Category: Volunteer

DAVL – Detroit Archdiocese Vocations League

Mission

To organize common fundraising activities for the Knights of Columbus Councils and Assemblies in the Detroit Archdiocese in support of Vocations.

Who we are

The Detroit Archdiocesan Vocations League or DAVL began in 1982. Membership is voluntary, there are no dues. Our common interest in supporting Vocations binds us together. Through our combined fundraiser events the DAVL has given back to the participating K of C Councils an average of $15,000 a year.

What we do

There are four major events held every year.

  • DAVL Dinner, held in the Spring
  • Raffle, held in late spring to early summer
  • Golf Outing, held in September
  • Memorial Mass and Breakfast, held in November

Councils who participate earn points for levels of participation and the money raised is given back to the Knights of Columbus Councils proportionately with the expectation to be used to support a seminarian or postulant through the RSVP program.

We need YOU!

The cost of an education can be quite high and our seminarians and postulants need our help. The RSVP program helps the seminarians and postulants directly with no restrictions on spending the money donated. Past seminarians have told us the money came in handy for: dental work, car repairs, clothing, daily expenses among other things.

By joining and becoming active in the DAVL you can help us grow both in membership and our fundraising efforts and as a result more seminarians and postulants can be helped.

Detroit Archdiocesan Vocations League
P O Box 380763 Clinton Twp, MI 48038

Meetings fourth Thursday of the month 7:30 at John F.Kennedy Council 5460 33320 Kelly Rd. Clinton Twp, MI 48035

Contact:

davl@mikofc.org Chairman: Jeff Gapczynski

Vice Chairman: Robert Garstka Treasurer: Larry Pitruzello

We are a 501 C 3 non profit

M.I. Drive Weekend

This weekend the Knights will be out in the community selling Tootsie Rolls. The proceeds go right back to support programs in this community. Please help us give to programs to support people with intellectual disabilities. Click the image above to donate. Thank you.

Family Work Day, Sat, July 14

On July 14, Parish and Family Life is having a work day at St. Clement. We will be cleaning up the picnic grove and prayer garden, re-setting the benches for the Stations of the Cross and setting in a new fire pit. Everyone of all ages is invited. Bring your gloves, tools and wheelbarrows and you’ll get to a chance to work shoulder-to-shoulder with your parish family!

We will begin at 8 a.m. with prayer and the Knights of Columbus will provide breakfast and lunch.”  Would you please sign up HERE if you can come by and help us out??

Questions??  Call Karrie Illner at 1-586-337-4225

God’s Plan at Work

Being a charitable organization, the Knights get many requests for assistance.  Those requests run the gamut from lite yard work to helping a family get re-established.  We got word about Katlyn from the Grand Knight of another council; he tagged me in a Facebook post.  Of course, we’d absolutely want to help Katlyn and Giovanni.  I was gearing up the communication machine to reach out to the membership.  We’ve done things like his before and it’s amazing the stuff people are willing to part with to help a young family.

 

Screen Shot 2018-06-25 at 8.20.23 AM

Before I got everyone all excited, I thought I better check in with Susan at Abigayle Ministries.  There’s no sense collecting multiple of the same item.  I wanted to get a feel for what had been done and what was outstanding on the list of items.  This is where God steps in.

Insert Miracle

This is the email I got back from Susan.  Praise God.

———-  Begin Forwarded message ———
From: Susan Meyer
Date: Thu, Jun 21, 2018 at 5:45 PM
Subject: RE: Katlyn and Giovanni
To: Brian O’Curran
Cc: Russell Morgan, Joe Suminski, Gary Kopp, Tom Weisner

Hello Brian!

How awesome that you would reach out to help Katlyn and Gio! I must share with you are GOD SIZED miracle…Humble Design.. an organization called and asked if we had a client who was preparing to leave. We told them about Katlyln and they offered to come in a design her home according to her tastes, colors, themes etc in furniture, drapes etc…  They will go to their warehouse of gently used items and create a home environment with everything needed for the house…furniture, drapes, art, cooking dishes, plates, cups, silverware, towels..EVERYTHING! They will do this in 3 days and have a big reveal on the 3rd day! All for free…it is absolutely an incredible miracle…she will walk into a home completely decorated and ready to live in..everything but food on the shelves and closets.

