#Margaretshelpinghands
Dear Friends and St. Margaret Parishioners:
Parishioners of St. Margaret and throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge have been generous in their initial response to assist those who have been affected by Hurricane Laura. As I mentioned at Mass this weekend, our friends in Lake Charles could really use your help. Here are some ways that you can continue to assist:
- Continue to Give. You have been generous in your outreach thus far. When Bishop Duca and I visited this weekend, I brought a check for $18k+ to Bishop Provost to assist the Diocese of Lake Charles in their efforts. I also brought $3k in gift cards from St. Margaret and $1,600 in gift cards from our daughter parish of Immaculate Conception in Denham Springs. You can bring a gift card to the office or place one in the collection. These provide immediate relief directly to families. Or you can give a cash donation at stmargaretstthomas.com/give or at paypal.me/stmargaretalbany
- Donated Goods. We are collecting certain goods to assist with recovery. Margaret is also serving as one of the diocesan staging areas to assist with pick up and delivery. A list of goods that are needed and when to bring them to us are found on our website:
- Work Crews. Manpower and woman power are perhaps needed most. Many hands make light work, and this is an extremely helpful and immediate way to provide relief. These crews can help with removing fallen trees and debris, demolition for damaged buildings, and other manual labor. Providing large quantities of meals for folks are also helpful. If you’re interested in joining a St. Margaret crew, email us at stmargaret@diobr.org or call the parish office and let Lanie know.
- A Diocesan Effort. All of this is being done with other parishes as a concerted, diocesan effort. A committee for disaster recovery has been created in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, and Fr. Jamin and Fr. Ryan Hallford are instrumental parts of this committee. Check out some of those efforts or even offer help at the website:
https://sites.google.com/view/brhurricanelaurarelief/home
Fr. Ruben Buller, Lake Charles’ Vicar General, is a dear friend of mine through all eight years of our seminary career. He and Bishop Provost, during our Saturday visit, commented that he is utterly impressed and overwhelmed by the generosity of St. Margaret and for the organization of our diocesan efforts which have already brought a tremendous impact to their community.
Let us continue to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ preaching the Gospel with our hands and hearts! We’ve got your back, Lake Charles!
~Fr. Jamin
#Margaretshelpinghands
