Throughout Lent, the Service Commission shared the story of City of Goodness with you. We’ve told you how, on February 24, 2022, people all around Ukraine woke up to air raid sirens and bomb explosions and their lives changed forever. We told you how, in response, City of Goodness has transformed from a social service and support center into a shelter for Ukrainians fleeing war and violence. It is now a home that gives security, comfort, and love to women with children (and their pets!), elderly and disabled people, and evacuees from orphanages – children from birth to 7 years who have nowhere else to turn.
Last weekend, you heard from members of our Service Commission at all Masses, who explained that City of Goodness is in critical need of help to expand their facilities to care for growing numbers of displaced women, children, and orphans. The Ukrainians who used to support their efforts are now in need of help themselves, so they are reaching out to the world:
That is why it is very important for us that the world hears us… people who have hearts, who share our pain, our loss, our fear, our despair brought to us by war… If you see this video, know that somewhere in the west of Ukraine there is a City of Goodness where hundreds of women, children, and orphans have found refuge… and they need your help.
– Marta Levchenko, a founder of City of Goodness
This is our opportunity as a Collaborative to show Christ-like love for our neighbors in distress, and for each of us to answer Lent’s clarion call to love extravagantly. On behalf of the Collaborative Service Commission, we ask that you be as generous as your means will allow.
Checks can be made payable to your parish, with “2023 Lenten Gift” noted in the memo, and can be placed in the special second collection this weekend of mailed/dropped at either parish office. You may also contribute online by scanning the QR code on the posters in both churches or by visiting the Collaborative Lenten Gift page on our website.
For more information, photos, and videos from City of Goodness please visit the Collaborative Lenten Gift page on our website.