The St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish Catholic Women’s League is making a difference in the world by stepping in to offer a helping hand wherever they see a need.
The Catholic Women’s League (CWL) is a national organization rooted in gospel values calling its members to holiness through service to the people of God.
The St. Gabriel Parish CWL council was started in 2012 and has already launched a number of initiatives that have made a real impact to various groups of people in need in the community and abroad. Made up of 16 dedicated women, this growing group meets monthly to discuss and organize ways of stepping forward in faith and action. They focus on serving the community by providing both financial assistance and many volunteer hours.
Knowing the importance of staying warm during the cold winter months, the group collected hundreds of pairs of socks for the second year in a row and delivered them the Calgary Drop-in Centre to be distributed to those in need. By collecting warm socks for use during the cold winter months they believe they are giving a valuable gift to some of our most vulnerable community members.
Additionally, the local CWL council supported the Ride for Refuge, a cycling event that raises funds and awareness for the Elizabeth House in Calgary, a home for pregnant and parenting young women. The group’s participation consisted of supplying fresh fruit for one of the aid stations along the course which consists of a 10, 25, and 50km route.
During the June Floods, the St. Gabriel CWL was busy collecting supplies for flood relief in the Siksika area. After holding a supply collection, Denine Welsh, Past President of the SGA CWL delivered all the goods to the Siksika nation. “When we drove out there the damage was staggering, the entire low lying area was underwater as were the homes there,” Welsh said while remembering the experience, “Volunteers gladly and thankfully took our donation of diapers, toiletries and bottled juice. I left feeling very thankful for my life and also sad knowing the long road that lay ahead of everyone affected by the floods.”
More recently, the St. Gabriel CWL was approached to help families of a school in Calgary who were greatly impacted by the floods. Many of these families’ resources were lost and they needed assistance in replacing simple items for their children like indoor running shoes. They launched the “Shoes for Kids” campaign and set a goal to purchase 60 pairs of shoes for the school to give to the children. “We set a goal for shoes but we were praying to be blessed enough to help out with outerwear as well,” explains Shannon Farnel, Shoes for Kids Committee Chair.
With the help of other local programs like the Canadian Tire/Forzani Group Jumpstart Program and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Western Regional Council, the collaborated efforts of everyone involved was so tremendous that ultimately the children of the school received 75 pairs of shoes, 28 snowsuits, 22 jackets, over 60 toques, and 100 pairs of gloves.
With an understanding that there is also an overwhelming need to assist globally, the St. Gabriel CWL is currently working on a fundraising initiative for the People for Progress Foundation, whose mission is to empower individuals and communities in need to achieve sustainability through education, leadership and partnership. After Mass at St. Gabriel Parish in Chestermere in February, the CWL will be selling chocolate lollipop hearts, with the proceeds benefitting a community in Kenya by purchasing a hand washing sink as well as a chimney for a coal stove that the Foundation is required to have, with a goal to raise $250.00.
“I pray the St. Gabriel CWL continues to flourish in numbers as does our presence in the community. It’s a wonderful feeling to belong to a group of women who continue to ask themselves “What more can we do?” and then find a way to do it. There is always work to be done, needs to be met and people to help both locally and around the world and the CWL is a wonderful organization in which to do that”, says Welsh.
For more information on the St. Gabriel Catholic Women’s League you can email cwl@saintgabrielparish.ca.
