CCW Appalachian Project
The Appalachian Socks and Underwear project and the Christmas gift project started in 1999. Denise Hedland spoke to the members of our diocese about the needs in Appalachia and we voted to do this program. St. Francis parishioners, Cathy Olson and her family, headed the project. The first year they took care of seventy-five families. For the first years of our project, we bought socks and underwear and sent them to St. Michael’s Church in Paintsville, KY in the Spring. Then we bought Christmas presents for families in November. TCBX trucking company, at no cost to us, took the packages to the cities and another trucking company took them to Paintsville, KY. We now collect money for both projects and send a check from the Duluth Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DDCCW). They use the money for new socks and underwear to start school each Fall and presents for the students’ families at Christmas.
We received a letter from Deacon Paul David Brown, our contact person at St. Michael Catholic Church and Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic School (OLM) in Paintsville. In the letter, he wrote:
“For your reference, OLM is the ONLY Catholic School remaining in the mountains of East KY. Most of the schools have had to close due to lack of funding, but OLM has continued because of support such as the DDCCW as well as other donors”. He also thanked us so much for the contribution to their socks and undies drive and their Christmas Program. The donations for the Christmas Program are divided among five East KY parishes. Their small parish assisted almost 700 families last Christmas.
We would love to share this opportunity with you. If this is something you would be interested in donating to, we have attached an envelope for you to use. Please make checks payable to St. Francis CCW and put the envelope in the collection basket or drop it off at the office.
We would like to thank you for your support through the years. Please keep the students and their families in Paintsville, Kentucky in your prayers.
Thank You, sincerely in Christ and Mary Immaculate,
Judy Kringen, St. Francis CCW President
