Auguri di Buona Pasqua!
Dear Friends:
As Easter has been approaching and I’ve been thinking about writing to you in connection with ‘I Nostri Bambini, I began to imagine there very well might be a SAINT who protects children who have severe physical disabilities and suffered emotional trauma. And so I researched and found St. Margaret of Castello (Margaret della Metola) who was born in Perugia in 1287. Margaret was born blind, she had severe curvature of the spine, she had difficulty walking and she was a dwarf. Her wealthy family kept Margaret hidden for many years until they decided in 1303 to take her to the Franciscan Church in Castello in the hope of a miracle. No miracle occurred, so her family abandoned her in Castello. The Dominican nuns offered Margaret a home and with their spiritual guidance she became a teacher of the town’s children and was admitted to a chapter of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. Pope Francis declared Margaret a Saint through equipollent canonization on April 24th, 2021.
Saint Margaret’s amazing story inspires me to share a few stories of ‘I Nostri Bambini’ who with your unwavering and very generous support we were able to help this year with: a customized play structure for a 5-year-old girl with spina bifida; a stairlift for a 16-year-old with Rett Syndrome; an adaptive bike for a 10-year-old boy with cerebral palsy; and therapy sessions for a 4-year-old boy with autism.
We continued our 'Adopt a Family for Christmas' program and in 2023 we donated gift cards for food and other essentials to two families. We wrapped age-appropriate gifts so the children could open them on Christmas Day.
We are now in the process to 'Adopt a Family for Easter' and I am appealing to your generosity to help us fulfill this need in this Easter Season.
On behalf of the entire IWL Board, I thank you for enabling us to donate $3,200,000 since 2001 when the mission of ‘I Nostri Bambini’ was established.
As I reflect on the life of St Margaret of Castello, I feel fortunate and grateful that the Italian Welfare League can count on your generosity to make the lives of ‘I Nostri Bambini’ and their families more bearable.
Grazie !!
Cari auguri per una Buona Pasqua
Ivana Giuntoli McCotter
President
