Providing help and creating hope in Maine
Portland, ME – Corpus Christi parish in Waterville is the recipient of Catholic Charities’ Parish Social Ministry program Matthew 25 Award for 2014.
After CCM staff and board members reviewed numerous applications, Corpus Christi parish was selected for its Fairfield Interfaith Food Pantry due to the large number of people who would benefit by being served, committed volunteer hours to the project, and the fact that this investment would build capacity for the ministry in the future.
“Their application really stood out by demonstrating that the dollars spent now would have positive repercussions in the community for years to come,” says Mike Smith, Program Manager for Catholic Charities’ Parish Social Ministry.
The custom-crafted stained glass award and check for $5,000 was presented at the 9:00am Mass on Sunday, June 22nd at Notre Dame in Waterville by Catholic Charities CEO Stephen Letourneau and Mike Smith.
The $5,000 award will be used to purchase a walk-in freezer and refrigerator to allow for more economical bulk purchases for the Food Pantry. “This is truly a blessing,” says parish representative Nancy Marcoux. “In 21 years we’ve never run out of food and it’s such a rewarding mission to know that we’re feeding people in need.”
The Matthew 25 award is presented annually by Catholic Charities to a parish that closely adheres to the principles of the Bible verse Matthew: 25 - "I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink..." This is the fourth year the award has been given. Previous recipients include St. Anne’s Church in Dexter (2011), Christ the Divine Mercy Parish in Millinocket (2012) and The Parish of the Resurrection of the Lord of Old Town, Orono and Indian Island (2013).
PHOTO CAPTION:
Front row L to R: Heidi Provencher, Father Daniels, Nancy Marcoux, Jack Morehead
Back row L to Rt: Steve Letourneau, CEO of Catholic Charities Maine; Michael Smith, Director of Parish Social Ministry at Catholic Charities Maine; Tyler Adams, Kenny Sanders, Laura Haywood, Jerry King, Christian Adams, Rose Adams
For more than 45 years, Catholic Charities has provided high-quality, community-based, social services to people of all faiths, beliefs, and economic backgrounds. As one of the largest human service agencies in the state, we are committed to helping children and adults overcome adversity and achieve self-sufficiency. To learn more, please visit www.ccmaine.org or call 1-800-781-8550.
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