St. Mary’s Our Lady of the Lake conducts two food drives annually to assist the needy within our parish’s designated boundaries. Our annual Lenten Food Drive is in memory of Maryellen Wrubleski.
Each year in November we conduct a Potato Drive for Thanksgiving Dinner. For Thanksgiving 2014, over 1,100 pounds of potatoes were donated.
St. Mary’s has continued its long-standing Lenten tradition with its Maryellen Wrubleski 2015 Lenten Food Drive. As a means of almsgiving and fasting, the parishioners celebrated the Forty Days of Lent by gathering food to donate to local Food Pantries for distribution to members of the Cooperstown and northern Otsego County community at risk for hunger. This year the drive concentrated its efforts on “food through the ages” beginning with baby food and ending with the needs of the elderly.
2015 Food Drive chairs Cathy Raddatz and Rev. Betsy Jay expressed their thanks for the overwhelming
support of the food collection noting the incredible generosity of the parishioners. During a long and very cold winter especially, they are providing badly needed support for others who, like themselves, are faced with unusual expenses this winter.
Cooperstown Food Pantry Director Audrey Murray noted the pantry exists due to the generous support of our community. She stated that St Mary’s annual Lenten Food Drive is one of the largest donations they receive during the year and significantly adds to our ability to meet the needs of the residents of northern Otsego County and Cooperstown.
Father John expressed his gratitude and pride for the manner in which the members of St. Mary’s Parish open their hearts each year to benefit the entire community, putting into action St Mary’s mission of “serving our neighbors in Christian love.”
