The Social Concerns Committee Answers the Gospel Call to Serve

The oft-quoted Scripture passage from the Book of Matthew — “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt. 25:35) — is just one of many in which Jesus exhorts us to follow the Gospel call to love and serve God’s most vulnerable people in our midst. Here at St. Peter, we have a wonderful group of parishioners dedicated to answering this call through participation on our Social Concerns Committee. By providing caring assistance to community members facing financial crises, this committee brings the love and light of Christ to countless families and individuals each year.

The Social Concerns Committee addresses various social justice issues in our area by providing direct assistance to parishioners in need while also partnering with various local agencies, including the Quincy Area Partnership for Unmet Needs.

“We do what we can to fill in the gaps and help those in need who don’t have resources anywhere else,” says longtime committee member Raquel Kroencke. “Sometimes those are temporary needs. We have had people with high medical bills, so we’ll help with extra groceries. Someone may call because they’ve lost a job or don’t have gas for the week. Parishioners are always at the top of the list of people we try to help, and we also have some standard organizations that we help.”

One of the organizations that the Social Concerns Committee began supporting this past fall is the Covered Bottoms Diaper Bank, which provides families with baby necessities. The committee also holds the monthly First Sunday food collection for the Ladies of Charity and sponsors the annual Back to School Fair and Giving Wreath. Their Rice and Beans Dinner during Lent brings in informational speakers on topics such as domestic violence or poverty in Haiti. Funds for the committee are raised through the Fifth Sunday collection and a cookie sale.

Certainly, most parishioners at St. Peter are familiar with the committee’s largest annual project — the Giving Wreath. This past year, 800 gifts were collected for eight local agencies to distribute to individuals and families in need.

As a social worker with Cornerstone Foundations for Families, Raquel has been able to witness firsthand the difference that these Christmas gifts make in the lives of so many.

“In my experience, with those gifts going to clients at my agency, they are just extremely grateful,” Raquel says. “And then they pay things forward. That is probably the best feeling I get from it — you give them hope and kindness and generosity from people they don’t even know, and then when they have the ability to pay it forward, they do. I had a girl who was a client years ago and recipient of the Giving Wreath, and she brought me something for it this year.”

The Social Concerns Committee has been changing lives in West Central Illinois for almost 30 years. Initiated as a response to the floods of 1993, today the group has 20 members and provides regular assistance to parishioners and agencies in our area.

“It is really amazing how long the committee has been around and that we are really good stewards of the money,” Raquel says. “If people knew all that we actually do, they would want to get involved. It’s grown a lot, and I hope the younger generation will get involved. The more people and brains and ideas we have, the better able we are to help more people.”

By serving God’s people both inside and outside of our parish walls, the Social Concerns Committee joyfully responds to the Gospel call to care for the most vulnerable among us. What a beautiful way to shine the light of Christ in our community!

“This is our mission in life,” Raquel says. “We’re not put here just to take care of ourselves — we have to help other people, and that is exactly what we do with the Social Concerns Committee, whether it’s in our own parish or out in the community. So many people in the community are touched by St. Peter, and this helps spread the love and joy and hope to the people.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Social Concerns Committee at St. Peter, please contact committee chair Sharon Mays at 217-257-1376 or maysfam2@comcast.net.