Christmas Project Report 2023

ACRA’s 2023 Christmas Project has wrapped up, and donations to the St. Gabriel’s Food Bank amounted to a very nice $8185. I am sure Sister Dianna will be thanking us all and forwarding tax receipts.
Our involvement with the food bank goes back to ‘the turn of the century’ when Frank Altimus, then principal at St. Gabriel’s elementary school with the help of his vice-principal Art Galardo, solicited their fellow administrators at their annual Christmas gathering to help the food bank.  Frank had found out that recently deceased fellow principal Lou Segatore had been a private generous backer of the food bank, and in his memory maybe Lou’s colleagues might continue to make an annual Christmas donation in support of St. Gabriel’s.  The school administrators responded, and the project began to grow.  Schools also collected non-perishables to augment the Christmas baskets that St. Gabriel’s delivered to needy homes in ‘The Point’.  Many of our members were involved in the school collections and the always eventful basket delivery to homes, both of which carried on until the COVID crisis forced a change to a Christmas voucher system.
As we know, apart from Christmas vouchers, St Gabriel’s runs the year-round food bank.  Our Christmas donations and the funds raised by the Annual ACRA Golf Tournament have become important pillars for the food bank. A few photos taken this week give an indication of its caring operation.  They were taken as volunteers were preparing for the day’s recipients.
On the right is truck renter, driver, and laborer ACRA's John Ryan, then local volunteers Robin, (The Study’s janitor), Mathieu, and JoJo in the truck.

Thank you!
Jerry Dunn , Christmas Project Coordinator