Community Corner
ST. PETER CLAVER KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS REACH $104,000 IN DONATIONS FOR ST. AGNES HOME
West Hartford, CT (December 19, 2013) The St. Peter Claver Knights of Columbus, Council 10817, reached a milestone in 2013 with $104,000 raised for St. Agnes Home of West Hartford. Beginning in 2009, the Council identified St. Agnes Home as the local charity they would support with their major fund raising efforts. St. Agnes home has provided residential care and supportive services for pregnant and parenting adolescent mothers and their infants since 1914.
The initial effort of the Knights began with a “Bottles for Babies” campaign, where parishioners of St. Peter Claver Church were given a large plastic baby bottle to collect loose change over a period of several months. The support of St. Peter Claver parishioners was overwhelming and the initial campaign raised over $12,000. In 2011 the Knights held their first “Birdies for Babies” golf tournament at Wampanoag Country Club in West Hartford. This now annual event has raised $60,000 in support of St. Agnes Home. Grand Knight Thomas Foley stated, “The support of our parish and the community has enabled St. Peter Claver Knights of Columbus to exceed our initial goal and we thank all who have supported our efforts, in particular our major sponsors for the tournament.”
In 2014 St. Agnes Home will mark its Centennial Celebration (1914-2014). Lorna Little, St. Agnes Home Executive Director, stated, “As we enter our second century of service to young mothers and children, we are greatly appreciative to the St. Peter Claver Knights of Columbus for all their efforts in support of St. Agnes Home. Their donations have enabled us to undertake key projects such as our kitchen renovation and replacement of our emergency generator system.”
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The Knights of Columbus was founded as a fraternal benefit society at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven in 1882. The organization counts more than 1.8 million members worldwide and last year Knights donated more than $167 million and 70 million hours to charitable causes. Council 10817 has been chartered since the early 1990’s, and supports many charitable and service projects for the church and community in addition to their support of St. Agnes Home.
