Giving Tree just one part of St. Michael's social justice ministry

PLAIN TWP. – Donning his "Santa" hat, the Rev. Benson Okpara, senior pastor at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, was happy to show off the hundreds of Giving Tree gifts that were recently redistributed to 18 area agencies.

This year, parishioners donated more than 1,500 gifts for 500 to 700 people. But the project, which has been conducted for more than 20 years, is only a part of the extensive social justice outreach St. Michael has embraced.

"St. Michael does a lot in the community, but we don't really get out the message of things we do," Okpara said. "We touch a lot of people in the community."

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Okpara said St. Michael's social justice ministry is a traditional resource but they also want to help people learn "how to fish."

With the understanding that people need help beyond Christmas, St. Michael, 3430 St. Michael Drive NW, offers year-round support to Allen, Belden and Cedar elementary schools in Canton, to nonprofit agencies through emergency aid grants, and through its Archangel Charity Fund, said Bruce Gordon, parish business manager.

For five years, St. Michael has collected and distributed about 800 pounds of food, toiletries and cleaning supplies to such organizations as Catholic Charities, Rahab Ministries, as well as schools, Gordon said.

"We try to give what those communities need," Gordon said. "The kinds of things that aren't covered by WIC."

Sister Carolyn Capuano, director of Liturgical and Social Justice Ministry, said this year's Giving Tree requests were a little different than those in past years.

"I noticed this year, the tags were mostly for necessities," she said. "So many more requests for blankets, sheets, and towels, diapers. This is speaking to the need people have."

Capuano said that because of COVID, the St. Michael staff did a lot of the legwork in securing gifts by ordering items online last year.

"This year, because we could be back in church, most of the tree tags were taken," she said. "People were so conscientious about it. They take it so seriously. They pause to think about the person."

Gordon said donations by St. Michael parishioners increased during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"I think the church saw it as an opportunity to help. Plus, it gave them an excuse to get out of the house," he said, laughing. "It's in the fabric of what we do."

Gordon also noted that St. Michael has one of the largest recycling sites in Stark County and that the estimated $700 a month it generates is redirected into the parish's emergency assistance program. Some of the money is redistributed to Catholic Charities, which uses it to help clients cover rent and utilities.

The fund also recently helped some nurse's aide students pay for their STNA licenses so they can work.

Gordon said the parish also earmarks 5% of its total intake for the Archangel Charity Fund, which assists such organizations as Centro San Jose and Tiqvah Hands of Hope, an after-school enrichment program in downtown Canton.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 13% of Stark Countians live in poverty. The county's median income in 2019 was $53,860.

Feeding America puts the county's food insecurity rate at 14.2% for adults, and 19.4% for children, a total of 15,600 kids.

Mary Johnson, who has overseen organizing Giving Tree donations for more than 20 years, said collecting the gifts and notifying the agencies begins in October.

"I would say the needs have definitely increased," she said. "We definitely have increased our agencies, to 18."

To learn more, visit https://www.stmichaelcanton.org.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: St. Michael's Giving Tree only a part of its social justice ministry