Catholic Daughters Fill Easter Baskets for Needy

SEA ISLE CITY – In addition to appreciating the importance of Lent and Easter, the Catholic Daughters Court Our Lady of Mercy also believe that every child should have treats on Easter morning.
For the second year in a row, the Catholic Daughters of Saint Joseph Church in Sea Isle City collected candy, snacks, toys and other items to fill Easter Baskets for children in need and homebound seniors.
According to Bette Keller, who organized the collection, many items were donated by parishioners after each mass on March 26 and 27, including cellophane Easter grass, chocolate bunnies and eggs, jump ropes, coloring books, and other kid-friendly treats – as well as snacks, fragrant hand soaps and cozy socks for adults.
The donations filled 115 colorful baskets, twenty-five of which were delivered to homebound seniors.  An additional sixty baskets went to The Branches Center in Rio Grande, where they will brighten the Easter holiday for families in need; and thirty baskets were also delivered to Covenant House in Atlantic City, where victims of human trafficking and homeless youths receive assistance and shelter. 
The Catholic Daughters also delivered additional treats to other service organizations in the region – thanks to the outpouring of kindness displayed by their fellow worshippers.
“This is our second year making Easter baskets, and this year our parishioners nearly doubled the amount of items that they donated last year – so we were able to reach out to additional agencies and spread even more joy this Easter,” said Mrs. Keller. “April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, so this is a very timely event.”
When complimented on the success of the basket-filling effort, Mrs. Keller simply stated: “We are part of a great village.”
To learn more about Saint Joseph Church and their Catholic Daughters, go tohttps://www.stjosephsic.org/.