Photo by Jody Isaackson Lori Timmerman, Holy Redeemer Church parish volunteer lead for Bread of Life Faith Community, is one of the coordinators for the Gather4Good event to take place Sunday, Oct. 7, on the campus of Holy Redeemer School.

MARSHALL — The Marshall chapter of Catholic United Financial is stepping up to offer care kits to the homeless in the Marshall area in an event called Gather4Good.

Community members are invited to join members of Holy Redeemer Church and School in assembling care kits for the homeless in the Marshall area Sunday, Oct. 7.

The goal is to assemble 2,000 personal care kits at the Gather4Good event. The kits will be distributed to support the needs of the community.

At Gather4Good events, people of all ages assemble care kits that are distributed locally to homeless and domestic abuse shelters and to those receiving help through the Catholic United Response program, a Catholic United Financial letter said. Care kits provide a sense of normalcy, dignity and hope to people in extreme desperation and need, it said.

“Our care kit assembly project can be done by anyone age 2 to 102. If you can pick up a toothbrush, you can do it,” said Nate Lamusga, member engagement director for Catholic United Financial. “Families who have participated in the past told us that Gather4Good was an opportunity to teach their kids a meaningful, hands-on lesson about helping those less fortunate.”

“The kit will include hopeful messages written by Holy Redeemer school students and decorated by younger students. They are to remind recipients that they are not forgotten,” said Lori Timmerman, parish volunteer lead for Bread of Life Faith Community. “Catholic United Financial will be providing the supplies, musical entertainment, refreshments and fun family activities.

“It was the state’s level of Catholic United Financial that got the idea and asked us to host it,” Timmerman said.

The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on the grounds of Holy Redeemer School in Marshall, Timmerman said. Although, anyone volunteering to help with set-up is asked to arrive by 9 a.m. It will take about one to two hours to assemble the kits, event organizers said.

One of the qualifications for being selected to host the event, Timmerman said, was to be able to move this outdoor event indoors if it rains. Holy Redeemer School gym is the rain site, she said.

Timmerman said that anyone in the community can volunteer by going online to www.gather4good.org or call 1-888-346-7183 to register. Registering will allow volunteers to choose their work time slot and job detail.

“If you register by October 5, you will also get a free T-shirt,” Timmerman said.

Dan Markell, local Catholic United sales representative in the Marshall area, is also helping coordinate the event and recruit volunteers.

“The charitable organizations I’ve talked to are excited to distribute these care kits, so the need is real,” he said.

This is one of several fundraising events Holy Redeemer Parish and Catholic United Financial work on throughout the year, Timmerman said. The two organizations also sponsor fundraisers for Holy Redeemer School such as school raffles and bingo. The next bingo event is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 4, Timmerman said.