We asked you to “Clean Out Your Closet to Support a Great Cause” and during the weekend of October 28th and 29th our generous Parishioners did just that—despite the inclement weather. For the third year, Parishioners came with bags of new or gently used dress shoes, purses, and accessories. In addition, they brought coats, suits and jackets fresh from the dry cleaner! All the donated items benefit the students in the “Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow” (OBT) program, which prepares disadvantaged young men and women for successful careers. OBT was started by Sr. Mary Franciscus in 1983 and continues to thrive and expand into other areas of New York City. The Tablet recently profiled OBT. (Please see https://thetablet.org/williamsburg-youth-have-a-chance-at-better-tomorrows/ to read the article.)
Our clothing drive has been re-named in honor of Louise Troisi who was active in parish ministries and whose insight helped shape the drive. As a way of recognizing Louise’s service to our Parish, the Saturday 5pm Mass was offered in her memory. Louise’s family and friends attended the Mass and her family donated her professional attire to the drive.
We thank Kim Parker and her committee: Phyllis Arlia, Jeanine Condon, Florence Diaz, Mary Gelormino, Bob Kassenbrock, Eileen Loughlin, Janet Tsakos from OBT and Cono for helping to collect the items and load them into the truck driven by Morris who transported the items to the OBT Sunset Park location. Many thanks to Msgr. Maloney for allowing the use of the Rosary Chapel as a collection site and for supporting this great cause. A special thanks to Louise’s family and friends for allowing St. Anselm to honor our friend in this special way. Finally, we thank our wonderful Parishioners for their lovely donations which will greatly enhance the lives of the “OBT” students.
All the best,
The St. Anselm Publicity Committee