St. Bernardine's Six-Step "Sandwich Sunday" Program Your family or social group can help address the needs of the homeless of Los Angeles. On the first Sunday of each month, you can help by making a lunch, or five, or even ten. Or, as the cold months approach, you could send in blankets or new socks. Whatever you can do will help. Step 1: Assemble the sandwiches. Go with something that has some shelf life. Heavy mayonnaise, water chestnuts and sprouts = no. Peanut butter and jelly and some lunch meats = OK. Step 2: Include a fruit that you would normally pack in a lunch. Self-contained fruits are better - grapes, oranges, applesauce. It's better not to include watermelon or hard fruits. Step 3: Include a sweet. Cookies (especially homemade) and/or small candies (especially appropriate seasonal candy) are most appreciated. Step 4: Drop off the bags in the Parish Hall on your way to Mass. We'll place them in the parish refrigerator. A small group of parishioners will distribute the lunches that night. Step 5: Pray. Include the poor of Los Angeles in your prayers. Step 6: Consider working to change the social structures that allow homelessness and poverty to exist. A basic tenet of Catholic Social Teaching is a "preferential option for the poor." Each of us has the power to help people find a way out of poverty. Refer to: http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/involved.htm for ways you can get involved. Optional: Consider decorating the bags. This is a nice touch - especially if done by small children. If you find that you cannot make a bagged meal, please bring in bottled water on the designated Sunday. Water is difficult to get downtown. If you are bringing blankets, drop them off at the Parish Hall as well. If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. -- Mother Teresa