Catholic Students Collect Items For Programs, Services In Need More Than 13,000 Things Collected

Students in Catholic schools throughout Spokane have been busy collecting items since September to donate to programs and services run by Catholic Charities.

The goal of the effort, called “100 ways in 100 days,” was to raise items in groups of 100 or more in the first 100 days of school. Students chose what products to collect and which Catholic Charity programs to donate them to.

The result was more than 13,000 items collected by 11 local Catholic schools. Faculty and student representatives from each school joined Bishop William Skylstad for a short prayer service last week marking their achievement.

The programs on the receiving end of the students’ generosity include Housing Social Services, St. Margaret’s Shelter, Senior Services, Childbirth And Parenting Alone, Refugee Resettlement Program, Partners for Community Living, St. Anne Child and Family Center and House of Charity.

The list of items by students at North Side schools is as follows.

St. Patrick School, 2706 E. Queen, gathered 100 hygiene kits and 100 containers of baby wipes.

St. Thomas More, 515 W. St. Thomas More Way, collected quarters.

Trinity School, 1306 W. Montgomery, collected quarters.

St. Charles, 4515 N. Alberta, collected 100 cans of soup from children in grades K-2; 100 rolls of paper towels, grades 5 and 6; 100 bottles of shampoo, grades 5 and 6; 200 cans of vegetables, grade 7; and 200 cans of soup, preschool and grades 3, 4, 7 and 8.

Assumption School, 3618 W. Indian Trail Road, collected 50 containers of diaper wipes from children in grades 6-8; 50 boxes of tissue, grades 6-8; 100 tubes of Desitin, grades 6-8; 50 small baby items, grades 6-8; 1,000 plates, grades K-3; 100 socks, grades K-3; 100 cups of soup, grades K-3; 100 emergency candles, grades K-3; 50 boxes of diaper wipes, grades 4-5; 50 boxes of tissues, grades 4-5; 1,500 sheets of paper, grades 4-5; 50 markers, grades 4-5; 50 pens, grades 4-5; 50 pencils, grades 4-5; and 100 lined writing tablets, grades 4-5.

St. Aloysius School, 611 E. Mission, gathered 50 small baby items, 50 boxes of tissue and 50 containers of baby wipes from children in first grade; baby formula, grades 3-4; 100 toothbrushes, preschool; 100 tubes of toothpaste, second grade; 100 cans evaporated milk, sixth grade; 100 cans of vegetables, seventh grade; 100 cans of fruit, eighth grade; 50 rolls of paper towels, all grades; and 1,000 rolls of toilet paper, kindergarten.

Wassmuth speaks on racism

Human rights activist Bill Wassmuth is scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, 4340 W. Fort George Wright Drive. The topic of the program is “White Supremacists: What They Tell About Today’s Society.”

Wassmuth, a former Catholic priest who lived in Coeur d’Alene, has served at the executive director of the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment for the past 10 years. He has become an authority on hate crimes, racism and white supremacy and has received numerous awards for his human rights work.

The public is welcome to attend. Donations will be accepted at the door. Call the church office at 325-6383 for more information.

Biblical drama at Friends Church

Actor Rich Swingle will perform a one-man drama called “Big Fish, Little Worm” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Spokane Friends Church, 1612 W. Dalke. Swingle, an actor with the Lamb’s Theater in New York City, has been performing the play around the country. The performance focuses on the Biblical character of Gideon, Jonah, Jeremiah and Lazarus.

Donations will be accepted at the door. For more information, call the church office at 327-7852.