Nearly 100 volunteers who lend their time and talents to the House of Charity – Bishop’s Annual Appeal were celebrated June 16 at an appreciation dinner.
Gathering at Tomasello Winery, Hammonton, the evening offered the volunteers an opportunity to share successes and reflect upon the value the campaign has in their towns and parishes.
“The volunteers are essential to a well-run campaign. We cannot do the annual appeal without them,” said Andrew Goos, associate director for the diocesan Office of Development. “Though we in the office are able to run a mail campaign, the volunteers know their parishes and people.”
He continued, “Time is our most valuable resource, and [the volunteers’] willingness to share their time for the sake of this ministry is why it succeeds.”
The House of Charity – Bishop’s Annual Appeal ensures the vitality of essential ministries on both the diocesan and parish levels. For the Diocese, funds raised go toward areas such as vocations; faith formation; Hispanic and Black Catholic ministries; youth and young adults; Catholic education and more. Parishes that reach their monetary goal receive a 10 percent rebate to go toward their needs, such as ministries, programs and maintenance; they receive 75 percent of every dollar raised over goal.
This is the fifth year that Kay Tombleson and Karen Pommer of Notre Dame de la Mer Parish, Wildwood, have volunteered.
“I believe in doing good works and helping the people of our Diocese and our parish,” Pommer said, adding that the parish reimbursement from the House of Charity has allowed parishioners to help at Lazarus House, an ecumenical emergency food pantry in town.
Added Tombleson, “Wildwood has both elementary and high schools that need support, and we know the House of Charity helps support education.”
Both women were also appreciative for the Diocese’s support of seminarians. They spoke highly of recently ordained Father Paul Abbruscato and Father Stephen Robbins, who both served in ministry at the Wildwood parish as seminarians. In addition, parishioner Thomas Piro is currently preparing for the priesthood.
“We are so happy that our Diocese supports seminarians the way they do,” Pommer said
Tom Millan, a parishioner in Saint Mary, Cherry Hill, has volunteered with the House of Charity for about eight years. He expressed joy that, despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic, the parish has managed to achieve its goals.
“I am overwhelmed by the generosity of parishioners to support the House of Charity,” he continued. “It’s an amazing, wonderful thing to see.”
Goos said that while everyone who supports the House of Charity has their own unique motivations, the goal is the same.
“Each of us is fulfilling the second-greatest commandment our Lord gave us – to love our neighbor,” he told the volunteers. “What we do together does a wonderful amount of good in our community, and we are able to do that because you said, ‘yes, me, I will.’”
Video from staff photographer Dave Hernandez contributed to this report.
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