AUGUSTA — A collaboration between St. Michael Catholic School in Augusta and Parish Social Ministry, a program of Catholic Charities Maine, has generated more than 1,500 blank greeting cards for area seniors, and educated the students on the importance of living out the Catholic Church’s call to service, according to a CCM news release.

In the last week, more than 160 St. Michael students designed and created 10 greeting cards each, including birthday, Christmas and Easter cards. The initiative is part of Parish Social Ministry’s Mustard Seed Project, which strives to engage Catholic youth and young adults in service projects for Catholic Charities in an effort to spread awareness about the Church’s good works while helping many in need.

The students’ cards will be delivered to seniors who are active in two other Catholic Charities programs: Independent Support Services and Seek Elderly Alone, Renew Courage and Hope. ISS connects isolated seniors and disabled individuals with a team of volunteers who help with a variety of tasks, from routine housekeeping to transportation. Likewise, SEARCH connects seniors with volunteers who bring joy and companionship into their lives while assisting with daily chores.

“The seniors are not in need of the much more expensive nursing home care and ISS and SEARCH provide a real human dignity to their clients,” said Michael Smith, director of Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry, in the release. “They still value the importance of being able to send cards, and since many are of low income, this will allow them to not have to purchase cards for holidays and special events.”

For more information, visit ccmaine.org.


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