Chicago Tribune Article: ‘People need help’ St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish assists people impacted by two hurricanes

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‘People need help’ St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish assists people impacted by two hurricanes

By KARIE ANGELL LUC | Chicago Tribune
PUBLISHED: October 21, 2024 at 2:54 PM CST

Right, Rev. David Ryan, pastor at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish in Lake Zurich, leads a blessing of the truck and its donated contents destined for people in Tampa, Florida impacted by Hurricane Milton, outside of the St. Francis de Sales Parish Center in Lake Zurich on Oct. 19, 2024. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

 

It took under one hour for volunteers of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish in Lake Zurich on Oct. 19 to load up a van and large truck with donations destined for people impacted by Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Florida.

St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish, in partnership with Lake Forest business Contract Installations, made possible the donation drive to provide relief supplies.

On Saturday morning, adult parishioners were also joined by students from St. Francis de Sales Catholic School and the parish’s religious education program to pack up and load items.

Upper right, in blue shirt, is Mike Iwanski of Long Grove, participating in a prayer and blessing of the truck by Rev. David Ryan, pastor at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish in Lake Zurich, who is leading the blessing of the truck and its donated contents destined for people in Tampa, Florida impacted by Hurricane Milton, outside of the St. Francis de Sales Parish Center in Lake Zurich on Oct. 19, 2024. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

 

“It’s good teamwork,” said Mike Iwanski of Long Grove, among volunteers working the assembly line to load the truck.

Matt Dulen of Lake Zurich is president of Contract Installations, a Lake Forest business with a three-decade history and now with 30 to 40 employees. Contract Installations specializes in commercial office furniture and related services.

Contract Installations has a satellite location in Tampa, Florida, and when Hurricane Milton occurred, Dulen reached out to contacts in Tampa to ask how to help.

Dulen was inspired to launch a local donation drive. Supplies such as water, diapers, and baby formula will be driven in a 53-foot tractor-trailer truck to Tampa for donation distribution by a charitable relief organization, non-profit ECHO of Brandon (Emergency Care Help Organization). The donations should arrive in Tampa the week before Halloween, Dulen said.

Volunteers outside of the St. Francis de Sales Parish Center in Lake Zurich on Oct. 19, 2024. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

 

“In today’s world and how things are going,” Dulen said, “I think this is a good opportunity to just bring everybody together for a good cause.”

In addition to being a parishioner at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Dulen is a member of the Knights of Columbus Queen of Peace Council #3954 and his children attend St. Francis de Sales Catholic School. “I know this is going to go a long way,” Dulen said of the amount of donations. “It’s a cool thing to see.”

Parishioners and families of the religious education program and the school donated multiple skids of bottled water and non-perishable food such as energy and granola bars. The items were staged in the St. Francis de Sales Parish Center over one week.

Rev. David Ryan, pastor at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish, conducted a blessing of the truck once it was loaded. Volunteers put their hands on the truck as part of the gesture of faith.

Far right is Mike Iwanski of Long Grove, participating in a prayer and blessing of the truck by Rev. David Ryan, pastor at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish in Lake Zurich, who is leading the blessing of the truck and its donated contents destined for people in Tampa, Florida impacted by Hurricane Milton, outside of the St. Francis de Sales Parish Center in Lake Zurich on Oct. 19, 2024. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

“We’re not like social workers, we’re disciples of Jesus Christ carrying out the great law of love and carrying out the corporal works of mercy and being good samaritans along the way, stopping and helping someone in need,” Ryan said.

Father Ryan complimented the school’s (NJHS) National Junior Honor Society, student council, religious education, and youth ministry for assisting, in addition to school principal Mary Keller, parish families, and associated ministry collaboratives.

“This has been a tremendous reflection of the great law of love,” Ryan said. Arlene Kuhn of Lake Zurich was among Saturday’s volunteers. “People need help, people have lost everything,” Kuhn said. “It’s bleak, so any little thing that we can do that would help somebody at least maybe get through an hour or a minute...I want to help, so that’s why I’m here.

“We need to serve one another,” Kuhn added. Joanne Luce of Hawthorn Woods was also among the helping hands. “It just makes me feel good,” Luce said.

Left, Joanne Luce of Hawthorn Woods is among volunteers helping to load donations in the St. Francis de Sales Parish Center in Lake Zurich on Oct. 19, 2024. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

Of even one bottle of fresh water, “That’s one they didn’t have before,” Luce said.

Evan Garrow, 13, an eighth-grader from Lake Zurich, helped to bring items to the back of the large truck, removing a sweatshirt in the process on the sunny day with temperatures approaching 70 degrees.

Evan belongs to Boy Scout Troop 309 of Lake Zurich.

“I have cousins down in Florida,” Evan said. “But I know it’s really bad down there right now, I guarantee it.

“It’s important for us to give back,” Evan added.

Evan Garrow, 13, an eighth-grader from Lake Zurich, takes a moment during the loading of the truck outside of the St. Francis de Sales Parish Center in Lake Zurich on Oct. 19, 2024. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

Volunteer Ben Iwanski, 10, a fifth-grader from Long Grove said about the hurricane situation and those impacted, “I’m really worried.”

The parish plans on hosting another donation drive before the end of October to benefit those in Asheville, North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.

Father Ryan invites people to contact the church for donations by calling 847-726-4723. This phone number does not accept text messages. The website is https://www.stfrancislzparish.org . The parish is located at 135 S. Buesching Road. The email is also parishoffice@stfrancislz.org.

Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.

Helping Send Donations to Asheville!

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St. Francis de Sales Parish is continuing to coordinate with Matthew Dulen, a fellow parishioner and member of our Knight of Columbus Queen of Peace Council #3954, who has offered his trucks to transport much needed donations to our fellow citizens in Asheville on Saturday, October 26th. 

Please bring your donations starting Monday, October, 21st to the Gathering Space in Church, the Ministry Center or the Parish school.

These are the greatest items that are needed:

  • Bottled Water

  • Heavy Duty Trash Bags

  • Canned Goods

  • Energy/Granola Bars

  • Baby formula

  • Baby bottles

  • Diapers

  • Cleaning Supplies

If you have any questions or concerns please call Fr. Ryan at 847-726-4723. Please do not text or email Fr. Ryan. Thank you.

Gather your donations, it's Tampa or BUST!

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St. Francis de Sales Parish is coordinating with Matthew Dullen, a fellow parishioner and member of our Knight of Columbus Queen of Peace Council #3954, to take donations down to Florida. Matthew has a business in Tampa, FL and has offered his trucks to transport much needed donations to our fellow citizens in Tampa on October 21st. 

Please bring your donations starting Monday, October, 14th to the Gathering Space in Church, the Ministry Center or the Parish school.

These are the greatest items that are needed:

  • Bottled Water

  • Non-perishable foods

  • Canned goods

  • Energy bars and granola bars

  • Baby formula

  • Baby bottles

  • Diapers

  • Trash Bags

If you have any questions or concerns please call Fr. Ryan at 847-726-4723. 

Please do not text or email Fr. Ryan. Thank you.

Attention: Gift of Love Sponsors! Signed Tax Donation Forms Available for Pick Up

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Signed Tax Donation Forms Available for Pick Up

If you submitted a tax donation form for gifts or donations you provided, look for your signed form in an envelope in the Gift of Love thank you note bins located in the Gathering Space. Tax forms and thank you notes that have been received are available for pick up now.

Thank You Saint Francis de Sales Parishioners!!!

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On behalf of the parishioners of the Mother of the Americas Parish (former Our Lady of Tepeyac) and the Sharing Parish Ministry here at St. Francis, we would like to express our gratitude to the St. Francis Parishioners for all the gift cards that you gave us for Christmas. We sent the amount of $17,170 in gift cards.

In addition, we sent:

  • Hats, gloves, scarves, and mittens (donated by the St. Francis de Sales students and the Religious Education students)

  • $2000 in gifts cards for the Our Lady of Tepeyac High

  • School donated by Meg’s Legacy of Hope

  • Many gifts donated by Parishioners, Mora & Ken Priess

  • 2 bikes donated by Parishioners

  • Many gifts such as air mattresses, socks, underwear, pajamas, wipes, diapers, and medicines to the refugees that are being taken care by the St. John the Baptist Ministry at Mother of the Americas

  • Pajamas donated by the Girl Scouts

  • Food from the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry

Everything was distributed at the Mother of the Americas Parish, Food Pantry, High School, and Elementary School.

Our most sincere “Thank You” to Father Ryan and the Ministry Center Staff for always supporting this Ministry and allowing the friendship with the Mother of the Americas Parish to continue and flourish every year.

A big “Thank You” to Jane Clery for helping us so much to collect and pack the gifts. We would have not been able to do it without your invaluable help.

You are all an example of God’s love, and this project would have not been possible without the help of so many. May God bless you abundantly and may you have a wonderful 2024, full of happiness, peace, love, and good health!

Sincerely,

Melissa Larson

Chairperson, Gift of Love

Patricia Linares

Chairperson, MOA Ministry

Thank you for your Gifts of Love!!

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The giving spirit of our faith community continues to amaze! The generosity of our parish community is truly heart-warming. More than 220 local families were sponsored, along with 89 women from Mt. St. Joseph. We were also able to supply Mother of the Americas (formerly Our Lady of Tepeyac) with an abundance of gift cards, toys and other donated items. We were also able to provide gift cards to Holy Family in Waukegan, Mt. St. Joseph and Little Sisters of the Poor.

A shout out to the following:

  • Lake Zurich High School National Honor Society sponsored 10 families (50 people) this year. This is the 22nd year that they have participated.

  • Students in the Religious Education program assisted in the collection of gifts that parishioners dropped off on Friday and Saturday of Drop-off weekend.

  • Girl Scout Troop 1728 oversaw a Girl Scout event that drew Girl Scouts in the Lake Zurich Service Unit. Over 100 pairs of pajamas were collected and donated to the Gift of Love and Mother of the Americas.

  • Since 2005, Boy Scout Troop 309 at St. Francis has taken on a bicycle rehabilitation program. They collect and repair donated bicycles and then give them to Gift of Love to distribute to the adults and children who ask for bikes for Christmas. This year they repaired and donated more than 25 bikes to the Gift of Love families and additional bikes will be provided to Mother of the Americas.

  • Over 125 new toys and games were donated by the St. Francis School students through their annual toy fundraiser.

  • Other volunteers helped with shopping, sign-up weekends, sorting gifts, delivering the gift bags to Mt. St. Joseph and helping with the drop off weekend.

Once again, the Ministry Center and maintenance staff considerate to all requests. The Gift of Love program could not succeed without them.

You may have heard the expression “it takes a village”. What it really takes is a parish like St. Francis.

With sincerest gratitude,

Melissa Larson

Gift of Love Coordinator