Emma's Gift: a True Story

St. Charles Borromeo parishioner, Donna McKenzie, shared this story about the true meaning of the Thanksgiving season. Donna and her husband, Bob, work nightly with the guests at the Livermore Homeless Refuge in Livermore, California.  Donna and Bob have also given up their garage to store supplies for the homeless.  The events below took place on November 21, 2012.

The story I'm going to tell you is truly about a "gift of love."

The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, I was in the garage sorting through clothes to bring to our homeless friends and a car stopped in the middle of our driveway.  I looked up and a man, woman and child got out of the car and walked up the driveway towards me.  The man said, "are you Donna?" and I said "yes."

He and his wife looked down at the little girl named Emma and she looked up at me and at the same time handed me her little pink piggy bank.  As I reached for it, she said, "this is for the homeless."  I was speechless and stunned! 

Emma and I sat down on the driveway and opened her piggy bank and counted $6.12. 

I told her that maybe she should keep half of it in her bank and I would take the other half for the homeless.  She answered me with, "I want them to have it all because tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I'm going to have turkey.  I have a warm bed with covers and they don't have any."

Her dad said this gift was completely Emma's idea.  They had been downtown recently and she saw some of our homeless begging and asked her parents what they were doing and they explained it to her.

When she returned home, she told her parents what she wanted to do with the money she had been saving.

I offered to give her $1.00 to start her savings again and she would not accept it.

Once again, I was humbled by a little girl who understood at her young age about giving and sharing and mostly,  about caring.

Emma is 6 1/2   years old.

In all the excitement, I hugged her and her parents, told them they were doing an awesome job raising their daughter and then they were gone. 

I didn't get their names, except for Emma, who I will never forget.

I have the $6.12 in pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters....and I'm thinking "ice cream for our homeless."  They love it....and it's a real treat for them....

....thanks to Emma.

If you would like to volunteer at the Livermore Homeless Refuge, or provide other support, please Call Sandra Chesterman at 925-525-1200 or go to www.LivermoreHomelessRefuge.org

Story edited by Jim Schnitter, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Livermore, CA.

Ethical Eating: Fair Trade and Farmers' Markets

Then the King shall say to those who will be on his right: ‘Come, you blessed of my Father. Possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you covered me; sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’  -- Matthew 11:34-36 

California Hotline 211: Help for the Needy.  

Dial for help with food, housing, employment, health care, child care, elder care.  Translators are available.  Please help spread the word about this valuable resource from United Way of the East Bay.  180,000 people are helped each year through this hotline.  Learn more at: http://www.211california.org/

Food for Thought on the Ethics of Eating.  

We serve the common good by eating what is good for the earth and good for farmers and workers. Eating is a moral act.  Why?  The ethics of eating is about food choices. We can choose foods that are grown in ways that are good for the earth so that soil and water quality remain optimum for years to come.  We can choose foods that are grown for the good of the farmers with fair compensation for their labor, and with protection of their health and safety.  So eat what is good to grow and grow what is good to eat: that is the ethics of eating!  -- from the National Catholic Rural Life Conference (http://www.ncrlc.com)

How Do I Buy Ethical Food?  

Start with local farmers' markets and Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate.  

For your city, just google farmers' market associations.

The Livermore Year Round Sunday Farmer's Market runs Sundays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the parking lot of the historic Southern Pacific Train Depot at L St. and Railroad Ave.  

The Pleasanton Farmers' Market is Saturday morning, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Main & W. Angela Street.  

All grocery stores carry products with the Fair Trade label on the package, from Ben and Jerry's chocolate ice creams to coffee and tea. 

Advent Retreat in San Lorenzo, CA, by MaryKnoll

http://tinyurl.com/AdventRetreat2012

Advent Retreat:  What is God hoping to birth in you?

Keep the holiday season in perspective this year.

Join us the first weekend of Advent for quiet reflection and faith sharing as we ponder the Advent stories of Mary and Joseph and Elizabeth and Zechariah and ask ourselves, "How is God calling us to make God's love present in our lives and in the world?"

Where:

Maryknoll Region Center

Regional Center

16642 Ashland Ave.

San Lorenzo, CA 94580

Driving Directions

When:

Friday November 30, 2012 at 6:00 PM PST

-to-

Sunday December 2, 2012 at 1:00 PM PST

Add to my 

Prayer for Victims of Hurricane Sandy from Catholic Relief Services

For Those Impacted by Hurricane Sandy Prayer

God of Mercy,
You who created the universe and ordered it through a simple command, we humbly come to you today as your beloved children. We pray for those affected by Hurricane Sandy in the Caribbean and Northeastern United States. Grant us the faith and perseverance to trust in you and seek first your Kingdom.

Above all, may this natural disaster serve as a reminder of the frailty of our lives and our interdependence. May we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters affected by Hurricane Sandy in the U.S. and the Caribbean, and may our day to day living always reflect our responsibility towards the poor and humanity as a whole.

We pray, through your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Sample Petitions:

Use any of these as part of the Prayer of the Faithful in Liturgy or a prayer service.

For the Church universal, that we honor our call to solidarity and respond with lives of compassion and healing for the poor and all of creation.
We pray...

For government officials and relief workers in the affected areas of Hurricane Sandy, that God will provide them the wisdom and resources to respond effectively to those in need.
We pray...

For our extended family in the Caribbean and Northeastern United States who suffered from Hurricane Sandy, may they find the strength and comfort to overcome the challenges they face.
We pray... 



Source: Catholic Relief Services -- a PDF file at the link below

http://donate.crs.org/site/DocServer/Final_Hurricane_Sandy_Prayer_v2.pdf?docID=8603

Help Victims of Hurricane Sandy Through Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA

Follow this link to make a donation to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Catholic Charities USA is helping people in the United States while Catholic Relief Services is helping people in Haiti and other islands hit hard.  Thanks!

http://usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/helping-victims-of-hurricane-sandy.cfm

National Catholic Rural Life Conference: The Ethics of Eating

Here is an awesome article from the National Catholic Rural LIfe Conference at:

http://www.ncrlc.com/page.aspx?ID=9

The ethics of eating is about food choices, but much more than choosing vegetables over snack foods or a home cooked meal over fast food. Yes, part of this is choosing foods that are nutritious and healthy for us, then enjoying such food with family and guests. But just as important is choosing those foods that are grown and processed in responsible, sustainable and just ways. 

One measure is to grow foods in a way that are good for the earth.
As consumers, we can support the efforts of all those who practice sustainable agriculture and land stewardship. They make sure soil and water quality remain optimum for years to come.

As consumers, then, we should eat those foods that are good to grow.
We do this not only for the good of the earth, but also for the good of those who tend the earth and harvest our food. Our food choices can support the kind of food production that fairly compensates farmers and workers, and ensures their health and safety.

We serve the common good by eating what is good for the earth and good for farmers and workers. That is why we say eating is a moral act.

Needless to say, not all foods are produced in sustainable, fair or just ways. The industrial food system is based on intensive productivity that can and does have adverse impacts on farmers, process line workers and the environment. When we buy and eat foods produced in this way, we are supporting a system that is causing harm to others and to God's creation.

So how do we find foods produced sustainable, fairly and justly?

 

A good place to start is with local farmers: you can see how they grow food and know how they treat the land. Visit a farmers market or join a CSA.

Fair Trade foods are another source: You can support farmers in other countries who receive a fairer share of the food dollar. And protect the natural environment while they're at it.

Our food choices can help sustain rural communities by making sure family farms thrive and multiply, not dwindle and die.

So eat what is good to grow and grow what is good to eat: that is the ethics of eating!