Margaret Ducharme Christmas Outreach
Welcome to Christmas Outreach online! Our organization of volunteers coordinates a generous outpouring of support to needy families within the St. Louis area. Amazingly, this program began by adopting 15 families back in 1991 and has grown to adopting 160 families in 2008! This massive effort would not be possible without the help of so many families within our parish - those who provide their time and talents organizing our program just to make Loading Day possible and those hundreds of families who contribute their time and treasure to make Loading Day such a huge success. Loading Day truly is a sight to behold.
The basic way our program operates is through adoption of these needy families by St. Alban Roe parishoners. As a sponsor of a needy family, you would have the following options:
1.) PROVIDING FOOD: This option allows you to adopt an entire family by shopping and purchasing enough food for a week. Family sizes vary from one member to upwards of 10 or 11. Please see below for guidelines as to what each family size might commit you to financially.
2.) PROVIDING FOOD AND GIFTS: This option allows you to adopt an entire family by shopping and purchasing enough food for a week, as well as providing each family member with a gift or two at Christmastime. Again, please see below for guidelines as to what each family size might commit you to financially.
3.) PARTICIPATING IN OUR MATCHMAKER PROGRAM: This option allows you to adopt a portion of a family at roughly $25 per portion. One or more portions may be adopted depending on your desired level of giving. Portions offered for adoption are providing those items needed to fulfill a food group (a list will be supplied to you), providing an individual gift for a family member (you will have the option to pick out the age of the recipient), or providing one or more gift cards to Shop-n-Save.
4.) CASH DONATION OF ANY AMOUNT: This option allows you to make a monetary donation of any dollar value which will be used to support these needy families. The Outreach Committee will use this money to supplement any full or partial families who do not get adopted. Volunteer shoppers will shop for you! If all families are adopted, the money will be used to purchase food for St. Anthony of Padua's Food Pantry.
5.) PURCHASING A TOY FROM THE GIVING TREE: This option allows you to provide an unwrapped toy for a needy child that will be supplied to the Agape House in Pacific or the Circle of Concern in Valley Park. The process is simple - just visit the Giving Tree which will be available in the vestibule of church and remove an ornament that lists the toy you would like to supply and then bring that unwrapped item back to the vestibule. The items listed on the ornaments are guidelines only, any appropriate toy will be accepted and much appreciated by a needy child.
ESTIMATES FOR ADOPTING AN ENTIRE FAMILY: The table below provides you with an idea of what adopting a family of a certain size will most likely commit you to financially speaking. It is preferable that you shop frugally and purchase non-brand name items in order to get the most food for your money. Obviously, if you prefer to purchase brand name items, your out of pocket cost will be higher. We will provide you with a suggested food shopping list.
| Family Size |
Food only |
Food and Gift |
| 1 |
About $140 - $150 |
About $165 |
| 2 |
About $140 - $150 |
About $190 to $215 |
| 3 |
About $170 to $180 |
About $270 to $295 |
| 4 |
About $170 to $180 |
About $320 to $345 |
| 5 |
About $240 to $250 |
About $440 to $465 |
| 6 |
About $240 to $250 |
About $490 to $515 |
| 7 |
About $280 to $290 |
About $580 to $605 |
| 8 |
About $280 to $290 |
About $630 to $655 |
| 9 |
About $350 to $360 |
About $750 to $775 |
| 10 |
About $350 to $360 |
About $800 to $825 |
Our program officially begins in November. Watch the bulletin or check back here for further details. Thank you so much for visiting our site; we hope you will be able to support our program this year.
God Bless,
Nancy Ferrara and Pam Lewman
Margaret Ducharme Christmas Outreach Program Chairs
Margaret Ducharme Christmas Outreach
Welcome to Christmas Outreach online! Our organization of volunteers coordinates a generous outpouring of support to needy families within the St. Louis area. Amazingly, this program began by adopting 15 families back in 1991 and has grown to adopting 160 families in 2008! This massive effort would not be possible without the help of so many families within our parish - those who provide their time and talents organizing our program just to make Loading Day possible and those hundreds of families who contribute their time and treasure to make Loading Day such a huge success. Loading Day truly is a sight to behold.
The basic way our program operates is through adoption of these needy families by St. Alban Roe parishoners. As a sponsor of a needy family, you would have the following options:
1.) PROVIDING FOOD: This option allows you to adopt an entire family by shopping and purchasing enough food for a week. Family sizes vary from one member to upwards of 10 or 11. Please see below for guidelines as to what each family size might commit you to financially.
2.) PROVIDING FOOD AND GIFTS: This option allows you to adopt an entire family by shopping and purchasing enough food for a week, as well as providing each family member with a gift or two at Christmastime. Again, please see below for guidelines as to what each family size might commit you to financially.
3.) PARTICIPATING IN OUR MATCHMAKER PROGRAM: This option allows you to adopt a portion of a family at roughly $25 per portion. One or more portions may be adopted depending on your desired level of giving. Portions offered for adoption are providing those items needed to fulfill a food group (a list will be supplied to you), providing an individual gift for a family member (you will have the option to pick out the age of the recipient), or providing one or more gift cards to Shop-n-Save.
4.) CASH DONATION OF ANY AMOUNT: This option allows you to make a monetary donation of any dollar value which will be used to support these needy families. The Outreach Committee will use this money to supplement any full or partial families who do not get adopted. Volunteer shoppers will shop for you! If all families are adopted, the money will be used to purchase food for St. Anthony of Padua's Food Pantry.
5.) PURCHASING A TOY FROM THE GIVING TREE: This option allows you to provide an unwrapped toy for a needy child that will be supplied to the Agape House in Pacific or the Circle of Concern in Valley Park. The process is simple - just visit the Giving Tree which will be available in the vestibule of church and remove an ornament that lists the toy you would like to supply and then bring that unwrapped item back to the vestibule. The items listed on the ornaments are guidelines only, any appropriate toy will be accepted and much appreciated by a needy child.
ESTIMATES FOR ADOPTING AN ENTIRE FAMILY: The table below provides you with an idea of what adopting a family of a certain size will most likely commit you to financially speaking. It is preferable that you shop frugally and purchase non-brand name items in order to get the most food for your money. Obviously, if you prefer to purchase brand name items, your out of pocket cost will be higher. We will provide you with a suggested food shopping list.
| Family Size |
Food only |
Food and Gift |
| 1 |
About $140 - $150 |
About $165 |
| 2 |
About $140 - $150 |
About $190 to $215 |
| 3 |
About $170 to $180 |
About $270 to $295 |
| 4 |
About $170 to $180 |
About $320 to $345 |
| 5 |
About $240 to $250 |
About $440 to $465 |
| 6 |
About $240 to $250 |
About $490 to $515 |
| 7 |
About $280 to $290 |
About $580 to $605 |
| 8 |
About $280 to $290 |
About $630 to $655 |
| 9 |
About $350 to $360 |
About $750 to $775 |
| 10 |
About $350 to $360 |
About $800 to $825 |
Our program officially begins in November. Watch the bulletin or check back here for further details. Thank you so much for visiting our site; we hope you will be able to support our program this year.
God Bless,
Nancy Ferrara and Pam Lewman
Margaret Ducharme Christmas Outreach Program Chairs