By Jayne L. Buryn, Communications Coordinator, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton

Do you have clothing in good shape that you no longer need? Pass It On! 

Launched several years ago by parishioners of St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Calgary Catholic School District, Pass It On is an annual clothing drive held in Calgary in the fall. It enables marginalized Calgarians and their families to obtain needed clothing, from infant to adult sizes, they cannot afford to buy.

 This year’s PASS IT ON will be held on Saturday October 14 at Calgary’s Father Lacombe High School, 3615 Radcliffe Drive SE, from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm. “Last year we received 1100 bags of clothing,” says Sheryl Ewanchyna, one of the event’s organizers. (For more information about last year’s event, visit https://eeparchy.com/blog/2016/11/03/st-stephens-pass-clothing-drive-held-september/)

The campaign owes its success to the volunteers who promote and organize the campaign and collect, sort and display the clothing on Pass It On day. Last year, in addition to many adult volunteers, students from Father Lacombe, St. Margaret, St. Alphonsus, St. Michael, St. Martha, St. Matthew, St. James and St. Mary’s came to help. Ten Calgary Catholic schools (St. Thomas Aquinas, Msgr. E.L. Doyle, St. Isabella, St. Alphonsus, St. Sylvester, St. Benedict, St. Cecilia, Christ the King, Madeleine D’Houet and Bishop Carroll) collected more than 650 bags of clothing for the campaign.

“It would be wonderful if interested people were able to join us at our Sort Day and/or Giveaway Day,” Sheryl says, “and they could see what’s involved in making this event such a success. Our Sort Day is Monday Oct. 2 and the Giveaway Day is Saturday Oct. 14.”

If you would like to volunteer for Pass It On or if you are a teacher who would like to observe the process at one of Calgary’s donor schools, you are invited to contact Theresa Lewchuk at lewchukt@hotmail.com or call her at 403-815-6055.

Can the needy in your city or community use a Pass It On?

Contact Theresa, your resource person for information about holding a similar drive to help the children, youth and adults in your area get the clothing they need for the new school year.