Another BIG Thank You!!

Thank you again to our members and friends who came out to support our second Blankets for Babies Day, sponsored by the Summit Elks, on May 16^th.  Nearly 30 people, young and old, came by the Elks Lodge on Thursday,  May 16^th to help cut, pin, sew, fringe and tie blankets for our layettes. The Elks very generously provided a grant for the fleece, as well as volunteers, their lodge, and refreshments.  It was a very special day filled with community, camaraderie, good cheer, and good works - all on behalf of needy children.  We were able to finish 27 blankets, and ended the day with 134 more in various stages of completion. Thank you to all who helped make the day a success. Many babies will enjoy a warm, adorable blanket because of you.  Kudos to Lambi Newsham for initiating contact with the Elks and securing our very first grant!

Over 100 CCS members and members of the St. Teresa of Avila community came together on Wednesday, February 6th, for the first annual Blankets for Babies Day.  St. Teresa’s Memorial Hall was organized so that there were different workstations allowing even those if us who don’t really care to sew an opportunity to help with the project: some sewed, others cut and pinned the fleece, one very excited group got to use a truly awesome invention called a fringer (who knew such a thing existed) and our rock star teens tied the fringe. Well over 100 of CCS’s signature carriage blankets were completed, ready to be packed up in our next bundle of Layettes that will go out the door to Overlook and Morristown hospitals. It was a great day! CCS members had a chance to catch up, meet some new friends, eat the delicious snacks provided by our hospitality team, Maura and Lambi, but most importantly so many were able to do some great work for those kids that really need warm clothes and a cozy blanket.  No discussion of the day would be complete without mention of the great job done by Theresa and Janet, who organized and mapped out the logistics, bought the material, and found enough people with sewing machines to make the day really work.  Job well done!

One year ago, we held out first mass in a member’s home, and a tradition was born.  We have since held four masses in members’ homes, and have two more scheduled for this year.  It is such a wonderful, spiritual way to celebrate our Christ Child community!  As Msgr. Guenther would say, “it’s a Catholic thing!” Pictured at right is Fr. Brian Plate at the lovely home of Maria Jacobello.

As Co-Presidents, Lori White and I were fortunate enough to attend the National Christ Child Society convention in Detoit on September 21, 2012.  The home of Motown did not disappoint!  Our host chapter of Detroit was gracious and well organized, and the convention was equal parts inspiring, informational, and fun!  We benefitted greatly from our many conversations with members and board members from other chapters all over the country, sharing ideas about programs and new ways to help children.  The Atlanta chapter built and maintains a learning garden at a school for disadvantaged children.  The Akron chapter provides a “Teen Moms” program for teen parents in partnership with a local agency.   The Detroit chapter started a literacy program within the inner city of Pontiac, where poverty rates are over 90%.  These are just a few of the ways our members in over 40 chapters nationwide are making a diiference in children’s lives.  We aspire to learn from them, and adapt their successes in our own programs.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to bump into a lovely gentleman at a Hometowne TV open house.  He stopped me and mentioned that he was watching all the progress we have made with the Summit Chapter.  Little did I know that Miles McMahon was the husband of Virgnia who passed away last summer.  She was instrumental in the chapter  and a long standing member. Miles told me she was so sad to return the Summit charter back to National.  Back in the 80’s Miles told me, she couldn’t get any volunteers to make layettes.  Luckily we haven’t had that problem.  He also told me he was strong-armed by Virginia to not only help assemble the layettes but drive them to St. Joseph’s Social Center in Elizabeth.  He had only good memories of the Chapter and has been watching our progress.  Our story continues.  Thank you Miles McMahon for your kind words.

If you are like me, you’re always thinking, in the back of your mind, how am I ever going to be sure my kids learn all the lessons they need in order to become good adults—the people they were meant to be in every sense.  Maybe, just maybe, we don’t need to worry so much.  

This Christmas, my kids were given a sum of money they could donate to the charity or charities of their choice.  I figured I would need to prime the pump, Read more...