Presents surround the empty chair that awaits the arrival of Santa to distribute gifts to Catholic Charities’ client children at the agency’s annual Christmas party at the Diocesan Center in Harrisburg on December 20. It was the first such Christmas gathering since 2019 due to the pandemic. The evening included games, food and crafts for some 80 children who attended from Catholic Charities’ Harrisburg-area programs. The festive evening was made possible through the generous support of St. Matthew the Apostle Parish in Dauphin, whose parishioners collected toys which were then wrapped by Diocesan volunteers. Area Knights of Columbus councils also provided financial support, along with faithful Charities’ donor support.
Shown around Santa’s chair are Catholic Charities personnel Patty Eisenhuth, Barb Edinger, Kelly Slabonik, Sean Miriello and Christopher Meehan.
“We appreciate the generous support of St. Matthew’s and from the different Knights’ councils,” said Meehan, Catholic Charities’ Director of Development. “Their donations allowed us to help make Christmas a little more special for some our families. It was a wonderful evening.”
(Photo by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness.)
