Avoiding the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas Rush in July by Sister Lou Ella Hickman, OVISS

Two childhood memories that shaped my mini-ministries may not have happened the way I remember them, however, something must have happened. Something that forged my motto, “God’s poor are still poor in July.”

When I was in fourth grade, my maternal grandmother died. At the time, she, my single mother (divorced—my parents were nonpracticing Protestants, and I entered the church in 1966), my sister, and I lived together a mile or so outside a very, very small town in north Texas. Rather than being the idyllic, close-knit, supportive community, lives soon went on after the funeral. Although my grandmother and mother were pillars in the community, our isolation soon became more than just physical distance. As a result, I have often thought that being a pillar in any community can have its drawbacks. Just before Thanksgiving someone brought us quail, a delicacy to be sure. Then that someone left, and we were left alone in our grief. Granted, this happened during the ’50s when few people knew about the grieving process. Looking back, I am sure we would have settled for cheese sandwiches if the visitor had stayed to share them with us.

Another fleeting memory. My younger sister needed special shoes to the tune of $50—the same amount my mother received in child support once a month. I remember the trip to the shop the doctor had referred us to. It was July, and July in Texas gives new meaning to the word hot. True, $50 was a large amount for the 1950s in terms of child support, but it was also a large amount for a pair of special shoes.

As religious sister, I have viewed the cloudburst of donations between Thanksgiving and Christmas with a bit of caution. That said, I am keenly aware all agencies depend heavily on these donations to serve God’s poor for the months ahead. How far will those monies go? The obvious answer—it all depends on the amount given and number of people served. However, for me, the question is the beating heart of “God’s poor are still poor in July,” and it is no surprise that the number of God’s poor is steadily increasing.

Somewhere along with my assigned ministries, my first of many efforts as a resource person supported the nonprofit group Hope House, a shelter for women with crisis pregnancies. If there is a similar program in your area, donations in July are greatly needed as many girls are pregnant thanks to a sexual encounter during spring break. How can you help? Simple: diapers. Connect with other pro-lifers in your parish and your generosity will be multiplied.

Years ago, one of my community sisters worked at Mother Teresa Homeless Shelter in our city. For two years, I had a donation source whose director told me, “Sister, take what you want, as we have more than we can deal with.” So, I did. Today, the shelter has become so well-known that I have moved on to another group that is not as popular as donations go. In fact, yesterday I dropped off a trunk-load of supplies—new socks, new shoes, and nice clothes at a halfway house for women who have decided to leave the streets. When I organize my pre–drop offs, I can fulfill my mother’s strict admonition, “Lou, never give to the poor something you wouldn’t wear yourself.” With a bit of self-humor, I can do this because what God drops into my lap is either too small or too big or both. (As a side-note, one of the rewards of my relationship with the house director over several years was the invitation to eat with her when I visited. She, like the other women residents, was a recovering alcoholic and homeless at one time.)

Sometimes, it is not what I donate but who I know. Research for an article about the first deaf priest ordained in the United States lead me to my “deaf ladies.” The director of our diocesan Catholic Charities Life Enrichment Office (and American Sign Language interpreter) hosted a weekly get together for deaf women who were avid crafters. A sister from another Incarnate Word convent who lived with us was on loan as a medical transcriptionist at a local hospital. Known for her craft expertise, I asked her if she would be interested in teaching these ladies. Of course, she was, and for the rest of the time she was a part of my community that she faithfully shared every Monday she was free.

The common threads running through my stories are networking, networking, and networking. And in the process, I have learned two wonderful lessons: One, people give to my community sisters because they will know what to do with it. If we can’t use it, that’s when I get in involved. For example, this past Christmas we all got several pairs of socks and luxury towels from a generous benefactor. Thanks to the kindness of my 25 community sisters—“Here, Lou, you can have mine”—the shelter I just visited now has a very large reserve of socks and towels. Lesson two: Somehow word gets around. Years ago, I started recycling aluminum cans for our school in Kenya. The first check I sent was $25. Just a few months later, I was bringing in around $250 a month. While that doesn’t seem like much, the cost for lunch for one child was $2.50 a month. It was a win-win situation. Children were able to eat, the landfill had less trash, and the company had more than 3,000 pounds of aluminum to recycle thanks to generous donors who had heard about the project.

You don’t have to be sister to give in July. (Single ladies, if are interested in religious life, consider contacting our vocation promoter.) And you don’t have to give much to help God’s poor who are still poor after Christmas. I can verify that the more I have given away as a resource person, the more God drops into my lap. That said, if it is important to you to donate to that charity that everyone knows about, do so. Or if you are keen on giving between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I thank you ahead of time. On the other hand, Jesus sought out the marginalized, touched lepers. “Everybody” gives between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I believe we are called to be more than Everybody. I believe, as Catholics, we are called to seek out the unsung heroes: teachers, veterans, caregivers, and the nonprofits that get little or no press throughout the year. However, I must warn you: “What you pay attention to grows” is not only a psychological truism; it is also a spiritual one. This July, discover the joy in finding a need and filling it. Pray about it and do whatever He tells you.

Finally, a few other suggestions for someone on an extremely limited budget. If you do plan to donate items to shelters, call ahead about specific needs. Oddly enough, one of the invisible groups in the church are those want to enter religious life or seminary but can’t because of debt. There are three national programs that provide funds for future priests and religious. A one-time or a monthly five-dollar gift will go a long way for someone’s journey to final vows or ordination. Seek out:

Fund for Vocations
P. O. Box 376
West Chester, PA 19381
(877) 556-6338

National Fund for Catholic Religious Vocations
5416 South Cornell Ave.
Chicago, IL 60615
(312) 318-0180

Labouré Society
1365 Corporate Center Curve #104
Egan, MI 55121
(847) 573-8975

Check with your parish office for the days and times its food pantry is open. If you can’t donate money, you could help box the food and other supplies. Food banks need more than just food. Women’s shelters often rely on them for baby food and formula. These shelters often house older children as well, and they enjoy books and materials for arts and crafts. A visit to a dollar store could be an inexpensive source for those items. When your local grocery store has a two-for-one sale, use one item to start a donation “kitty” for the food bank. Over time this will add up. And whenever you do a drop off, picture a family sitting down to a hot meal you provided, and thank God for being able to do so. ♦

Sister Lou Ella Hickman is a widely published poet and a member of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament of Corpus Christi, Texas. She is the author of the poetry collections she: robed and wordless (2015) and Writing the Stars (2024), published by Press 53.

Image: Logan Weaver / Unsplash