Summer 2011

THE NEWSLETTER OF KANSAS CITYS

SETON CENTER, INC.

Come Be a Friend!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
6 p.m. to bedtime Wear your play clothes!

An Evening As a Child To Benefit Social Services

Ever miss bein a kid just hanging out with your friends in the summer playing silly games laughing til your side hurts drinking lemonade and stuffing yourself with ice cream? If so, you can revisit many of those good times from 6 p.m. to bedtime on August 13 at More Hall at St. Thomas More Parish for the third annual An Evening as a Child. According to Steering Committee member Butch Wagner, the event is a way for Seton Center to reach out into the community to attract new and younger supporters through a fun event. Our long-time friends and donors are working with us to involve younger friends in the mission of Seton Center. This event gives us an opportunity to share our message with different audiences and invite them to attend this event and learn more about us, he said. The involvement of new friends will be critical in the years ahead as we work to grow and sustain this organization. An Evening as a Child, an adult-only event designed for the kid in each of us, will include food, a Wine Board,

a Live Auction, and games and activities for adults of all ages and skill levels. Past participants have tried their luck at tricycle races, Big Foot, horse racing, cowmilking, hula-hoops, yo-yos, and more. You wont run out of fun things to do! Double-dog-dare your friends to join you for the evening and some friendly competition. Tickets to the event are $50 per person. Reservations made online at www.setonkc.org by July 15 are $40 per person. Tables and sponsorships are also available. Call Julie Cogley at 816-581-4722 if youd like more information.

Some of the fun from last years An Evening as a Child

Mindful Matters
By Sister Loretto Marie Colwell, Executive Director When I was a young girl I grew up near the convent of the Little Sisters of the Poor. I saw first-hand how many people left food on the Sisters steps for the hungry. Somehow, the Sisters always had enough to feed all those who turned to them. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my life and here at Seton Center, I find it particularly valuable. My faith affirms that, when we are working to feed Gods hungry, our needs will be met. I have seen this happen in many ways. One day when food pantry funds were low and we were very worried about how we would meet the increased needs, a gentleman from a foundation walked in the door and handed me a check for $25,000. In April, parishioners of Church of the Nativity collected nearly 800 sacks of food for Seton Centers neighbors enough to fill a large U-Haul truck. St. Thomas More parishioners have generously supported Seton Center for over 20 years through a monthly food drive and more. A long-time donor sent a check saying she wanted to increase her monthly gift for the pantry. Periodically, a dear friend drops by to check out our pantry to see what we have on hand and he makes sure that, a few days later, pallets of soup and pasta are delivered to help fill our pantry shelves. We are blessed! We are challenged each day by the growing numbers of individuals and families who turn to us for food, clothing, rent, and utility assistance. Despite the many donations of food and checks for the pantry, we must still purchase over $1,000 of food every 10 days to keep up with the demand. One day, we assisted 24 families in the pantry. Another afternoon, we provided food for eight men who had recently lost their jobs. Each day, the needs grow. We hear stories of constant struggle and heartache. However, we also clearly see the resiliency of the human spirit in those we help. We witness their faith. When asked how they are, most respond, I am blessed. We celebrate those whose generous gifts have enabled us to provide food or utility assistance or clothing.

Thank you for all you do for Seton Center for affirming my faith that generous, good-hearted people will continue to respond to those in need in our community. Yes, we are all called to this mission!

GROWING FOOD, GROWING FRIENDS

Are you a person with a green thumb whos willing to share your gardening expertise with Seton Center?
Through generous recent gifts from the Daughters of Charity Foundation and The Home Depot Foundation, Seton Center will be able to move forward with its dream of growing fresh vegetables for distribution in the food pantry. The goal of the Community Garden Project is to engage others in the process as we learn gardening skills and produce food for consumption to help feed the hungry. The garden will be planted in plots managed through the Washington-Wheatley Neighborhood Association.

To volunteer, call 816-581-4722.

Wellness Program Benefits Neighbors

Take Control of Your Diabetes Day, held June 7 at Seton Center, was one of several events designed to promote wellness among Seton Centers neighbors.
The event, co-sponsored by Carondelet Health, Childrens Mercy Family Health Partners, Molina Healthcare, and Seton Center, offered dental screenings, vision screenings, blood lipid tests, A1c blood tests, kidney function urine tests, blood pressure checks, foot exams, healthy living tips, a healthy food demonstration from Harvesters, and educational resources for persons with diabetes. This collaboration made these screenings available at no cost to members of the CHFHP and MHC plans, as well as Seton Centers neighbors. Seton Center has also partnered with Well Life at Carondelet Health to offer health screenings at several area churches and the Nowlin Housing Project. The goal of these screenings was to provide health resources and identify individuals from the community who might benefit from future educational classes at Seton Center on diabetes, nutrition, smoking cessation and hypertension. A significant number of Seton Centers dental patients struggle with obesity, hypertension, diabetes and poor nutrition all of which can affect both dental health and overall health. A grant from Prime Health supported Seton Centers initial wellness programming and continued efforts to promote wellness among those it serves.

Seton Academy Students

DOWN ON THE FARM

The fishing was great, but putting the worm on the hook not so much.
Students from Seton Academy enjoyed a day at a farm in May, thanks to volunteers. The day included a bus trip, grilled hamburgers, a visit from a conservation agent, tractor rides, fishing, and more. Student Ashley Williams is pictured here. This place was so peaceful, said one student after his first visit to a farm.

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school supplies cereal peanut butter & jelly toilet paper bath soap dish soap cash donations

Can You Help?

Seton Center is seeking donations of the items listed here to support its mission. If you would like to donate any of the following items, please bring them to the Center Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. or call 816-581-4722.

T hank you!

Tools Benefit Donors, Encourage Giving

By Julie Cogley, Director of Development Seton Center relies on the donations of many to assist people in need. For 42 years, we have relied on the good hearts and generosity of people to help us carry out our mission. Today, that reliance is greater than ever. Financial support comes to Seton Center in many forms a money order from a neighbor we assisted long after she got back on her feet, a monthly check from a donor whos faithfully supported the food pantry over many years, gifts from friends whose companies match their contributions, donations from the Ladies of Charity of Metropolitan Kansas City, event reservations or sponsorship support, county funds in support of dental care for needy residents, donations from churches, and grants from foundations. We also benefit from in-kind donations including food, clothing, and more. All of these gifts are appreciated and play a key role in ensuring that the many diverse needs of our neighbors are met. Some donors give faithfully in support of Seton Centers food pantry. These individuals may choose to utilize Missouris Food Pantry Tax Credit, which provides a tax credit for taxpayers who make donations of cash or food supplies to a qualified food pantry. There are many tools available which can benefit donors as well as the charities they wish to support. For instance, some donors give faithfully, while others have remembered Seton Center through planned gifts like wills or annuities. These options allow individuals to use their financial resources during their lifetimes, with Seton Center benefitting after their deaths.

Seton Center depends on the generous support of friends today and in the years ahead. I invite you to learn more about Seton Center. Please call 816-581-4722 today to find out how you can be a participant.

SETON CENTER, INC.

2816 East 23rd Street Kansas City, MO 64127

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID KANSAS CITY MO PERMIT NO 6756

www.setonkc.org