Family to Family Gift Sharing: St Martin De Pores Church
A partnership between St .Margaret Church and St. Martin de Porres Church in New Haven was started in 1978 to provide Christmas presents to inner city families with limited means. This program has become so engrained in our parish; many families consider this the start of their Christmas Season.
Our families select families from St. Martin de Porres in November, they shop, wrap and box the presents, and one weekend in December deliver them to volunteers at St. Margret Church. These volunteers then load a truck and deliver to St. Martin de Porres Church working with their volunteers to unload and set up for pickup.
This program was started and shepherded for 40 years by John McDonald. A team of volunteers starts organizing work in September. The Knights of Columbus provide the heavy lifting of unloading cars and loading the truck.
Family profiles are available at the beginning of November on-line with in-person selection beginning after Mass the 2nd-to 3rd week of November and gifts are dropped off at Church on a Friday night and Saturday morning the 2nd weekend in December.