Florida Catholic | Catholic Groups Raise Funds To Protect Newborns

Catholic groups raise funds to protect newborns

LAURA DODSON | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 06.06.08

A Safe Haven for Newborns has benefited significantly from the fundraising efforts of the Order of Malta Catholic lay order, the Knights of Columbus and the Council of Catholic Women, in addition to the efforts of parishes and other volunteers.

Thomas Flood, a parishioner at St. Anthony Parish in Fort Lauderdale and chairman of the admissions committee of the American Association of the Order of Malta, said, “We are proud to support the efforts of Nick (Silverio, founder of the nonprofit organization) and Safe Haven to provide dignity to life that might otherwise be ignored.”

Bob Bezick is a parishioner at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Madison and a member of the Knights of Columbus Round Table. “We decided that a portion of whatever money we raised with the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the one big fundraiser each year, the motocross event, would go to Safe Haven. The Knights and our youth group served breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday for the approximately 1,000 bikers riding out in the woods.”

William Beaudet, deputy grand Knight of Knights of Columbus Council 9888, St. Richard Parish, Miami, said, “We’ve been supporting Safe Haven for more than five years because we don’t want to see any babies die or mothers abandoning their babies. Our next event will be a dinner dance in the fall.”

Rose Schuhmacher, a parishioner at Prince of Peace in Ormond Beach and a former president of the Orlando Diocese Council of Catholic Women, said, “The councils have donated more than $10,000 to Safe Haven – the women grabbed onto it and the individual councils have fundraisers.”

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Catholic groups raise funds to protect newborns

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