PINE CITY, MN – On any day in Minnesota, more than 7,000 people don’t know where they will sleep when the sun goes down.* They don’t know if they will spend the night with a roof over their heads in a bed with blankets, or outside exposed to weather and crime.
Thankfully, our state has many agencies and charities working to provide services to souls suffering from the effects of homelessness. On September 15th, residents of the Columbia Heights area can help in this effort through a service project called Gather4Good®. Volunteers can assemble personal care kits on Sunday, September 15th starting at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception in Columbia Heights. Refreshments, live music and kids’ activities will be provided to make the event fun and rewarding for the whole family.
Gather4Good® is a service program initiated by Catholic United Financial in 2010 to offer people of all ages the chance to care for their neighbors in need, and have fun while doing it. Volunteers will write positive notes and then insert these into cloth care kit bags along with soap, washcloths and other personal care items.
The event goal is to assemble 2,000 care kits that will then be picked up by local homeless and social service agencies. Gather4Good® organizers are excited to announce the following agency partners in the Metro:
Representatives of past charity partners report that families use the personal care items in the kits every day. When necessities like soap and toothpaste are provided, struggling families can work on larger issues like housing, job skills and living healthy lifestyles.
“Our care kit assembly project can be done by anyone aged three to 103. If you can pick up a toothbrush, you can do it,” said Nate Lamusga, Member Engagement Director for Catholic United Financial.
Since 2010, Gather4Good® events have assembled and donated more than 35,000 personal care kits and raised more than $50,000 in donations.
More information about Gather4Good is available at www.gather4good.org/pinecity-june2019 or on social media: Facebook or Twitter. Donations to help pay for kit contents can be made online at www.gather4good.org/donate.
*According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
Gather4Good® is sponsored by Catholic United Financial
Based in St. Paul, Minn., Catholic United Financial is a life insurance and financial products cooperative serving 80,000 Catholics in the Upper Midwest since 1878. As a not-for-profit, Catholic United transforms its profits into purpose, bringing together members, employees and community volunteers to pursue its mission through local grants, post-secondary education scholarships, service opportunities and more. For more information about Catholic United Financial, its Foundation or Credit Union, call 651-490-0170, 1-888-568-6670 or visit us online at www.catholicunitedfinancial.org.
