Volunteers create a more caring, hopeful Community!

National Volunteer Week is April 18-24, 2021. “Volunteers breathe life into our Mission,” says Jeannine Boehm, Catholic Charities Volunteer Coordinator. 

In 2020, approximately 187 volunteers from the Diocese of Kalamazoo provided more than 5,120 hours of service to support our agency. As a volunteer (whether it is behind the scenes or having direct contact with someone in need) you send a powerful message to the person being helped: You are worthy, you are valuable, and God loves you. 

“We take immense pride in our CCDOK volunteers – their individual and collective spirit create a more caring, hopeful community for all of us.” Thank you to our behind-the scenes angels for supporting our Mission: “We are God’s hands providing housing, health, and hope to His children.”  

Interested volunteers visit:  https://ccdok.org/new-volunteers-apply-here/  

Flower Donations In Memory of…
Linda Adams, Mary E. Adams and John G. Adams from John Adams { Maria Karin Aditjandra from Mr. and Mrs. Antonius Aditjandra { Paul and Elsie Balco from Susan Balco { Gregory Ball, Alfred and Evalyn Liszewski from Liz Ball { Alejandro B. Ramirez, Nelly G. Ramirez, Ferdinand Ramirez, Nancy Barker and Travis Barker from the Barker Family { Lawrence Bavido, Anne Bavido, Alphonse Adent, Lucille Adent, Connie Nuccio, and Elizabeth Tomaszewski from the Bavido Family { Al Becher, Hilda Becher, Claude Allison, Mary Lou Allison and John A. Becher from the Becher Family { Erinn Bender, the Bender Family, St. Joseph Catholic Class of ’65 and St. Joseph College Class of ’69 from James Bender { Mike Birk, Ed and Virginia Jaskiewicz from Cindy Birk { Joseph Christensen and David Christensen from Mr. & Mrs. Mark Christensen { John Palis, Jr. from the Cordes Family { Andrew & Lucille Darato, Linda Shoemaker and Katherine Darato from Laura Darato { Joe and Ellie Edmunds, Alex and nellie Ramirez from Mary DeFrancesco { Fred and Lorraine Dudiak from Katherine Dudiak{ Dominic, Delores and Alan Darato, Michael and Joseph Estkowski from the Estkowski Family { Mary and John Forney, Sr. from
Carol Forney { William L. Frantz, Sr., C.M. and Elizabeth Johnson, Joseph and Alan Gaipa from Dolores Frantz { Vivian Schillio from Gretchen Gabler { Alan Michael Gaipa and Joseph Alan Gaipa from the Gaipa Family { Gabriel Gaishin from Mr. & Mrs. Mike Gaishin { Alice & John P. Guckian, Ann
Monahan, Dr. James Monahan, Susie Garner from Dan & Velana Garner { deceased members of the Buchanan and Golob Families from the Golob Family { the Graefen and Welsby Families and Pat Personett from Mr. & Mrs. Laurence Graefen { Carl A. Haldy and Carl P. Haldy from Margaret Haldy { William Mullaly from Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Henning { Peg and Jer Hetting from James Hettig { Catherine & Harry Huebel, Esther Huebel, Fred Hultgren and Nick Duran from the Huebel Family {  Eugene Kennedy, deceased members of the Charles and Kennedy Families from Sara Kennedy { Napoleon C. Lopez and Santiago N. Lopez from Carmen Lopez { Art and Maryl Luxem, Larry and Ginger Allen and Larry Luxem from the Luxem Family { Robert and Mary Mailley, Walter, Clara and Margret Guzy, Thomas and Sarah Kennedy from Mr. & Mrs. John Mailley { Donald Maly and Patrick Maly from Marilyn Maly { Eleanor and
Richard Insley, Marie and Glen Robinson, Alice K. McCausland Desporte, and Jack M. McCausland { Frank Merfeld from Zerelda Merfeld { Joan Milius from Mr. & Mrs. James Milius { Alex and Nelly Ramirez, Ilumineda Gonzalovo, Jim and Iris Miller, David and Marina Miller from Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Miller { Robert Silverthorn, Debra Silverthorn, and Joan Prentice Morris from the Morris Family { John J. Neumann, E. Ray and Catherine Eggleston, Harriet &
Michael Neumann, Jane F. Murphy from Bonnie Neumann { the Baldwin, Gentry, Niezgodski, Schoen and Pendzinski Families from Robert Niezgodski { Frank and Frances Notaro from Mr. & Mrs. Donald Notaro { Dwight & Dorothy Nutting from the Nutting Family { Teddy and other deceased members of the Hunniecutt, Caventanz and Olaso Families from Rose Olaso { Paul and Bertha Meier, Ray Ollis and Linda Tabor from the Ollis Family { Anthony and Adelia Vilutis from the Palis Family { deceased members of the Landeck and Pepperl Families from Dolores Pepperl { Edward and Caroline Petlick, Lucille Walton, Gilbert Migala and Dolores Rickel from the Petlick Family { Edward and Caroline Petlick, Edward Petlick, Jr., Richard and Helen Forrest from the Petlick
Family { Eugene and Eleanore Kornell, Leonard and Edna Polfus from Sharon and David Polfus { Frank and Louise Post, Carl and Ruth Getz, Elmer and Mary Jones and Frank J. Post from Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Post, Sr. { Mike Rondelli, Nicolas and Mary Elizabeth Bazan, Louis and Mary Rondelli from Theresa Rondelli { William and Frances Rybarczyk from Joan Rybarczyk { William and Peter Rybarczyk from Jim Rybarczyk { Dick Sandel from Camille Sandel { Leroy Schaub from Theresa Schaub { Joseph Schlitz and Gerald O’Donnell from Mr. & Mrs. Peter Schlitz { Frank Sdao, Tony Mazzei, Vince Nobile, Caterina & Ruggiero Sdao, Antonietta & Vincenzo Nobile, Umberto & Raffaele Nobile from Antonette Sdao { Gene Therkildsen, Fran Therkildsen, James Shannon,
Patricia Shannon, and Heather Shannon from the Shannon Family  { deceased members of the Shembarger and Zuluckyj Families from Ann Schembarger { Robert Silverthorn, Debra Silverthorn, Joel and Anna Silverthorn, Ted and Molly Thomas from Margaret Silverthorn { Art Tetzlaff and Rick Tatzlaff from Mr. & mrs. James Tetzlaff { the deceased members of the Traugh, Forbes & Thomas Families from Tom & Ann Traugh { Clarence and Helen Tylisz from Michael Tylisz { Ted and Lee Vernasco, George and Joan Romeo and Christopher Crouse from the Vernasco Family { John Vu, Marie Vu, and Anthony Vu from Tam Vu { Milt and Norma Walker, Frank and Wanda Abel from the Walker Family { Lois and Charles Hatfield, Charles Hatfield, III, Al Williams, Rod Williams from the Williams Family { Anthony and Lorraine Serdel from Dianne Zimmerman {
 
