California Columbian Charities Ready to Assist Fire Victims
BROTHER HELPING BROTHER
By Ed Bystran, Charity President
In the first nine months of 2015 Columbian Charities helped 36 Brothers and families with $86,025 in assistance.
Firefighters in Northern California are encountering an epic fire season fueled by a record drought that has turned much of the Golden State’s forests into a matchbox of more than 12 million dead trees with over 2,000 structures already destroyed by fire. Columbian Charity is working with the Redwood Chapter and local Grand Knights to assist any Brothers who have lost their homes to the fires. Communications in the fire area are poor, but at this time the Charity has not found any homeless Knights – the search will continue.
For 60 years California Columbian Charities has provided kindness and generosity to California Knights by fulfilling Father McGivney’s mandate of BROTHER HELPING BROTHER.
Since 1955 we have responded to 2046 requests for assistance and have given over $2,800,000 in relief. THANK YOU for your generosity – but we ask you to reach deeper into your pockets. Last year the Charity awarded $178,000 in grants while receiving only $128,000 in donations. At the end of the year we had to withdraw $50,000 from the reserve fund to meet the needs of our Brothers. We will continue to help our Brothers with the limited funds that are available.
If you missed making a donation at the state convention, mail donations are welcomed and 2015 Award Ribbons are still available. Mail to: Calif. Columbian Charities, PO Box 4256, Cerritos, CA 90703.
IMPORTANT – If you know of a Brother who is in need of financial assistance please ask his Council’s Grand Knight to contact the State Council office for Charity application forms and instructions, (909) 434-0460, or state.office@californiaknights.org.