Monday, November 24, 2008

The St. Joseph House - Pro-Life in Action

This week's paper copy of the Catholic Standard (Nov. 20, 2008 page 17) has a nice story about the walkathon at St. John the Evangelist School (Silver Spring) for the St. Joseph House. (Kudos to the Catholic Standard on this one.)

The St. Joseph House is run by Cubby and Dan LaHood, since 1983. Both are lay Missionaries of Charity and have run the St. Joseph House as a non-profit daycare respite home for youth with multiple disabilities. They not only care for this youth but it also provides their parents with a chance to be able work a full day and also gives them some time to run errands or some respite time.

The principal, St. Kathleen Lannark, stated that this sort of fundraiser teaches the students to "respect all life" and to become sensitive to the fact that children with disabilities are "God's children too."

The students raised over $7,000.

Talk about the pro-life movement in action. (This is the type of story that should be put in the faces of the Planned Parenthoods and NARALs of this world.)

So, if you did not give the CCHD and are looking for a good Catholic charity, this is one. Note that they They do not receive any funding from the Archdiocese of Washington DC or any government funding.

St. Joseph House
1505 Cody Drive
Silver Spring, Maryland 20902

PS: They are on my annual list of Catholic Charities.

1 comment:

Mr Flapatap said...

I had a chance to meet Cubby and Dan at a presentation on ministering to people with disabilities a few weeks ago and was very impressed with them. When they showed a video of their house, I immediately noticed a kid (well, not much of a kid anymore) who I have known for years now and was able to connect the LaHood's to the great work that they have done for him and so many others. I encourage people to help them as much as they can. Unfortunately, they were telling us that the hardest part of their work is dealing with all the red tape and regulations imposed by the government. These make it impossible for them to help more kids and forces them to let them go as they turn 21 (regulations are different). Also, since they have been grandfathered from many of more recent regulations, they will not be able to pass the torch when they get too old to continue.