Local Catholic organizations gathering holiday donations to give to those in need

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Good Samaritan

As winter hits Utah, many local families who, already stretched to provide basic food and shelter for their loved ones, struggle to come up with extras like toiletries, warm clothing or even a little something for under the Christmas tree. Several local organizations work to help fill those needs, both immediate and ongoing. As local Catholics consider what to give and what organizations to support this holiday season, the following efforts are worth consideration.

Coats For Kids

Although distribution has already started in the Knights of Columbus Coats For Kids program across the state, it’s not too late to donate, Coats For Kids Chairman Bob Masse said. Knights from most of the state’s councils donate funds and participate in the distributions that take place at various parishes and churches through Dec. 14. With those funds, which are matched by the national Knights of Columbus organization, Masse can buy most of the needed coats in bulk. Still, there are times when there are gaps, so he is happy to accept any new or gently used kids’ coats size 4 through size 2XL, he said.

There is also always a need for hats and gloves that, when available, are distributed along with the coats, he said.

“When I see a kid’s face light up with a new coat, it’s heartwarming,” Masse said. “Parents are going, ‘Thank you, thank you’ because a lot of them don’t have $20, $30 to buy a coat for a kid that’s going to wear it for three months, four months.”

To donate in-kind items, call Masse at 801-910-7885. For monetary donations, visit the state Knights of Columbus donation portal at https://bit.ly/4g7LZuP or speak with representatives of local councils associated with parishes throughout the state.

Catholic Community Services of Northern Utah

CCS accepts donations on its website on an ongoing basis, but people in the Ogden area have a unique opportunity this Christmas season. The organization has been chosen as one of five recipients of a Giving Machine that will be at the Ogden Amphitheater, 2549 Washington Blvd. by the Ogden Christmas Village Dec. 3-18. The other recipients are the Inner Midtown Community Health Center, Your Community Connection and the Ogden and Weber School Foundations.

The Giving Machine is a vending machine sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those who wish to donate can pick from a selection of cards listing needed goods or services and then pay for them by credit card. The cards will be dispensed into a receptacle in the machine; the L.D.S. Church will then distribute those funds to the receiving organizations.

 CCS will have five cards to pick from in the machine:  

Fill a Belly –  Provide food for a child over the weekend.

Family Groceries – Supplement a week of groceries to provide balanced nutrition for a hungry family.

Baby Layette – Help a mother of a newborn start off with items such as clothing, blankets and diapers.

Peanut Butter – Provide a case of protein for struggling individuals.

Pantry Pack – Supply a small bag of meals for a student to take home from school.

“Being included in the Ogden Giving Machine is a tremendous opportunity for CCS, as it brings greater visibility and support for our community’s most vulnerable,” CCS Basic Needs Director Randy Chappell said. “This initiative allows people to connect directly with specific needs, making their contribution more meaningful. It’s heartwarming to see CCS included alongside other impactful charities, and we are grateful for the opportunity to expand our mission of love, compassion and hope through service, support and collaboration. This program is a testament to the power of community-driven support and will help us continue our work to uplift those in need. The donations that come from the “Giving Machines” change lives.”

Good Samaritan

This year the Good Samaritan is helping out with Catholic Community Services’ Gift of the Drummer program by sponsoring gifts for 15 children. On Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. in the lower level of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, Good Samaritan will hold a combined sandwich making/giftwrapping event. The cathedral’s young adult corporeal works of mercy group is scheduled to participate, but more help would be appreciated, organizer Valerie Quintana said.

 In addition to the Gift of the Drummer recipients, Good Samaritan will help other families with gifts for their children through its Spirit of Giving Thanksgiving and Christmas assistance program. Families needing help can call Quintana during office hours at 801-328-8941 ext. 116 to be put on the list.

Those who are interested in donating financially toward these efforts can click on the accompanying QR code to find out how. For information on the Dec. 7 event, contact Quintana during office hours at 801-328-8941 ext. 116.

The Good Samaritan will also launch its annual fundraiser, the Advent Giving Tree, Dec. 1 at the cathedral. The giving tree, which will be located in the St. Francis Assisi shrine on the east side of the cathedral, will hold mailers that can be picked up through Jan. 12 for monetary donations for the program’s general funds.

St. John the Baptist Parish Hygiene Pantry

St. John the Baptist Parish’s Hygiene Pantry, which has been running for about three years after transitioning from a food pantry, aims to help fill a gap for struggling families and those who are unhoused. It provides 200 monthly hygiene kits to St. Andrews Food Bank and 150 kits to the Catholic Community Services refugee program, each containing full-size hygiene items such as shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste and soap. The pantry also provides additional supplies like tissues and toilet paper.

Volunteers also create homeless kits with trial-size hygiene items and some warm clothing which the parish’s W.A.R.M. (We All Really Matter) prayer group and Hope Alive, a Christian service group, combines with warm blankets and distributes to those in need on the streets. Since opening, the pantry has provided more than 7,000 kits to those in need, said pantry organizer Julie Carlson.

“We try to get our church and school community involved by having collection drives and offering packing and distribution opportunities,” Carlson said. “The youth group, schools and numerous volunteers at the parish have all helped. We welcome volunteers.”

The pantry accepts both in-kind and monetary donations; right now, it particularly needs full-size hygiene products and winter clothing items such as hats, gloves and socks. Individual items or completed kits are welcome. Monetary donations, which allow the pantry to buy these items in bulk, are also appreciated. For information, click on the accompanying QR code.

Those who wish to donate items may drop them off to bins at the parish office Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and after Masses on weekends (Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.). St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is located at 300 East 11800 South in Draper.

“If people do want to contribute, they can feel good knowing that their donations aren’t just going to one community,” Carlson said. “We’ve got the homeless, the refugees and the low income [communities].”