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Social Concerns Commission Minutes

Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, Lake Ozark, Missouri

Thursday, 11 Sep 2025

Attendees: Sharon Konuch, Karen Pither, Gayle Pleus, Dcn Jim and Lusica Hankins, Dick and Jeanie Freeman, Alic Hand, Patty McNally, Susan Zeigler

1. Opening Prayer and Reflection: Lusica led us in prayer to St Michael for healing in our country.  

2. Commitment to Mission prayer – All prayed together. 

3. Women’s Welcome Brief – Karen Leben, retreat leader for Women’s Welcome 2025, provided an overview and update for this year’s retreat that will be held at Bestgen Hall, 18 & 19 October 2025. Karen requested for anyone interested to please sign-up to include getting the word/information out for this great women’s retreat. 

4. Ministry to Families & Ministry to those In Need (Salva vida Outreach) – We continue to aid those in need for rent, deposits, food, utilities, and gas. Thanks to Joan and Kelly who are the first line of compassion with getting and verifying information from those that call requesting assistance.

5. Funeral Dinners, Compassion Meals & Kindness Meals: Lusica stated that from May we have provided 32 kindness meals.  The committee for compassion meals consists of about 30 members but Lusica did request if anyone else wants to join this team to let her know. The email system that she has in place is working well.  Gayle indicated that she would be available to assist with delivering meals.  Plan is to provide a big meal for November in honor of Thanksgiving while inDecember we would be providing cookie trays to not only kindness meals but also to some of the local nursing homes. The regular kindness meals will be delivered on December to the recipients on the list.

6. Ministry of Health and Spiritual Well Being – Jan Metz, Diane Richardson, Glenda Hinrichs, Jeannie Freeman, John Akscin, Ann Wallace, and Carolyn Loraine visit or call the home-bound weekly and take communion as needed. 

7. Blood Drive – Blood Drive will be held in Bestgen Hall on Thursday, 9 Oct from 10am-2pm.

8. Welcome new parishioners that arrived within the past year will be on Saturday 11 Oct after the 1700 (5pm) Mass in Bestgen Hall.  Working on contacting new parishioners along with getting an email to all the commissions/councils/organizations for their attendance and support.

9. Advent Giving Tree:  Hope House volunteer sign-up support that starts on 1 Oct and if needed goes to 27 Oct with completed forms to Jeanie Freeman; Thursday 6 Nov Angel Assembly; 8/9 & 15/16 Nov Distribution of Angels; Sunday 30 Nov All gifts returned; Thursday 4 Dec 1000 – 1500 (3pm) Distro of gifts.  Patty McNally provided the forms that will be used at Hope House along with the forms being distributed to Stonebridge, Ozark Rehab and Helping Hands.  Currently we will have on/about 200 gifts depending on how many adults from Helping Hands that we decided to support this year along with children breakout for support is 160 Hope House; 10 Stonebridge; 10 Ozark Rehab; and on/about 20Helping Hands that includes adults and children that could increase/decrease depending on number of clients.

10. Open Discussion:  It was discussed with regards to visitors that are at VRBO’s or renting directly for a short period of time with donating any left-over non-perishable items.  Discussion was to get these items either to the Hope House and/or the Church to include drop-off and/or pick-up.  It is an area to look at and see if feasible.  More to follow.

11. Virtus (safe environment) Training – Dcn Jim  (https://diojeffcity.org/safe-environment) :Please complete this training if you haven’t done it in the past. Once completed, let the parish office know. 

12. Next Meeting Date: 9 October 1800 (6pm) in Fellowship Hall.  

13. Prayer Leader – Patty McNally will lead the prayer in October.  

14. Closing Pastoral Plan Prayer—All prayed together.