HANDS ON—Project Response Ministry volunteers at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Westlake Village collect food, clothing, baby necessities and school supplies for the needy and homeless. Volunteers are needed for the next distribution event on March 24. Photo courtesy Joann Benson St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks is gearing up to stock the shelves of more than two dozen charities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Project Response, an outreach ministry established at the church in 2001.

Volunteers are collecting a variety of goods, including baby items, cleaning supplies, food, craft and school supplies, and grocery store gift certificates.

The donations support food banks, education for homeless children, shelters for abused women, housing for low-income families, job assistance charities and other philanthropic organizations and agencies.

St. Max parishioner Joann Benson founded the ministry in 2001 and turned the job over to Norm Lamarra in 2005. Benson continues to help Lamarra with the effort.

Benson, who identifies recipients and their needs, said volunteers are needed as much as donations. This year, grocery bags with wish lists attached will be distributed after each Mass starting Sat., March 3, during the outreach ministry kickoff.

“Project Response touches the lives of so many people, and there is so much need out there,” Benson said. “Working together, we make things happen.”

Benson said diapers and toilet paper are always in demand by many of the charitable groups because these items cannot be purchased with food stamps.

“We are down on volunteers, so we are currently allowed to make a brief announcement at the end of Mass so parishioners can pick up a bag with a wish list and bring items back to church during the week,” Benson said. “We try to get a smorgasbord of items in five categories.”

Volunteers are needed to man information tables after Mass and distribute grocery bags to parishioners, who will fill the bags with items needed by the charities and nonprofit groups. Volunteers are also needed to speak at each service and introduce Project Response recipients.

This year, the Project Response ministry will collect goods for such charities and nonprofit groups as Angels Way, Catholic Charities of Ventura, Manna food bank, Mary Health of the Sick, Senior Concerns and Ventura County Foster Care.

Benson said people who would like to donate items but won’t be attending Mass or aren’t members of the St. Maximilian Kolbe community are encouraged to drop off items at the church at any time.

Baby items that are most needed include maternity clothes, diapers (newborn to age 4), strollers, high chairs, car seats, baby clothes, baby swings, bouncers, formula and toiletries.

Household and cleaning supplies are also in high demand. Washcloths, paper towels, toilet paper, stamps and dryer sheets have been placed on wish lists by this year’s recipients.

Personal items needed include toothpaste, toothbrushes, toiletries, mouthwash, and socks and underwear of all sizes for men, women and children.

Canned fruits, tuna, bottled water, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, cereal, afternoon snacks for students, and finger food for the homeless are also wanted.

School items on some of the wish lists include balls, pencils, pens, colored pencils and white-board markers, and erasers. Shredders and computers that support Windows 7 have been requested by some of the charities in need this year.

Cash donations and prepaid department or grocery store gift certificates are also welcome, Benson said.

Volunteer speakers to introduce the recipients will be needed at all masses on March 10, 11, 17 and 18.

On Sat., March 24, 20 volunteers will be needed to sort and distribute items to the various charities and help load donations in trucks and vans in the St. Max parking lot from 8:15 to 9:45 a.m.

Lamarra said that the Rev. Peter O’Reilly, the founding pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe, had always wanted the congregation to reach out to the entire region. Project Response was one way to meet O’Reilly’s goal.

“Particularly in these economic times, the response from the parishioners has grown as the need has increased, which is a testament to the community,” Lamarra said. “It’s a really good sign.”

For more information, call Norm Lamarra at (818) 707-0242. St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church is at 5801 Kanan Road in Thousand Oaks.