At St. Paul's Church in Binghamton, warm clothing comes with Thanksgiving baskets

Parishioners at St. Paul’s Church in Binghamton are making sure people in need don’t shiver in the cold during the upcoming winter months.

“We like to help people in need,” said Sandy Falank, of Binghamton, a lifelong parishioner and one of many parish knitters and crocheters who make hats, mittens and scarves for those in need.

St. Paul’s has been collecting hats, mittens and gloves for people in need since the 1990's. The clothing will be given away to people in need later this month when they pick up their turkey and Thanksgiving basket filled with food for a holiday dinner. Catholic Charities of Broome County coordinates the annual Thanksgiving basket program.

“It’s a St. Paul’s tradition,” said Sue Barry, who’s been spearheading the clothing drive for at least the past 10 years. “People recognize that there’s a need.”

Located on the city’s North Side, St. Paul’s is linked to St. Mary of the Assumption, which is in downtown Binghamton. Linked churches share a pastor but continue to operate separate church buildings. Parishioners from both churches work together on many charitable activities.

Many people knit or crochet their own donations. Others buy them. No matter what they do, they donate a lot of winter clothes every year, Barry said.

People start asking her about the winter clothing drive when fall rolls around, Barry said. She also puts a reminder notice in the parish bulletin asking for donations.

“It’s a ministry,” she said of her work with the clothing drive. “I was called to do it.”

Barry, who also volunteers as a catechist and teaches religious education to eighth-grade students, compared the two churches to St. Peter, who was a fisherman before he became an apostle of Jesus.

“We are a fisher of people here at St. Paul’s and St. Mary’s,” she said.

When Barry and Falank are not collecting winter clothing, they are serving dinner on Saturdays when St. Mary of the Assumption hosts a weekly free dinner held at noon at the church’s recreation center.

“I just enjoy working with people anywhere there’s a need,” Falank said. “I’m happy that we do it for all of the people. We know they’re in need. We like to help people in need.”

Barry agreed.

“We want them to know that we care about them,” she said.

Some people show up every week at the dinner, Barry said.

“We get to know a lot of them,” she said. “It’s like a community.”

In addition to the winter clothing drive and the weekly dinner, the two churches are involved in many other charitable activities, including a food pantry and a collection drive of winter clothing, blankets and other items to help the people of Ukraine, Barry said.

Many people in need walk past both churches daily. There’s a lot of poverty in the downtown and North Side neighborhoods where the churches are located. But both churches are dedicated to doing whatever they can to help their neighbors in need, Barry said.

“We are inner-city churches,” Barry said. “We want them to know our doors are open.”

St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Paul’s Church

The two Binghamton churches are linked, meaning they have separate buildings but share the same pastor, the Rev. Jon Werner. St. Mary’s is at 37 Fayette St. in downtown Binghamton, while St. Paul’s is at 15 Doubleday St. on Binghamton’s North Side. Weekend Masses are held at 5:30 p.m. Saturdays at St. Paul’s, and 7:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s, 9 a.m. at St. Paul’s and noon at St. Mary’s on Sundays.

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This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: St. Paul's Church in Binghamton offers clothing, Thanksgiving baskets