Five Southern Tier residents were honored for their outreach efforts during the Catholic Charities Social Ministry Dinner and Works of Love Recognition, held June 10 at the Hill Top Inn in Elmira.
Honorees received hearts that were hand-carved out of river stone by artisans in Haiti. The gifts were obtained through the Catholic Relief Services Work of Human Hands fair trade program.
This year’s Works of Love recipients are:
* Don Holtz, St. Mary Parish, Elmira: For more than 20 years, he has served as the parish team leader and volunteer chef at the Elmira Community Kitchen on the third Wednesday of each month. He coordinates weekly collections of food donations from St. Mary parishioners and delivers the food to Catholic Charities Samaritan Center where he is a longtime volunteer. He is involved with all parish social-ministry projects, especially the annual Christmas baskets, and spreads joy at nursing homes and other venues with his music.
* Karen Janeski, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Elmira: She assists with the parish’s petition-signing during the annual Diocese of Rochester Public Policy Advocacy Weekend, which involves parish social-justice groups obtaining signatures after Masses in support of a single advocacy issue. She assists with several social-ministry initiatives including the annual Christmas basket project, and helps with fundraising for Smile Train, an organization that helps provide free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries for impoverished children around the world.
* Patti Rosettie, St. Mary Our Mother Parish, Horseheads: She serves as secretary for the parish social-ministry committee, maintaining the records and resources and facilitating communication between members and Catholic Charities. She volunteers on behalf of the parish at Horseheads Food Pantry and provides leadership for several parish social-ministry initiatives including the annual baby shower, Christmas basket project and Lazarus Society. She also will be helping with a new parish nursing-home outreach/visitation project.
* Dale Stanton, Christ the Redeemer Parish, Elmira: He is a vital member of the parish social-ministry committee, participating in many projects and activities including the Christmas basket subcommittee. He serves as liaison between Christ the Redeemer and the larger Catholic social-ministry network in the region. He represents the parish in meetings of community groups and also applies his technological expertise to social-ministry service. An accomplished cook as well, he volunteers monthly at Elmira Community Kitchen.
* Glenna Wickline, Blessed Trinity/St. Patrick Parishes, Tioga County: She served on the first board of Catholic Charities in the Southern Tier in the early 1980s and helped lay the foundation for the current decentralized system of Catholic Charities agencies in this diocese. She also served on the first diocesan Public Policy Committee in the mid-1990s. She has been a social-justice ministry leader at Blessed Trinity/St. Patrick for more than 30 years. She also is a longtime participant in the annual New York State Catholic Conference Public Policy Forum in Albany.
Tags: Catholic Charities
