Junior Ladies of Charity Pen Pals with Buffalo Public School #6

On June 24th our JLOC traveled to Buffalo Public School #6 School of Technology to meet our second grade pen pals!!! What an awesome day!! The school is located on South Division St. and Hickory not far from downtown. There are 18 children in the class with the majority being refugees from all over the world. Their teacher, Miss Paula is a friend of the Junior Ladies of Charity advisor, which is how we started our relationship with her class.

We started a relationship with the class this past September, supplying them with notebooks and boxes of tissues for the classroom and began sending them treat bags, craft kits, Christmas cookies, etc. for holidays. They sent us thank you notes and drawings in return. From there we began a pen pal program! The Juniors and students have been sending letters back and forth since January.

Our hope was to find a day when our girls were out of school and the students were in school so we could visit them. That wish came true on June 24th and 13 JLOC and 3 adults paid a visit to the children! They were waiting outside the school for us, sitting on some benches and when we arrived they started jumping up and down! We slowly made introductions and matching up the pen pals. They were very shy at first but when we headed to the playground they were off and running and the fun never stopped from there!!!

It was so heartwarming to see everyone playing together and bonding, playing on the swings and jungle gym, racing each other and playing hide and seek! We brought a snack to share and the teacher provided juice and water.

When it was time to say goodbye they were hugging each other and wished their time together could continue. We walked them to the school door and wished them well!!!

This coming September the Juniors will start fresh with new second graders and with a grant of $150 from the National Ladies of Charity our girls were awarded, we will be able to expand on our aide to the teacher and students.

More pictures in the photo gallery

The JLOC had a great meeting in December, wrapping gifts for the 15 refugees they adopted for Christmas, assembling 15 gift bags for Gerard Place and decorating hundreds of cookies being donated to Hope House, Lancaster Manor, Buffalo Public School # 6 Second graders and rest being served as refreshments at St Mary’s Living Nativity.

Thank you to the Junior Ladies of Charity for their help at the first
Buffalo Ladies of Charity Gift Card Raffle!

In Summer 2017, the Junior Ladies of Charity collected dolls for the Nicaragua Missions and Ann Marie Zon.  https://www.wnycatholic.org/news/article/featured/2017/11/02/102764/st.-marys-junior-ladies-of-charity-collect-dolls-for-nicaragua

The Junior Ladies of Charity held their annual Brunch with the Easter Bunny on Saturday April 15, 2017 at St Mary of the Assumption Parish in Lancaster. 135 children attended along with their families. The Easter Bunny was in hand to greet the children at the door and later led the egg hunts and the bunny brunch. A light breakfast was served and there was a coloring contest, games, prizes, egg hunts and the children also decorated Easter cookies to take home. The event gives young parents and children the opportunity to visit St. Mary’s Elementary School in the hopes they will consider Catholic education for the children.