Local student organizes other students to benefit children in Everett and Snohomish County

Deaconess Children’s Services would like to acknowledge and give a great big thank you to Archbishop Murphy High School Senior, Kaitlyn Kelly, and the students/families of St. Mary Magdalen School for their generosity in supporting the children in Everett and Snohomish County!

“The more we give, the more we have to give.” Such is the philosophy of the students/teachers/community at St. Mary Magdalen, according to Archbishop Murphy High School student, Kaitlyn Kelly. As part of her learning at Archbishop Murphy, Kaitlyn served her local community by designing and carrying out a service project to benefit the children who participate in Deaconess Children’s Services activities and programs. Kaitlyn worked closely with the principal of St Mary Magdalen School, Sister Joanne McCauley, and her students who enthusiastically supported the effort.

During Catholic Schools Week, the first week of February, the students at St. Mary Magdalen School celebrated with many special events. On one of the days, they had "breakfast for lunch" and were also able to forego wearing their traditional school uniforms for “comfy” clothes. To participate in the non-uniform day, students were requested to make a donation of new PJ’s or a stuffed toy. To no surprise, the students and families of St. Mary Magdalen were quick to embrace the opportunity to support Deaconess Children’s Services. For those who wanted to support the project, but didn’t necessarily want to go shopping, Kaitlyn had another inspiration. She created a way for families to add-on a cash donation to their "breakfast for lunch order" in the amount of $5, $10 or $15. Kaitlyn said, “I'm truly glad I thought of this because it ended up amounting to $640 in ‘no strings attached’ cash donations for Deaconess!” Students generously donated 55 brand new pairs of pajamas and 34 brand new, soft, cuddly friends.

While planned well ahead of time, Kaitlyn’s service project to support the Deaconess Child ended up coinciding with the terrible tragedy in Haiti. When asked for her thoughts on whether the earthquake impacted her project, Kaitlyn eloquently stated,

“What the community of St Mary Magdalen taught me is that, the more we give, the more we have to give. When we think there’s nothing else left, we find we’ve still got more to offer. The power of hope, and the deep root of our faith are bottomless.”

“While I put a lot of heart and soul into planning this project, what I couldn't plan for was the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12. In response to the devastation faced in Haiti, the St. Mary Magdalen community rallied and quickly made plans to find ways to raise desperately needed funds which they were most successful in doing. …In the end, what I find most heartwarming about the generosity extended by the community at St. Mary Magdalen, is that our efforts to support Deaconess ended up coinciding precisely at the same time we began unexpectedly raising money as well for relief efforts in Haiti.”

“In all respects, I am gratified to let you know it (PJ’s for the Deaconess Child) was a great success. …I think we told a great story this week …and the beauty of this tale was that it was written by everyone at St Mary Magdalen, and as far as I'm concerned, it was a Pulitzer Prize winning novel! I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of the story and that Deaconess Children's Services shared in a very important chapter.”

We agree, Kaitlyn, and Deaconess Children’s Services is delighted to have been part of the story. Thank you on behalf of all the children and families.

Deaconess Volunteers share more than just their time

Deaconess couldn't provide the high quality services that it does to children and families without the support of dedicated volunteers. This week, we'd like to highlight two volunteers who generously give their time and talent to cooking for all of our families taking part in our parenting classes every week: Jeanne and Sandy.

Jeanne's story:

Jeanne is a busy professional woman who spends time with her husband and two teenagers. Her hobbies, in addition to cooking, are reading, Farmville (always looking for neighbors) and playing bridge. She also loves listening to Mariners baseball games on the radio. We asked why she volunteers for Deaconess:

"Why do I volunteer as a cook for Deaconess?"

"I'm sure it's the blood of my Italian grandmother running thick in my veins. I like to cook more than my family likes to eat. I even love grocery shopping. Cooking for a Deaconess class is especially satisfying because I've heard some of the families say that my dinner was the healthiest, most balanced meal they ate all week."

A lot of people have liked the spinach salad:

Spinach Salad

Mix:
1 lb fresh spinach, torn into small pieces
1 c red grapes
1 apple, diced
½ dry roasted peanuts
2 T chopped green onion
1 T toasted sesame seeds

Toss with Dressing:
3 T oil
2 T white or red wine vinegar
1 T chopped chutney
1 t curry powder
salt to taste
dry mustard to taste ( ¼ - ½ teaspoon)

We LOVE the Spinach salad and that Jeanne puts her love of cooking into eery meal. Thanks, Jeanne!

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Sandy's story:

"I started volunteering because I was bored. My kids are all grown and after the last one moved out of the house I found myself playing on the computer every night and getting into a funk. A couple friends told me I needed to get out more and that I should find a volunteer job. It not only gets you out of the house but you’ll feel better about yourself when helping others. I think I have some very smart friends. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do and the first night I searched, I found Deaconess looking for a cook. Match made in heaven."

Chicken Tortilla Soup (feeds 4-6)

1lb Chicken breast (cut up in 1 inch cubes)
1 small onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 small carrot (diced)
1 bell pepper (chopped in 1x1 squares)
2 small cans chicken broth (swanson is the best)
1 small can white beans
2 packets taco seasoning
3 tortillas
Vegetable oil

Sauté the chicken in some oil adding 1 packet of seasoning while cooking. Cook till done.

Add the veggies and sauté another 5 minutes, add other packet of seasoning.

Pour in the chicken broth + 1 can of water.

Drain and add the beans.

Let simmer for 20 minutes or so.

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Use a pastry brush to brush oil on the tortillas. I usually sprinkle a little paprika and/or cayenne on them. Cut them into strips and put them on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Break some tortilla chips into the bowl. Laddell soup over top. Yummy!

And for the unhealthy – top with

Sour cream
Avocado
Cheese.

We definitely find Sandy and Deaconess to be a "match made in Heaven." Thanks, Sandy! :-)

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Thanks, ladies! You offer so much to the children and families we serve. We are truly grateful for your time and dedication!