Social Justice Commitee

* ADOPT-A-PACKPACK *

AUGUST 10-20, 2023 

Thank you everyone for your participation in the Adopt a Backpack program.
The total of backpacks collected was 314.
This is a wonderful help to Matthew’s Ministry in helping those in need
in Brunswick County and is greatly appreciated.
* UPDATE: Backpack project ended August 20. Any ‘late’ packs can be delivered to
Matthews Ministries, 8500 E. Oak Island Dr. (910) 713-2043

ADOPT A BACKPACK
Each year Matthew’s Ministry provides weekend food for children in Brunswick County who are
classified as “food insecure”. During the school year backpacks go home filled with food every
Friday and are returned empty every Monday to be filled again. Matthew’s Ministry provides
weekly food to over 550 children at 16 area schools.
Matthew’s Ministry will need backpacks filled with food to start the program again in the fall.
There are two ways that you can help fill this need.
* UPDATE: All the backpacks we were supplied have been taken to fill. *
Please purchase both a backpack & the food to help with this great effort.
Option 1: NO LONGER AVAILABLE… Pick up an empty backpack Sacred Heart (there are over 200 empty backpacks that are ready to be filled). These empty backpacks should be available for pick up by July 27. Purchase the food items (listed below) and place them in the backpack you picked up.
Return the filled backpack to Sacred Heart by August 20.

Option 2: Purchase a backpack and fill it with the food items (listed below)
Return the filled backpack to Sacred Heart by August 20.

All filled backpacks will need to be returned to Sacred Heart by Sunday, August 20.

FOOD ITEMS FOR THE BACKPACK * NO GLASS ITEMS *
individual packets of oatmeal
chef boy r dee item
one can of vegetables
one jar of peanut butter (plastic only)
one jelly (plastic only)
one pound spaghetti (pot size preferred)
one can Hunts pasta sauce
one box macaroni and cheese
one can of soup
one package ramen noodles
one can of chicken
one pound package of rice

If you have any questions feel free to contact Shirley McHale at shirleyanmchale@icloud.com

Adopt a Backpack 2023

*** All filled backpacks will need to be returned to Sacred Heart by Sunday, August 20. ***



2022 * ADOPT- A-BACKPACK

464!!!  Thank you Sacred Heart

On behalf of the Social Justice Committee of Sacred Heart Church and Matthew’s Ministry, I would like
to express our appreciation to all parishioners for making this year’s Adopt A Backpack a success.
Thanks to all of you, we collected 464 backpacks filled with food to help the less fortunate in
Brunswick County. Matthew’s Ministry is grateful for your contribution each year.

Thanks also to the Knights of Columbus for transporting the backpacks to Matthew’s Ministry.

God Bless
Shirleyan McHale

 *After end date you may contact Matthews Ministry to drop off on Oak Island, (910) 713-2043 *


Social Justice Corner – It’s time to * Adopt a Backpack *
During the school year Matthew’s Ministry provides weekend food for children in Brunswick County who are classified as “food insecure”. Filled backpacks go home on Fridays and are returned empty every Monday to be filled again.

Matthew’s Ministry provides weekly food to over 550 children at 16 area schools and will need backpacks filled with food to start the program again in the fall.
There are two ways that you can help fill this need.
Option 1: Pick up an empty backpack at Sacred Heart (beginning August 6). Purchase the food items (listed below) and place them in the backpack. Return the filled backpack to Sacred Heart by August 21.
Option 2: Purchase a backpack, fill it with the food items (listed below) and return your filled backpack to Sacred Heart by August 21.

All filled backpacks will need to be returned to Sacred Heart by Sunday, August 21.

FOOD ITEMS FOR THE BACKPACK: NO GLASS ITEMSQuestions: Shirley McHale at shirleyanmchale@icloud.com


SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE: PURPOSE AND STRATEGIES

The Social Justice Committee provides education on Catholic Social Teaching and based on those teachings, organizes activities to address long-term problems in our community. It does this by:

Organizing educational programs and initiatives, e.g., Seminars on Laudato Si, Care for God’s Creation, immigration reform; Fact Sheet on Poverty, Hunger and Homelessness in Brunswick County; recycling program at Sacred Heart. 

Developing programs and activities to address issues in our community, e.g., Resource Fair, support for the Food Pantry, Adopt-a-Backpack program to support of Matthew’s Ministry; support for home repair, WARM; sheltering the homeless for one week in winter – with Street Reach and SOIICF churches. 

Advocacy, e.g., for reducing homelessness in Brunswick County.

2022 Adopt-a-Backpack Supporting Matthew’s Ministry
464 Backpacks Collected!!!!
Many, many thanks for the generous support to our recent drive!


Committee and a few other volunteers assembling Breakfast-Lunch bags for those in Winter Sheltering program last year.

         

2019 Southport Day of Service (a Trinity UMC event for 18 years, was expanded to include all member churches of the Southport Oak Island Interchurch Fellowship (SOIICF)

The Social Justice Committee piloted Sacred Heart’s involvement in the Service Day on Saturday April 6, 2019.

Leaders of the various projects were:
Bob Trzeciak, Knights of Columbus. and Pat Naughton, Hibernian men’s group, – the clean-up on Dosher Cut-off, Hwy 211 with the collection of debris from the roadside.

Tom Parnell, The Men’s Prayer Group and Scriptures, – the outdoor planting work for the church with plants and pots ready to go.

Ruthann Donaldson & Shelly Keenan – Ladies Guild – the church plantings, closet clean-up and special plantings for the new statue. The powder blue SHCC Tee shirts were a hit!

The Social Justice Committee meets in at Sacred Heart on the third Wednesday of the month in a designated classroom. Questions about how you can join or help our ministry… Please call the church office at 910-457-6173 for more information.