CLAYMONT — The Christopher Council of the Knights of Columbus has been busy during the coronavirus pandemic spreading goodwill throughout the community it serves in Claymont and Bellefonte.
This afternoon (May 8), members of the council will be distributing food to area residents in the parking lot at the former Holy Rosary School. This will be the second distribution taking place at Holy Rosary, and it will be, by far, the largest. According to Holy Rosary pastor Father John Gayton, 24,000 pounds of food will be given away beginning at 3 p.m.
Spring Church, a nondenominational congregation in Claymont, has been spearheading food giveaways in Claymont for more than a month. On April 24, some 17,000 pounds of food was distributed from the Holy Rosary lot. Approximately 10 Knights from the Christopher Council assisted with that effort, which provided 40 lbs. of meat, fruit and vegetables, water and toiletries to those in need. These efforts are expected to continue every two weeks until the need subsides.
The Christopher Council also has been making brown-bag lunches for the Emmanuel Dining Room, which has experienced a large increase in people served. The dining rooms are offering packaged meals in take-out containers. Members of the council have been making at least 300 lunches each week for the past three weeks. The total has exceeded 1,000 brown-bag lunches and will continue as long as necessary, according to Grand Knight Neal Potts.
Potts recounted other efforts by Christopher Council Knights. One, Charlie Schiliro, repaired a handicapped entrance ramp at Cokesbury United Methodist Church. The church uses the ramp not only for services, but also for its outreach program.
Don and Rose Legg made and distributed 631 facemasks to postal workers and nursing homes in the Claymont and Bellefonte area, and Pat Buckley made 130 facemasks for nursing homes, senior-living facilities and Operation Brown Bag volunteers, Potts said. Others have offered to pick up prescriptions and do light shopping for parishioners and neighbors who are at high risk and are forced to stay home.
“I’m sure there are more good works that I am not aware of, but this is proof that the efforts of a few good Knights and their families can have a positive impact on so many in our community,” Potts wrote. “This is the stuff that makes me proud to be a Knight.”
