FriendsOfTheOrphans

Their Stories: Supporters

St. Louis Church in Pittsford, NY
Supporters, Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Region
Generations of Support
May 20, 2010

Friends of the Orphans is an organization that has been saving the lives of children for many years. Its existence has only been possible by friends introducing our mission to their own communities and through generations, the support has grown. A great example of this continuing support is the community of St. Louis Church in Pittsford, NY, guided by Fr. Kevin Murphy.

Bob McNamara brought word of NPH’s work to St. Louis over 20 years ago and has continued to be crucial in keeping the cause close to their hearts. Each year, the parish and the World Hunger Task Force Committee, under the longtime leadership of Marcia Mendola, organizes countless events to educate people about the needs in our homes and ask for support. These are as simple as requesting a tithing from the parish itself, a field of corn from a local farm whose profits are dedicated to helping the hungry in Haiti, a local special needs school creating Christmas ornaments which are sold by the World Hunger Task Force through numerous merchants and other churches throughout the greater Rochester area to honor our special needs children without loving parents and a modern school, a grant for surgeries at St. Damien Hospital, and even a local restaurant bottling their famous marinara sauce to send additional funds to the victims of Haiti’s earthquake.

So far this year, St. Louis Church and its parishioners have raised over $55,000 to help NPH save the lives of men, women and children. Their global influence increases by the number of St. Louis church members and friends who sponsor NPH children and provide monthly support and share this passion with those in their lives.

A heavy burden was laid on the Haitian people this January when a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the residents of Port-au-Prince. The St. Louis community would not let them stand alone. Our friends old and new at St. Louis have risen to the occasion. When Angelo Rose, a singer/song writer was inspired to produce a song for these suffering people, he looked to someone he admired for support and direction. Marcia Mendola has been a supporter of Friend of the Orphans for years and a parishioner of St. Louis Church for even longer. When Angelo asked her how best to aid the Haitian community, she did not hesitate to direct him to Friends of the Orphans.

Now there is a new generation of support from the St. Louis Community that you can become a part of. In collaboration with Angelo Rose, Mango Tree for Haiti is donating 100% of all profits from the sale of the song to Friends of the Orphans and the Angels of Light Program. For the price of a song you can change a life. For more information, click here.

If you are interested in getting your church or community involved, please contact your local office of Friends of the Orphans.

Photo from left: Angelo Rose, singer/composer of "Under the Mango Tree" benefit song for the Angels of Light Program in Haiti; Pam Schickler; Director of Dance at the Nazareth Schools, who organized a Haiti fundraiser and has sold angel ornaments for several years; and Marcia Mendola, Hunger Chair at St. Louis Church.

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