Flower Donations In Honor of…
Our soon to arrive daughter, Elizabeth Christensen from Mr. and Mrs. Mark Christensen { Peter and Virginia Palis from the Cordes Family { the Priests of St. Joseph Parish from Bonnie Neumann { Msgr. Sears from the Nutting Family {
 
Flower Donations for the Parish from…
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Adent { Mr. & Mrs. Eric Baker { Lien Ballou { Mr. & Mrs. Tom Barta { Gerard Baumgarten { Mr. & Mrs. Adam Bishop { the Blasy Family { Mr. & Mrs. David Boelcke { Mr. & Mrs. John Brinker { Anita Dansfield { Mr. & Mrs. Randall Enos { Anna Garlanger { the Giannola Family { the Glotzbach Family { Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hall { the Harrington Family { the Hendrix Family { the Imach Family { Richard Johnson { Elizabeth Karsten { The Kuhnlein Family { Mr. & Mrs. Israel Lara-Martinez { Mr. & Mrs. Miles Lombard { the Matejczyk Family { Mr. & Mrs. Peter McGahey { the Metzger Family { Robert Neal { Mr. & Mrs. Scott Pauley { Patricia Regan { Mr. & Mrs. Steen Robles {the Roden Family { Helen Schlitter { Mr. & Mrs. James Slevin { the Spafford Family { the Spear Family { the Vu Family {
Donations for the Easter Season Flowers will continue to be accepted and we will continue to update this list on our website.
Thank you and Have a Blessed Easter Season

There are many ways to help around a parish. The help can be as simple as saying a prayer or writing a letter. Or it could be knitting a shawl or even helping out at a parish event. We will use this page to list the items that need an extra pair of hands for an on-going project or for a once in a while event. Please check in with us often to see what's new.

Our community has been helping to make deliveries since March for the food delivery program through Catholic Charities. We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of families needing assistance, especially in the Benton Harbor area. When we started in March we averaged 40-45 families, this week our list is up to 79 families!
We are in need of drivers for at least 4 routes. The volunteers would deliver food boxes to 5-8 homes in the area. They pick up the food boxes at the Rose Center every week and then deliver to their set route. The boxes can be heavy (maybe 10ish lbs) and need to be lifted in and out of vehicles so volunteers need to be aware that it is a bit of a physical job. 
Anyone who is interested can email Martha at this address (mthienem@mac.com) 

“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread”
—Saint Teresa of Calcutta

When Mother Teresa visited the United States, she saw how our elderly, living in nursing homes, had more than enough food, lived in nice, clean accommodations and received good medical care. But what they hungered for was love and meaningful connections to others. They suffered the most from loneliness and the fear of being forgotten.
Add to this scenario the current pandemic, and the situation for our assisted living friends is extremely bleak. But there is something we can do to help. Won’t you please consider being a special friend to one of our Catholic brothers or sisters currently in an assisted living facility?
If you’d like to give just a little of your time to help an assisted living resident feel loved and not forgotten, please join this growing ministry today.

Letting our assisted living friends know that they are not forgotten is easy...
• Write them a note or send a happy greeting card
• Send them a beautiful photo or a picture postcard
• Visit them through the window by just waving or by a phone call
• Make a poster or sign to hold up at their window
• Have a pet? Bring them by to say “hello” through the window
• Have a child draw a picture to brighten their day
• Send them a prayer card or jot down your favorite prayer or scripture passage to share
• Drop off a little treat or a bunch of flowers from your garden
• Use your imagination and be creative!

Please call or text Margaret Hogeboom at 269-921-3446 to take the next step to help our assisted living friends.
Thank You!