Small group with big hearts
Their numbers may be small but the members of the All Saints’ Episcopal Church Youth Group have big hearts and they have been busy for some time with their projects for the upcoming holiday season.
During the past summer, the seven young people, ranging from 12 to 17 years, handed out standard water bottles to church parishioners and asked them to collect change at the end of each day to help fund the family they had adopted for the holidays through the Kelly Ann Dolan Foundation. The foundation offers support to families with severely disabled children and the All Saints’ group was given the wishes of a single mother caring for a daughter, a disabled toddler.
But that’s not all. Christmas stockings are being stuffed now for the group’s second adopted platoon in Iraq. The members of their first platoon returned to the States in April and they have been corresponding with the second, who will return to the U.S. in May 2009, since then. The young people have already purchased and packed the toiletries and surprises into the stockings for the 19 males and one female in the platoon.
In addition, they filled numerous supermarket carts on a shopping trip to help furnish the Interfaith Food Pantry at Norristown’s Central Presbyterian Church for the holidays and will help with the church ingathering of toys and gift cards for the Salvation Army. The contribution will enable Salvation Army client parents to choose items for their children at Christmas. Following the Dec. 14 ingathering at the church, the youngsters will load the donations into vans for delivery to the Salvation Army.
Jennie Donovan of Pottstown has been an advisor to the All Saints’ group for 13 years. Carol and Brian Harrity of West Norriton joined her three years ago and Beville Jones of Schwenksville assists.
“We are so proud of these kids,” declared Donovan. “It’s such a small group and yet, whenever we have an idea to do something in the community, they are ready and willing to contribute time and effort."
"This year we raised the most money we ever have” for the food shopping project, said Carol Harrity, proudly. “We raised $1,450 and had such a good time food shopping.” And, proving that the spirit of giving is contagious, she added, “For the first time, a stranger in the store asked what we were doing and then handed us another $5.”
Recalling that the group “shopped for basic everyday necessities that we take for granted,“ Brianna Harrity, who lives in West Norriton and attends The Philadelphia School in downtown Philadelphia, added, “It makes me feel great to make someone else’s Christmas wonderful.”
Alexis Durante, a student at Boyertown High School, felt especially good about the gifts for the soldiers. “It makes me feel generous because we are giving back to the soldiers who are protecting our country,” she said.
And, apparently a believer in the adage to give to someone something you would like yourself, Olivia DelloBuono, who attends North Penn High, commented on the food shopping trip, “I find great enjoyment in filling three carts full of peanut butter.” “Yes, she does,” declared Andre Jones, a student at Perkiomen Valley.
Other members of the group are Alex DelloBuono of North Penn High, Kelsey Griffin of Spring Ford High, and Tommy Durante of Norristown Area High School. “These young people are so wonderful in all the things they do,” added Donovan. “We get loads of support from the church because the whole parish is appreciative of all their work.”
The above article appeared in the Dec. 2, 2008 issue of The Times Herald newspaper.
