OLW Making a Difference in East Africa
Our Lady of the Wayside student council and sponsor/Spanish teacher Joe Nigliazzo rallied before Summer break to do missionary work for Uganda, East Africa. Using funds raised in the “Change for Change” student council campaign, students and parents in the community are now stepping up to offer helpful assistance with a big job – finding a way to transport and distribute 300 hand-sewn dresses benefiting girls in Kasese, Uganda.
Wayside’s Senior Deacon, Don Grossnickle, and the MAAPFoundation have been working on several mission projects in the Kasese Diocese of Uganda. This beautiful dress sharing partnership was made possible through collaboration and kindness lessons learned in the Wayside school curriculum and at mass.
The donated dresses were hand-made at St. Mary of Vernon parish by 30 sewing group women led by new OLW parishioner, Sharon Rudy. Sharon passed along the dresses crafted at her former parish to Deacon Don. She is happy knowing that the gift of a new dress made by US friends might be uplifting to at least some of the 20,000 Ugandans who recently became refugees when their homes were destroyed by rains and the deadly mudslides that followed.
Of special note, this is the THIRD major mission project supported by OLW teacher Joe Nigliazzo. It began several years ago when Joe and his mom, Mindy, and dad, Dave, helped Deacon Don take to the streets to collect donations to kick-start his African Ministry. Wayside students have generously collected “Change for Change,” twice previously, as missionaries. They helped purchase livestock for a farm project in 2020 and supported making clothing for girls in 2022.
Joe Nigliazzo, OLW students and parents, and parishioners like Sharon Rudy continually exemplify the spirit of discipleship and evangelization, embracing efforts in Africa to help alleviate human suffering. Every act of kindness brings Christ’s love to lift up someone in trouble.
For more information on Deacon Don’s Mission or the MAAPFoundation, email dgrossnick@aol.com.
If you can donate cotton fabric suitable for girls dresses or are interested in sewing, email Sharon Rudy at Dressagirlstmary@gmail.com.
Tags: #catholic, #deacondon, #deacondongrossnickle, #joenigliazzo, #maapfoundation, #missionary, #olw, #olwparish, #olwschool, #ourladyofthewayside, #sharonrudy
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