I have a long-standing belief that if prayer does not lead to personal action, it is not sincere. We can’t pray for peace, but act as a troublemaker. We can’t pray for harmony, yet be disruptive. We can’t pray for the poor and not take intentional action to provide to those in need.
The good news is for many years, the St. Isidore community has triumphantly served the poor.
Our incredible St. Vincent de Paul Conference serves with the primary function of walking along-side our neighbors in need. They do this by providing food and assisting with other needs such as utilities and rent.
We have an active Baby Pantry. The Baby Pantry serves young families by providing diapers, formula, clothing, etc., to needy families.
Just last month, we took a turn hosting for the Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team, better known as MCREST. We provided a weeks’ worth of shelter and food to men in need, with the intention of helping them get back on their feet.
Twice a month on Wednesdays, we serve fresh food to anyone who is interested through our new partnership with Forgotten Harvest. This partnership is yet another way we serve those in need.
There are many other ways we care for the poor. We host regular Blood Drives, we provide financial assistance through the Christmas and Lenten Giving Trees, and so much more. As a matter of fact, there are so many groups that serve, I am a bit hesitant to provide a list with fear of (unintentionally) leaving someone out.
This year marks the 400th year since our patron Saint, St. Isidore, was declared a saint. Saint Isidore, among other things, was known for his love of the poor and there are accounts of him miraculously supplying others with food. In honor of this anniversary and our continual commitment to the poor, we have a goal of packing and providing 100,000 meals for the poor through a special event. On November 5, 2022, here at St. Isidore in the social hall, we will be working with the Kids Coalition Against Hunger to do just this. We need to raise $35,000 (just .35 cents per meal) and recruit volunteers to help with the packing. The Knights of Columbus have already provided $5,000 of support, with the intention of matching dollar for dollar gifts from the local community. We are hoping that many of you will donate whatever you can to support to this worthwhile cause. An envelope will be in your October/November packet and we ask that you prayerfully and generously support this food drive intended on helping some of the poorest people in the entire world.
With all of the above stated, how can each of us be more attentive to the poor? The first step in being more attentive to the poor is realizing there are poor people in this world. The next step is, praying about what we can do to assist. The last step is getting involved, through either advocacy or in providing immediate relief. Let’s work together to be more attentive and more assertive in doing what we can for those in need.
