Wednesday, February 17, 2010

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES DEANERY— Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Cincinnati was one of the first parishes to start a yearly collection to aid Cincinnati’s Mercy Franciscan at St. John with its food collection. In 2009 there were 14 parishes helping, and IHM parishioner Ed Lear, who has worked with the parish’s Project 5000 food collection since the beginning said, “Donations are high during Thanksgiving and Christmas, but then fall off sharply. So we chose the month of February to restock the shelves.”

This year the Anderson Towne Center Kroger Store is helping expand the project by placing donation barrels in the front of the store for the month of February. Full barrels will be taken to Mercy Franciscan St. John as needed.
 
Project 5000 concludes this weekend, Feb. 20-21, when shopping bags and flyers with needed items will be being given out to parishioners at IHM and the food collected returned to the St. John truck on the weekend of February 27-28.

IHM pastor, Father Tom Kreidler, with parishioners and Kroger employees. (Courtesy photo)