LIVONIA, NY — No one ever plans to need help feeding their family or heating their home but sometimes difficulties in life occur that leave people with no other alternative but to lean on local assistance for help. Livingston County Catholic Charities hears stories like this every day and they respond by providing a variety of emergency services like housing, clothing, food, medicine, counseling and assistance with utilities, especially during the winter months when families struggle even more to pay the bill.
On Jan. 30, LCCC hosted the 5th annual Eat for Heat spaghetti dinner to raise money for the heating assistance fund. St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Livonia was the site for the fundraiser that Executive Director Joseph DiMino calls, “The best ever.” Over 250 meals were served by dozens of volunteers, raising more than $5,300 at the kick-off event toward their goal of $25,000.
In 2006, Sister Nancy O’Brien, then director of emergency assistance for LCCC, delivered the troubling news at a monthly meeting that the agency was out of money for utility assistance and was forced to decline and turn away 31 families who had received shutoff notices either for heat and/or electric.
“Seeing a bonafide need and not being able to help, we decided we should try to do something. We decided we’d do a spaghetti supper,” recalled Executive Director Joseph DiMino.
Over 100 people attended that first spaghetti dinner. Generous and compassionate people willingly paid the $20 ticket price for the pasta dinner; some donating more than that to what would be named LEAF, Livingston Emergency Assistance Fund.
In 2008 LCCC established a trust fund for emergency heating assistance. Through a matching grant program, LEAF set out to raise $30 thousand for the fund which would be matched by $15 thousand. ST. Matthew hosted the annual Eat for Heat dinner with all of the product donated by Barilla and other companies. It raised $5,400 but more importantly, word of the fundraising project spread to other faith communities, civic organizations, fraternities and sororities who hosted luncheons and bottle and can drives. In addition, the Livingston County Community Initiatives Council presented a generous donation to the heating fund. All totaled, the events raised $40 thousand for the fund.
LEAF has assisted over 400 families since 2006. DiMino says he is hearing from people who have never had to ask for help before and have now found themselves in need.
St. Columba parish in Caledonia also supports the mission of LCCC and the LEAF project. On January 31 the parish held a lunch after mass with all of the proceeds donated to the heating assistance fund. DiMino says if you, your faith community or civic organization would like to help LEAF, please contact LCCC at 658-4466.
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