“For All To Read, From Brother Tom”

John Sarkis

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I’m posting this today, since weekend postings tend to reach more people, but this Thursday, November 18th, St Louis will celebrate its 64th annual “Old Newsboys Day”. This event, which helps to raise money for over 100,000 needy children in our area each year, will be more normal, after being virtual last year.
The effort began in 1957, when Richard Amberg, then publisher of the Globe Democrat, realized that many children’s charities were falling short of meeting their financial goals. His idea of selling newspapers on street corners to raise funds for the charities has transformed into what we have today.
Led by the area’s most prominent citizens, it became a project of the Suburban Journals, after the demise of the Globe-Democrat. The effort is now spearheaded by the St Louis Post-Dispatch.
But the concept began with a Catholic priest, Father Peter Joseph Dunne.
After the Civil War, St Louis found itself home to hundreds of young boys, orphaned by the war, or having parents who could no longer afford to care for them. Unsupervised, & often unruly, many ran in gangs for mutual protection. Seeking a way to remove them from the street, the City started the St Louis House of Refuge. Having the sound of a charitable organization, it more closely resembled a prison, surrounded by 20 foot high brick walls. For the majority, petty thievery was their most serious crime. Although there were several allegations of cruelty, conditions remained much the same for the remainder of the century.
Peter Dunne was born in Chicago in 1870. As an infant, Dunne’s Irish-born parents moved to Kansas, & after his mother died in 1881, the family moved to Kansas City, where his father died the following year. With his siblings sent to orphanages, 12 year-old Peter tried to make a living in a print shop, a dairy, then as an apprentice blacksmith. When none of his efforts proved successful, he moved to St Louis. He held a number of menial jobs, but the course of his life found purpose when he took a job as night watchman at St Louis University. The Jesuits provided him with a basic education, & when he was 30, sent him to Kenrick Seminary to become a priest. He was ordained by Archbishop Glennon in 1903, & due to his unique background, he was sent to St. Patrick’s to work with Father Timothy Dempsey, known locally as the “Apostle of Charity.”
Father Dempsey would open the “Father Dempsey Hotel”, which many know today as the St. Patrick Center, one of Missouri’s largest providers of homeless services with housing, employment and health programs assisting more than 8,000 people annually who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
In 1906, Father Dunne would open his Newsboy’s Home. Moving into progressively larger quarters, they would eventually erect their own building at 3010 Washington, where over 2,500 boys would live in the first ten years. Resigning his post at St. Patricks, Father Dunne spent all his time attending Juvenile Court, acquiring food & clothing for the boys, getting the younger ones to school, & helping the older boys find jobs.
Some had been too old for orphanages. Others had parents who were too poor or ill to care for them. Many had been abandoned, or turned over to the juvenile courts. A number were also runaways, whose home life had become unbearable. But they all had something in common. They had no place else to go.
On March 16, 1939, Father Peter Dunne died of pneumonia at St. Mary’s Hospital, at the age of 68. Over 20,000 attended his wake, and in 1948, RKO Pictures released the movie, “Fighting Father Dunne” based on his life, with Pat O’Brien portraying Father Dunne.
Fr. Dunne’s old Newsboys Home, a Catholic Charity providing residential services for boys in foster care, ages 12-21, was one of five agencies that merged to form Good Shepherd Children & Family Services in 2006.
As we observe our annual “Old Newsboys Day”, I hope you’ll think of Father Dunne, & the 270 children’s charities this event benefits.

    Tom McClarren         

    Then you can read about one of the top Orphanages in St. Louis:

    ME & Tom 001

    Mary Ellen and Tommy..

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“Not ALL, had a cup of Coffee”

 

1942 

During World War II, coffee rationing begins due to growing demand.

Coffee drinkers reduced their intake by pouring less into their cups.

They also stretched the coffee they had by reusing the grounds and making a weaker brew.

Another method to stretch their supply included grinding chicory root into their coffee grounds before they brewed their coffee.

and… learn to do,  without… SUGAR …

 

 

“Just the way it was… for us… in 1942”


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“He’s Got the whole World in His Hands”

“Happy Thanksgiving to everyone”

 

Grateful to be surrounded by such an amazing family! 😊 Happy Thanksgiving! ❤️

 

 

 

“Love and Blessings to all of our FRIENDS and FAMILY”

 

  “4-G’s  herself”….


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“Don’t Waste a Minute, Have Some Fun”

“Have FUN… Between Thanksgiving and CHRISTMAS”

 

 

 

 

 

Something for the little ones to watch – – and for the big kids… that would be … “ME” – – something  that is good and cheerful!   xoxoxoxoxo


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“To be Saved ..Check this Truth – NOW”

There  is no other name,   that YOU can be saved under,

than   the  NEW Covenant…

 For this one simple reason…

The first part of the Saviours’ Name  “YAH”  means;

“Yahweh  the Creator”

the second part of the Saviours’ name  …  “SHUA”  means;

“Salvation”

So,  when you call on your  “Saviour”…

You are asking the Creator,  “Yahweh” for “Salvation”…

That is why you can not call on Christ or Jesus  or any other name

to be Saved…

“The truth per the Hebrew Word”

 

Just check  with your Hebrew Bible.


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“This Time of Year at Fenway Farm”

          “A – #1 – FALL DAY”

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After… last night’s storm… a clean sweep out of all of  the old  weather…  with all of it’s clutter… left us with fresh clean smelling air – – –

just the right kind of  clean smells  – – that you get when you are outside … swinging and breathing in – so much good oxygen…

that all we can think to do… while swinging…

is to sing … just as loud as we can!

Can you hear us singing???

We just LOVE to sing and swing!

We are at “GRANDMA’s”  old FARM… in Saint Louis County – –

and… behind us… you can see the “HORSE BARN” – –

where all of the bogs and girls would meet for “HORSE CARE and Management” –

as …  they were partaking in the “Four H Program” – –

as most  of the kids participating also had their own horses.

As soon as we get done with the swinging… and our Grandma is done taking our picture…

Grandma will take her seat in the seat…next to Jaime and we will be singing more songs …

from the special song book for children of our age.

This … song book…really is  a very good “Nursery Rhyme Song Book” … something that all children at  our age… should have.

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Nothing… like having good ole “DADDY-O”  in the picture…too!

“WOW-eee”  

What a wonderful day…the Almighty… has made for us to enjoy…

check out … Psalm 118:24 – –   see…if that is right!!!

From…  Alyssa and Jaime with our DADDY… Al Aldrich.     xoxoxo


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