St. Procopius 443 in Chicago, Illinois, organized a Feeding God’s Children donation drive to benefit its local animal shelter.
This summer, Bob and Cassie Hudik, members of St. Procopius 443, went to the Will County Humane Society, a no-kill animal shelter in Shorewood, Illinois, seeking information about shelter donations. The shelter staff then provided them a list of items. Soon after, a Feeding God’s Children idea was born.
Christine Czerwinski, Chief Ranger of St. Procopius 443, placed a donation box inside St. Pius X church, and put a notice in the parish bulletin to spread the word about the donation drive. Parishioners rose to the occasion and St. Procopius 443 donated a large haul of items to the shelter.
“We ended up with a huge amount of things,” said Carol Anders, Financial Secretary. “Plus, we gave a cash donation.”
St. Procopius 443 received a donation from its nearby Target, too.
“We were there for quite a long time because the staff brought out animals and told us about different ones and the problems they have getting adopted,” said Carol. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) estimates that over six million dogs and cats enter U.S. animal shelters every year. Of those six million animals, over four million will be adopted.
Adoptions at animal shelters and rescue centers have not slowed down during the pandemic, however. At the beginning of the year, some shelters saw twice as many adoption requests than normal. Americans are staying at home and rescuing more animals than ever before.
Many animal shelters lack the resources that other charities — homeless shelters and food pantries — may have in abundance. Food, treats, and toys are always needed at shelters, but office supplies, crates, leashes, animal beds, litter, and other items are in even higher demand. With so many animals being adopted, shelters need the help of courts like St. Procopius 443.
“God made the animals, too!” said Carol.
Article by Connor McEleney