A Recipe for Connection
Each fall, something sweet begins to simmer in the kitchen at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church. Amid the bubbling pots and the quiet rhythm of busy hands, surplus fruit from CROSS Services is transformed into something far more meaningful than jam—it becomes faith in action.
Watch the video below to see the sweet impact of this partnership.
For years, Father Mike and the Knights of Columbus Auxiliary have turned excess fruit into something greater than food. Their jam is a symbol of community and care.
“My mother died in 2003,” Father Mike shares in the video. “I remember, as a small child, helping her in the kitchen—making jellies and jams together. After she died, I thought, ‘Well, this is a nice way for me to carry on an aspect of her tradition.’”
That personal memory blossomed into a tradition of its own. The first year, Father Mike made roughly 80 to 100 jars. Last year, the team sold over 1,500 jars. Every dollar of the proceeds went back to CROSS Services. The funds support food, financial help, and family programs.
Generosity powers the project at every level. CROSS Services provides the fruit. The Knights of Columbus Auxiliary pays for supplies like jars, pectin, and lemons. Volunteers bring it to life, batch by batch.
“The way the KCs do it is, they pay for the purchase of the jars, the purchase of the pectin, and some of the other things we might use—like butter, for example, or lemon, that kind of thing,” says Father Mike.
Faith in Action
Beyond the logistics is a deeper purpose: Faith in Action
“I think faith has to be acted out,” he says. “Because Jesus never stayed home. He always went out and did stuff—and the disciples did too. They had to go out and do stuff. It’s by actually living it that we begin to understand more about our faith… and how we’re all really connected as one big family.”
The team sells the jam throughout the fall, often in bulk to loyal supporters. “People really look forward to it,” Father Mike says. “They buy a dozen, two dozen, and give them away as Christmas presents.”
Inside each jar, the team packs more than fruit and sugar. They fill it with memory, mission, and above all, community.
“If you tap into the skills of the people you are there with, and they are giving it to someone else, you discover that by sharing something—primarily your time—you also get to know the other family you’re with. And that’s the part where we actually form a stronger bond as a whole community.”
While the jam-making crew jokes about never letting Father Mike retire, their work has already built a lasting legacy. What started at a kitchen table has become a model of what’s possible when organizations come together with a shared vision and willing hearts.
Whatever your passion, it can be the spark that fuels meaningful fundraising—turning what you love into support for families in need through CROSS Services. Find inspiration on how you can help by hearing the other ways CROSS Services partners with St. Joseph the Worker in Chat with Chad: Faith, Hope & Jam: A Conversation With Barry Shay.
You’re Invited
Are you part of a church, civic group, or business looking to give back in a meaningful way? Join us in partnership. Whether it’s a one-time initiative or a long-term collaboration, your team’s time, talent, or resources can make a lasting impact for families in our community.
Contact Amy Gale Maloney, CROSS Services Director of Development and Communications to explore partnership opportunities today. Together, we can turn compassion into action — one jar, one project, one neighbor at a time.
