Opinion: St. Peter's Outreach Ministry in Massena says thank you

To the Editor:

The members of Massena’s St. Peter’s Outreach Ministry (formerly the St. Vincent DePaul Society) wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire community for support of our 2022 Christmas Program. Your generosity enabled us to provide food to 1,010 individuals in 322 families and gifts to the 421 children in those families ensuring a brighter holiday for those in need.

Thanks to all those who donated financial support and purchased gifts for the children. We are so grateful to those who volunteered their time to pack food boxes and assist with our distribution. Thank you Secours family and other local knitters for making so many warm hats and mittens. And, we are most thankful to McDonald’s for their donation of hundreds of boxes. Our food boxes literally would be impossible without their generosity.

We thank the parishioners of St. Peter’s Parish and Massena Central Teachers who purchased gifts; Arconic for their Action Grant donation; Walmart’s Community Grant, Knights of Columbus Council 1141, Massena Fire Department, the AmVets Post 4, AmVets Ladies Auxiliary, Sons of AmVets, BPO Elks #1720, Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 1110, Marine Corps League, Marine Corps League Ladies Auxiliary, Massena Rotary Club, IBEW Local 2032, Italian-American Club, Paul Post Realty, Hoot Owl Enterprises, Laughing Hyena, JC Towers, Massena Hospital/Rochester Regional Health, Community Bank, Twin Rivers Federal Credit Union, NBT Bank, SeaComm Federal Credit Union, Vanguard, Moser’s Custom Trim, Fay Motors, Hurlbut Tent Rental, Pig & Moo BBQ, Carl Scruggs, DDS, American Legion Post 79, Liberty Utilities, Massena Masonic Charities, Louisville Lions Club, and Bear’s Den Charitable Foundation, for their financial assistance.

We are most grateful to those who responded to our Christmas Letter with donations, offers to volunteer and prayers. Every donation enabled us to make Christmas merrier for so many in our community. Thank you to the staff of Carl Scruggs Dental Practice who spent a day with us assembling gifts for many of the children in families served.

Our gratitude is extended to NY State Trooper Justina LaTulip, Customs and Border Patrol Agents Carrie Caldwell, Sean Fay, Andy Lowell, Matt Miller, Wanda Stevenson and Maria Taliano, and Arconic personnel Becky Good, Eowyn Doud, Nicole Wiegandt, Rachel Provost and Narish Singh for assistance with deliveries.

We thank Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts, Tim Hortons and Subway for providing food for our volunteers as well as Alex’s Ice House for help with storage. Without the efforts of cart pushers Doug Premo, Jim Dufresne, Mike DeRosie, Larry French, Dave Gerace, John Schnabel, Wayne Tyo, Pat Casey, Pete Thomas, Vance Fleury, Steve O’Shaugnessey and Gerry Manning who moved the food and gifts to recipients’ vehicles our program wouldn’t have run as smoothly as it did.

Thank you to the Courier-Observer, WMSA and North Country Now for advertising and communicating information about our program.

The St. Peter’s Outreach Ministry 2022 Christmas Program was successful because of all those who gave so selflessly of their time, talent and treasure. May God bless you all in 2023 and beyond.

Kitty Samuel, Beverly Robinson, Carole Toomey and Elaine LaPage
​​​Christmas Program Chairs​​​
On behalf of all the members
and benefactors of St. Peters Outreach Ministry