Sep. 13: Helping the Least of These

It began as a senior project, but would become so much more.  Michael O’Connell, a senior at Rogers High School in Newport, Rhode Island, chose to ride on the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) van so he could give a presentation about it to his class.  The project, which was founded by his uncle, brings homeless people in need of medical treatment to clinics.

As it happened, there was a film crew on board the van with O’Connell.  He arranged for a screening of their documentary, entitled “Give Me a Shot of Anything: House Calls to the Homeless,” to be shown at his school.  All the screening’s proceeds, which totaled $2,625, were donated to the St. Joseph Church Soup Kitchen, per O’Connell’s request.

“It’s extraordinary what Michael has done,” soup kitchen coordinator Jim Farrington declared.  “It’s very moving.”

Each one of us has the potential to help, as the Lord said, “even the least of these.”

So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.  (Luke 11:41)

May we never underestimate our abilities to lessen the needs of the less fortunate, Lord.