managers and coaches—and as supporters of the ever popular youth basketball exhibition hosted at BS each year. 
 
Blessed Sacrament will continue its SOMO basketball program this spring, but due to safety concerns given the pandemic, must move the program outdoors and hold practices in two smaller groups at separate times.  This will require the program to purchase permits to reserve outdoor court space for each practice session.  In addition, SOMO’s COVID safety protocols require that each athlete have a separate basketball to use in drills, and that the balls  be cleaned after each practice session. Finally, the team is in need of new uniforms, although those would not be used until next year.
 
Star of the Sea is requesting donations to pay for the outdoor permits, basketballs for the athletes to use this year and beyond, cleaning supplies and uniforms so that Blessed Sacrament’s SOMO basketball program may continue to provide programming during this difficult time.  To support the Blessed Sacrament SOMO basketball program and its vital work in our parish community, please:

Mail a check to Special Olympics Montgomery County, PO Box 1809, Rockville, MD 20850 with a note that the funds are designated for the Blessed Sacrament SOMO basketball program; OR

Go to  https://store.somdmontgomery.org/index.html  to make a gift to SOMO online via their online store. From the store, select SOMO’s Online Gift Program, indicate the number of increments of $25 you wish to donate (e.g., a gift of $100 would be a quantify of 4), and in the box for “Ordering Instructions”, indicate that your gift is to support the Blessed Sacrament SOMO basketball program.
 

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February Charity Focus - Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (TVAP)

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January Charity Focus - Catholic Charities of Washington DC

• Click this link for  NEW BORN CARE PACKAGE ITEMS  OR click this link MOTHER CARE PACKAGE ITEMS 
• These links take you direclty to Amazon  
• Choose the items and quantity you want to purchase from the list
• At Checkout choose "Lynn Stewart's Gift Registry Address" (might be under Other Addresses)
• Complete your purchase
• The items will be automatically sent to Lynn Stewart***

 

• VIEW THIS LIST OF URGENT ITEMS
• Purchase items at your store of choice
• Deliver your items to Lynn Stewart, 6609 Radnor Road,  Bethesda, MD 20817

 

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November Charity Focus - The Jeanne Jugan Little Sisters of the Poor Residence

Little Sisters of the Poor care for the elderly poor who have outlived their resources. They have cared for several members of Blessed Sacrament Parish including Monsignor Duffy and Sodalist Mona Williams. Due to COVID, the Little Sisters tradition of “begging" has been halted. Please support The Little Sisters of the Poor with your prayers and donations.  http://www.littlesistersofthepoorwashingtondc.org/donations/  [ enter “Blessed Sacrament” in comment field.]

Also requested: Surgical Disposable Masks, Hand Sanitizer, Lysol Spray
Please use Amazon Smile Link on http://www.littlesistersofthepoorwashingtondc.org  to order items from Amazon and send to:
Mother Mary Michael
Little Sisters of the Poor
Jeanne Jugan Residence
4200 Harewood Road, NE
Washington, DC 20017-1554

October Charity Focus -  Iona House Food Pantry Plus program

Iona House provides home bound older adults in the DC area with nutrition supplements, shelf-stable food, and other everyday home supplies they may have difficulty accessing now more than ever because of COVID-19.  Please visit  Iona.org/donate-now  to learn more and join Sodality in supporting Iona House.

September Charity Focus – St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families
St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families, providing housing and support programs for infants, children and young women. In September Sodalists responded with several carloads of supplies and made financial donations to St. Ann’s after their Spring fundraiser was cancelled due to the pandemic. Donations are still being accepted at  https://e.givesmart.com/events/hlU/.