Catholic Health World Articles

The center provides services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, adoption services, two child care centers, outpatient therapy, and support for families. The items collected were for the center's baby and children's pantry, which serves families in Northeastern Pennsylvania with food, clothing, diapers, infant equipment and other essentials. This was the fourth annual MLK drive.

More than 45 volunteers worked to help unload cars, carry bags, sort and count donations, fold clothes, and carry bins to the storeroom. Donations continued throughout the week.

"The response from the community demonstrated the values of Martin Luther King especially care of neighbor," Sr. Maryalice Jacquinot, IHM, president and CEO of the center, said in a statement. "No one donating asked about who would receive the items. Instead, they knew that their kindness would improve the lives of others. Throughout the day, I enjoyed hearing the comments from donors hoping that whatever they gave would bring happiness to a child."

The Jude Zayac Foundation organized an online collection and used the funds to buy more than 3,000 diapers, and family members of Jude Zayac, who died of SIDS in 2014, delivered the diapers and stayed to volunteer. Other organizations like local parishes collected items by hosting "fill the van" events and then delivering them to the center.

For some volunteers, including Betsy Moylan, growing up in the 1950s and 1960s with the theme of Martin Luther King Jr.'s peace and nonviolence, it was very meaningful for her to help on this day. She said, "He would approve of us using this holiday honoring his name to work on a project for peace and justice. That is exactly what we did."

Last year, Saint Joseph's Center distributed 169,067 essential items to families and diapers to 3,883 children.

Saint Joseph's Center is sponsored by the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scranton.