On Saturday November16 and Saturday November 23 brother knights of Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus will spread throughout Manchester by-the Sea for the Order’s Campaign for Young People with Physical, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities commonly known as “the Tootsie Roll Drive”. Tootsie Rolls will be exchanged in thanks for donations placed in canisters held […]
The 2024 Annual Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus Fall Fundraiser Raffle gets underway this week with ticket sales in full swing throughout Cape Ann now through the raffle drawing date, Columbus Day Weekend, Sunday October 13 at St John the Baptist church, Essex at 11:00am.
Last year record funds totaling $45,794 were raised and distributed that benefited not only parishes in Manchester by-the Sea, Essex and Hamilton, but also familiar organizations like The Open Door Food Pantry, Beverly Bootstraps, Meals on Wheels-Senior Care, Councils on Aging-Manchester, Essex, Hamilton, Special Olympics, Dana Farber Cancer Research Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity.
Of the three founding principles of the Knights of Columbus- Charity, Fraternity and Unity, charity is first as the Order was founded as a charitable organization to care for those in need – immigrants, widows and orphans and those in need of a helping hand. In our day it may include those challenged by food insecurity, lack of adequate health care and the stress of rising inflation.
Every year Masconomo Council 1232 has two major fund raisers. The first ended early in June. Its purpose was obvious. Every year money raised finances for The Father Jack Gentleman Memorial Scholarship program for graduating seniors. This year we awarded seventeen $1,000 scholarships. Over the past 17 years, the Council has fundraised and awarded a total of 132 scholarships to recognize the accomplishments of our graduates.
The other fundraiser is the council’s Annual Fall Fundraiser, which begins in the summer. It is a familiar activity centered around a raffle whose prizes are donations of cash, and gift certificates for hotels, restaurants and Cape Ann businesses. For more than twelve years, the Annual Fall Fundraiser has been the council’s major means of raising revenue.
It’s natural to ask where does the money raised go. Now is the perfect time to ask. For the period 2023 through June of 2024 Council 1232 gave a record amount of donations.
Here is our accounting of funds spent in support of the Council’s charitable mission:
That charitable giving from Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus for the period January 01, 2023 through June 3, 2024 totals $45,794
Grand Knight Steve Kuhn observed “So there you have it. Council 1232 raises funds to support worthwhile causes. We get to give. None of that giving would be possible without the generosity of family, friends and businesses throughout Cape Ann.
“We thank you in advance for your support in the year ahead.”
Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus Manchester by -the Sea issues a friendly reminder that the food drive it began in 2018 to benefit The Open Door Food Pantry of Gloucester and Ipswich continues and has intensified. The need for nutritious food is always present, but the need on Cape Ann is greater now than ever before.
Fred Johnson, the Council’s liaison to The Open Door Food Pantry and a volunteer with his wife Valerie observed, “Food insecurity is as present in the summer and fall as in the winter. Record high inflation and food prices are straining food budgets and pointing families to The Open Door’s welcome.”
All are encouraged to leave food donations in the designated bins in the garage on Friend Street behind Sacred Heart Church, School Street Manchester-by the Sea.
Since the Knights’ food drive began in 2018, 10,558 lbs of food have been collected for The Open Door. In the last eighteen months $1,800 has been donated to the area food pantry by Masconomo Council 1232.
OPEN DOOR HIGHLIGHTS:
NOTE: The Open Door Food Pantry experienced a 30 % increase in the amount of food distributed in the current year 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
Food items most needed by The Open Door are: Peanut Butter; Canned Tuna, Chicken, Turkey; Healthy Snack Items; Breakfast Cereal; 100% Juice / Juice Boxes; Hearty Soups; Canned Vegetables and Fruits; Spaghetti Sauce; Macaroni & Cheese; Rice; Noodles and Pasta; and Cake, Muffin, and Pancake Mix.
Note: Please no glass items-jars, bottles, etc.
Knights of Council 1232 transport the donated food to The Open Door Food Pantry weekly. They thank all donors for their generous contributions. This food drive is open-ended and on-going. It is a 24 / 7 effort.
Grand Knight Steve Kuhn said, “This a tangible way to extend a hand of friendship to our neighbors feeling the economic pinch. At a time when prices for food, housing, fuel, and utilities are uncomfortably high and rising, everyone is feeling the pinch. We are glad to help.”