On top of that, they are going to film this experience and it will be on TV on the CW network. It is an incredible God moment in every way. Katlyn has no family.. just one friend who made the house possible …and us…no one else and God is doing this amazing thing for her showing her she is HIS! So love our God. Thank you so much for your desire to help…but God just stepped in and said He is taking care of it.

God bless you…you are amazing men of God and we are so blessed by your tenders hearts towards our moms and babies! Thank you for reaching out!

Blessings,
Susan

———- End Forwarded message ———

People say, “where is God?”  He’s working every day through good people like Susan at Abigayle Ministries and the awesome folks at Humble Design in Detroit.

For more information on the good works these organizations provide to our community, please click on the images below.

Screen Shot 2018-06-25 at 8.56.49 AM

download

Deckchairs… Titanic

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, or so the saying goes.  In the spirit of spring cleaning, Father Steve arranged to have all the carpets cleaned and floors steamed.  An absolutely great idea.  I suppose it needs to be done.   Anyone wanna venture a guess how many chairs had to be moved?  Wait, before you answer, let’s just run down where the chairs are:

  • The Day Chapel
  • The Altar
  • The Overflow and Cry Rooms
  • The Sanctuary
  • All the changing rooms
  • The Knights room
  • The Narthax
  • The Social Hall and … AND…
  • The Religious Education Area

Ok, now guess!

The reality is, only God himself knows.  The only data point we have for sure is it took 8 to 10 people seven hours over three days to move it all back and forth.  Here’s the crew.

2018-04-27 19.09.04
The Cleaning Crew

Pictured are Camron and JessicaPytleski, Paul and Kathy Weirbicki, Dan O’Brien, Susan and Joe Suminski, Pat and Bernie Bianchi and Henry Hainer.  Not sure why Henry’s not smiling.  I think his back is starting to hurt.  Or, maybe someone promised him pizza?!? Not sure.

Not pictured is Phil Garnecki.

It was a big job.  Thanks to everyone that pitched in.

Love this guy.  Bernie’s the BEST!

BernieWorld (3)

MI Drive This Weekend

Knights News

Good morning Brian

It’s hard to believe it’s Palm Sunday already.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m 100% ready for this winter to be over.  As I know you know, Palm Sunday is our annual MI Drive effort.  This campaign, often referred to as the “Tootsie Roll Drive” is really a “Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities” The nickname is due to the nature of the fundraiser, in which Knights distribute candy bars, very often specially marked Tootsie Rolls in exchange for donations used to support programs geared to improve the Quality of Life for people with Disabilities, in particular, Special Olympics. So please, if you happen to see our Men & Women Members and Volunteers out on Columbus Day Weekend please find it in your hearts to donate.

mark and henry

And that brings me to YOUR part!  We’re looking for a few guys to take 2 hours shifts during the weekend.  If you can help us out and sign up, that would be very wonderful,  The good news is, we’re no longer on the roadways.  We parked Dick Waligore at 31and Van Dyke for years and amazingly he survived!  If Mr. Waligore can dodge traffic all those years, you’ll be able to make a tremendous impact at a nice safe retail environment.  Please have a look at the spots available – CLICK HERE.  You don’t have to be a Knight to help. Your older kids, wife, neighbours, etc.  The more people we have help, the more money we can donate.

Mark is looking for some empty (clean) window washing fluid jugs so he can upgrade our collection buckets.  If you’ve got one and could bring it by the Knights room, that would be grand.

unnamed

Other News

  • Father asked us to help demo the sacristy behind the altar.  Read more here LINK.
  • Gary Kopp lead an effort to rehab Compassion Pregnancy Center.  Several guys showed up the first weekend and then throughout the following week.  A lot of progress has been made.  When I get some before and after pictures, I’ll post them.
  • The Knights have a new On-Line membership program.  Full details here – LINK.
  • The March Knightline is available here – LINK.
  • Have you looked at our new website? Have you seen the new calendar?  CLICK HERE

That’s all the news that new.

