You may remember me mentioning that our online vendor (Pledge Connect) for credit cards/ACH drafts is merging with another company (Liturgical Publications) to enhance their capabilities and create a true synergy. The new module is called WeShare and it is truly amazing. I spent two hours in a webinar this past week exposing myself to what I believe is going to change the way we do many of the labor intensive tasks here at St. John the Evangelist. One of the most exciting developments will be the ability to register for and pay for events directly through our website by linking to WeShare. These are not only parish events but events for the Men’s Club, Jamaica Outreach and the Knights of Columbus as well. Need to register for the Columbus Day Dinner Dance? Simply go to our website and click on the link. After registering and paying for the event, you will have the option of printing your ticket or even scanning a QR code and bringing your ticket with you on your smartphone to the event. You will also be able to see who else has registered for the event. Want to make sure your friends are attending? Simply look at the list of those who have already registered and know that you will be in good company. Parishioners will also be able to register for Faith Formation, Vacation Bible School or anything else that you can imagine by using WeShare. We hope to have this new module up and running by the first week of August. At that time, I will send out an email blast with information on how to use We Share.
The new front doors for the church are nearly completed and will be installed next week. I am very excited for our parishioners to see the finished product.
I received a phone call this week from a manager (and parishioner) of the Wal-Mart at the corner of US-41 and 111th Avenue North. This is the fourth consecutive year that she has called me to inquire about the dates for Undy Sunday. Undy Sunday will take place this year on August 11 and August 18. The reason for her call was to identify the dates for this year’s drive so that her store could make sure to order extra inventory for the event. I am sure that many of you did not realize that we collected that much in the way of socks and underwear for the drive. So I did a little research and was astounded at what I found.
Did you know that this year, nearly 55 Collier County Churches and Synagogues will participate in Undy Sunday hosted by Catholic Charities of Collier County? This is the 17th annual event hosted entirely by volunteers. Since the initial Undy Sunday in 1997, the number of participating churches has more than doubled. The undergarments are distributed to 40 local agencies including Youth Haven. About 750,000 undergarments have been given to disadvantaged children in Collier County during the past 16 years.
It is hard to imagine these children doing without such basic necessities as clean underwear and socks; however, the fact is that this situation is all too prevalent throughout Collier County. The good news is that this is a program in which everyone can participate. I intend to have my 10 year old daughter participate once again using her allowance to purchase a package of underwear for the drive. She will learn a very valuable lesson about how blessed she is and how important it is to take care of those in need. I will also petition everyone I know to follow suit and do the same. You can purchase a little girl’s combo pack (9 pairs of underwear and 6 pairs of socks) for as little as $10.50 at Wal-Mart. So when I say that everyone can participate, this is certainly the case. If you are unable to make it to the store to shop, Catholic Charities will accept monetary contributions as well.
Please look for the Undy Sunday boxes in the narthex of the church on August 11 and August 18. We ask that you bring new socks and new underwear for boys and girls sizes six through 12. Monetary donations are also needed to purchase backpacks and school supplies.
Have you ever wondered how the collection is counted and prepared for deposit? It is done by the generosity of an incredible group of volunteers that weekly give of their time and talent. Due to the secure nature of their job, I am unable to identify any of them by name, however, let it be known that their work is greatly appreciated as they are an invaluable asset to our parish operation. During the peak of season this hard working group spends upwards of six hours sorting, counting, bundling and recording the collection so that it may be safely deposited in the bank. Thank you to all of our “counters” for selflessly giving of your time so that we may efficiently operate.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager