William Penn Life, 2016 (51. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2016-07-01 / 7. szám
Branch News Sandy Stasko (left), Jim Balias and Shelley Visinski pose with some of the food collected by Branch I in conjunction with WPA’s Join Hands Against Hunger program. Branch 1 Bridgeport, CT by Jim Balias Branch 1 celebrated fraternalism for the benefit of our community by participating in the Join Hands Against Hunger Program. Our branch, along with the members and friends of the United Church of Christ of Bridgeport, collected non-perishable food items during the month of May. Our branch and church joined together to fulfill our common mission of charity to help with the needs of others in our community. There are many individuals and families in our community who are in great need of food donations. For some of them, their survival depends on it. The church made weekly announcements and included our appeal in all of their outreach communications. Our branch mailed out appeal letters to all of the local branch members. Members were asked to bring non-perishable food items to the United Church of Christ, (2180 North Ave., Bridgeport) or to the Bessemer Center Hall at 2200 North Ave. There were designated basket locations where the donations were collected. The response was overwhelming. Our members donated close to 20 large shopping bags of food. Some of the items donated included canned soups, canned tuna fish, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, cereals, fruit juices, pastas and sauces, and much more. The bags were taken to the Thomas Merton House of Hospitality, founded in 1974 by a group of concerned individuals who saw a need for services to the economically disadvantaged people in the city of Bridgeport. The Thomas Merton House provides breakfast, lunch and day shelter to approximately 300 people Monday through Saturday. The House's food pantry — the Eat Smart Market Place — provides groceries for five days of nutritious meals per month to families and individuals living in Bridgeport. They serve over 500 families per month. Thank you to all those who donated and made this program a success. We did indeed join hands in May to make a difference against hunger in our community. Special thanks to Sandy Stasko, Ann Balias, Shelley Visinski, Bill Bero and Jim Balias for organizing and implementing this event. We hope to do this again several times throughout the year. It is greatly needed in our community. Branch 14 Cleveland, OH by Richard E. Sarosi Summer is upon us, and we are lucky to enjoy the wide range of activities that summer brings to northern Ohio. We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Independence Day. Hooray for the Red, White and Blue! It is important to have faith, family and friends. It is also so important to share the power of prayer with those who are facing medical issues and life's challenges. Many events have taken place in the Greater Cleveland area over the past month. Branch 14 held two Join Hands Day events. First, on May 26, food items that branch members brought to our May meeting were taken to the Maple Heights Food Pantry, along with additional food items purchased by Branch 14. The food pantry volunteers were surprised and very appreciative of what we brought, since it was Memorial Day Weekend and the food supplies were low. Remember that hunger and need knows no holiday; please donate to your local food pantry year round. Our second Join Hands Day event was a return visit to the Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center in Bainbridge, Ohio, on May 27. Branch members Paul and Anna Marie Varga, Joanne Sedensky, Frank and Joyce War go, and Richard, Violet and Ernest Sarosi enjoyed a tour of the facility given by Arlene Taylor. She showed us some of our favorite horses, including Dillon, Ty, Tutti, Josh and Anna. The riding center uses donated horses to help children, young adults and veterans with a variety of learning issues and disabilities. By working with the horses, patients learn how to overcome fears and obstacles in their lives. The center's motto is: "A horse can change a life." The Hungarian Heritage Night with the Lake County Captains took place June 25 at Classic Park. WPA shared the evening with the Hungarian Cultural Center of Northeastern Ohio and The Hungarian Heritage Society and Museum of Cleveland. A full report on the event will appear next month. Tickets for the second annual Branch 14 Red, White and Green Raffle are on sale and moving nicely. Only 400 tickets will be sold. The drawing will take place Nov. 19 at 2:00 p.m. during the Branch 14 Christmas party. Please contact Branch Coordinator Violet Sarosi at 1-440-248-9012 for ticket information. Here is a partial list of Branch 14 meetings and some WPA activities for 2016: • Branch 14 meetings will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 7, and 18 0 July 2016 0 WILLIAM PENN LIFE