Sign up for the MI Drive – please!  CLICK HERE

MI Drive, Palm Sunday

My Post

Knights News

Good Evening,

Yeah, I know, Lent just started.  We’re looking out to the next big event.  That’s the M.I. Drive. This campaign, often referred to as the “Tootsie Roll Drive” is really a “Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities” The nickname is due to the nature of the fundraiser, in which Knights distribute candy bars, very often specially marked Tootsie Rolls in exchange for donations used to support programs geared to improve the Quality of Life for people with Disabilities, in particular, Special Olympics. So please, if you happen to see our Men & Women Members and Volunteers out on Columbus Day Weekend please find it in your hearts to donate.

And that brings me to YOUR part!  We’re looking for a few guys to take 2 hours shifts during the weekend.  If you can help us out and sign up, that would be very wonderful,  The good news is, we’re no longer on the roadways.  We parked Dick Waligore at 31and Van Dyke for years and he survived – amazingly!  If Mr. Waligore can dodge traffic all those years, you’ll be able to make a tremendous impact at a safe retail environment.  Please have a look at the spots available – CLICK HERE.

Locations

Almont 4 Corners
Almont Vinckiers
Romeo Marathon 32 Mile and M53
Romeo Post Office
Romeo Sheena’s
Romeo Tractor Supply

Other News

  • Ronald Schmidt was named Honorary Life.  CLICK HERE to read all the exciting details.
  • The illustrious Jim Burns was named February Knight of the Month.  Jim and Joanne Parker are our Family of the Month.  Jim Burns and Jim Parker have been leaders in our Council for many years.  Our Council success today was built on the faith and action of guys like this.  Please congratulate them when you see them around the church.  And, of course, there’s more details here – LINK
  • Gary Kopp is leading an effort to rehab Compassion Pregnancy Center.  More info and details are here. – LINK.  If you know how to swing a hammer, come on along and join the fun.
  • The Knights have a new On-Line membership program.  Full details here – LINK.
  • Our K-12 and college scholarships are now open and accepting applications.  Paper applications can be picked up at the parish office or you can download them here – LINK.
  • The February Knightline is available here – LINK.

That’s all the news that new.   Sign up for the MI Drive – please!

Thanks and God Bless

Brian and Mike

Mark and Henry

 

Compassion Pregnancy Center Remodel

We’ve been discussing the effort to help with some basic remodeling of CPC.  Gary has the dates, March 10 and 11th.  He needs 10 guys per day.  If we could get 2 guys from each Council in the District, that would be ideal.  The sign-up is here – LINK

The plans are below.

CPC Re-Hab Drawing

Gary will update us with a materials list and any tools required.   If you can help either day, please consider signing up.

Location:

Compassion Pregnancy Center
37540 S. Gratiot, Clinton Township, MI 48036
(586) 783-2229

Brian

——— Forwarded message ———-
From: Gary Kopp
Date: Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 7:51 PM
Subject: Modification of Compassion Pregnancy Center (CPC) office
To: Art Krygowski, Bob Janowiak, Darin Gilbert, Don Smith , Donald Herman, Greg Slubowski, Joe Suminski, Mark Kovasity, Michael J. Bayer, Mike Hartel , Paul Kulik, Ray Ignatowski, George Stump, Tom Weisner 

Worthy Officers,

I now have confirmation on the subject work with CPC office.  March 10 and 11, Saturday and Sunday. I have attached a copy of the layout and modifications requested.

I will make arrangements to visit the center, and finalize the movement of furniture, and ensure materials will be on site for the work to begin. I will send out a sign-up request, to get a support commitment.

Thanks for your continued support….

Vivat Jesus,

Gary E. Kopp
District Deputy – District #24
PGK – # 11772

2018-01-29_14-27-57

 

%d bloggers like this: