SANTA CLAUS SCHEDULED TO VISIT THE ISLANDS!

IT'S NOT "MARGARITA TIME" JUST YET, SANTA!
SO GET OUT OF THAT HAMMOCK AND GET BACK TO WORK! 

We have a whole lot of toys and goodies to deliver to the kids - nine boxes in all!

Saturday, I mailed nine boxes of great toys, candy and even a few useful items like tooth brushes, toothpaste, a few new and used clothes, pens and pencils, backpacks and anything else small enough to stuff in the cracks and crevices between the toys. They were sent to Miami by USPS to be flown over to St. Vincent by Amerijet.

The boxes should have plenty of time to get there before I arrive in the islands December 11 to help Santa hand them out to the kids at St. Benedict Children's Home and Bread of Life Children's Home on December 16. We have tried to make this their best Christmas ever! 

I had a whole lot of support from my friends for this project. I could not have done it without their compassionate responses. A special thanks to Tim Tomes for working his connections. 

I really enjoyed finding bargains and just the right toy for each child on the two lists sent to me by Sisters Nyra Ann and Sister Zita. I am very excited about being there this year when Santa hands out these toys.

Besides the two orphanages mentioned above, we are also helping the diocese host simple Christmas parties for children on the islands of St. Vincent, Bequia, Mayreau, Canouan and Union - all islands with Catholic parishes in the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 

Along with the toys, there are lots of new toothbrushes donated by DELTA DENTAL INSURANCE COMPANY and tubes of tooth paste donated by some generous friends. Other practical gifts were squeezed into the boxes. For instance, there are several inflatable balls, coin purses and personal Band-Aid packets donated by the NORTON HOSPITAL SYSTEM with their logo on them. We even included a handy pump to keep them inflated - one for each children's home.  Because the sun is so bright, we sent a supply of plastic sunglasses with the R J MISSION PROJECTS logo. Since it is illegal to send alkaline batteries through the mail, we sent some money to buy a supply locally. We included some gift bags and a Santa hat for each child. I hope we have thought of everything.  

I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO WERE SO GENEROUS TO THIS PROJECT. 

If it slipped your mind, it's still not too late for me to send down some cash to cover the cost of snacks and refreshments for all seven Christmas parties. Then we will be finally done for this year.

If you are interested in helping me finish off these Christmas projects with snacks and refreshments, send your tax-deductible check before December 8. I'm going down on December 11.

Make the check out to:

 ST. BARTHOLOMEW CHURCH - SVG MISSION FUND 
and send it to me. 

Rev. Ronald Knott

1271 Parkway Gardens Court

#106

Louisville, KY 40217 

STAY TUNED FOR PHOTOS FROM THE ISLANDS IN FUTURE BLOG POSTS.  SEE SANTA  AND HIS HELPERS IN ACTION.