Preparing for Christmas

There are a number of initiatives that St Joseph’s is getting involved with this Christmas to bring some cheer into gloomy times! We are delighted to announce that the Lancaster Community Fund has given our parish a grant of £1000 to provide Christmas shoe boxes to those children in the community who might not receive presents. In addition to this grant, parishioners have donated a further £860 and many of them have made or bought a beautiful array of presents for children. A whole group of students from Lancaster and Morecambe College have also pitched in and donated boxes of presents, and a whole group of knitters are busy making knitted hearts to go in the boxes. Over the coming days the boxes will be prepared and delivered through our community’s schools.

In addition, St Joseph’s has teamed up with volunteers from the Friends of Ryelands Park and the Friends of the Lune Bank Garden, and we are working with local schools to make Christmas cards for our neighbours, especially those who are vulnerable, or living alone, or who are having a difficult time. The cards are being made out of recycled materials, encouraging the children to reflect upon our environment and what is possible with all that we have at our disposal.

Our parish continues with its Guardian Angels initiative and is happy to reach out and help any person in the wider community who needs some shopping or prescriptions collected, or who would appreciate a friendly chat on the phone or some prayer. We have set up an emergency food parcel scheme at the back of the church for any family who is caught short.

If you would like to get involved or if you can think of any other ways to bring something of the Christmas spirit into our local community, please do not hesitate to contact Zsuzsanna, zsuzsanna.brenner@gmail.com.