St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Westlake Village helped stock the shelves of 28 charities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Project Response, an outreach ministry established at the church in 2000.
On June 4 the ministry collected food, clothing, personal items, school supplies, baby items, paper goods and money to support food banks, education for homeless children, housing for low-income families, shelters for abused women, senior programs, job assistance charities and other philanthropic agencies and organizations.
St. Max parishioner Joann Benson founded the ministry 11 years ago and turned the job over to Norm Lamarra in 2005. Benson continues to help Lamarra with the effort four times per year.
The campaign went well, Lamarra said.
“They ended up cleaning out everything,” he said of the recipients. He commended church youths for their part in the program.
“The kids do all the work,” Lamarra said, adding jokingly, “We just stand around and chat.”
Young people involved in the charity are members of the youth groups Youth to the Max and Max Pax, he said.
Bill Formanek started a charity for foster children in Camarillo called Children Come First. The group is dedicated to giving foster families the kind of help that the budget-strapped state cannot provide.
“We want to make their lives better and provide more than just the basics,” Formanek said. “The county doesn’t have the funds— it’s the only way to make their lives extraordinary.”
In addition to providing food, toys, clothing and other items, Formanek hopes to encourage more families to take in foster children. Approximately 885 foster children live in Ventura County, he said.
Children in foster care stay with families for a few days to several years, Formanek said.
Laura Cruz, a 14-year-old student at Oak Park High School, volunteered to help sort clothes and other items for the charities.
“It’s important to help people get things they need,” Laura said.
Recipients include the L.A. Mission, Angels Way Maternity
Home in Woodland Hills,
Senior Concerns in Thousand
Oaks, School on Wheels in
Ventura and the Coalition to End Family Violence in
Oxnard.
Lamarra said the Project
Response ministry collects items from the community four times per year. The next collection will be in the fall.
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