With just a few weeks remaining in its campaign, the 47th-annual Catholic Courier/Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal is hoping for a late push to reach its goal of $45,000.
Appeal proceeds support emergency funds of Catholic Charities offices and affiliated agencies throughout the Diocese of Rochester. The 2016-17 appeal had raised $37,575, or 83.5 percent of its goal, as of Jan. 25, according to Sharon Statt, appeal coordinator and circulation manager for the Catholic Courier and El Mensajero Católico newspapers. This was accomplished through pledges from 476 donors and included $597 from ROC the Day, an annual 24-hour local communitywide fundraising event held Nov. 29, 2016. By comparison, the 2015-16 Christmas Appeal brought in just over $43,000 from a total of 534 donors.
The current appeal, begun at Thanksgiving 2016, is due to run through the end of February. Donations large and small are welcomed. Checks may be made payable to Christmas Appeal and sent to the Catholic Courier, PO Box 24379, Rochester, NY 14624. Please include your name, address, city, state, ZIP code, telephone number, and whether the gift is being made in honor or memory of someone. For more information, visit www.catholiccourier.com/christmas-appeal.
Virtually 100 percent of Christmas Appeal donations go directly to people in need who may be struggling to pay for rent, utilities, food, prescription drugs, transportation or other necessities. These unrestricted funds aid folks in emergency financial crises who are either awaiting help from other sources or ineligible for such aid.
