The eighth annual Archdiocesan Charities Drive formally began January 13, 1976 with a kick-off buffet at the Hyland Center. Approximately 110 priests and lay chairpersons attended from 44 Parishes and Missions of the Archdiocese. The goal for the Drive is the same as last year, $300,000.

The Drive’s first phase for special gifts gets underway on Sunday, Feb. 1, with the general phase coming on Drive Sunday, March 7.

Guidelines for conducting the drive was given a general overhaul based on an evaluation done after last year’s successful effort. “The evaluations contained so many helpful suggestions on things that were working in a given parish, that the drive committee felt we should make them available by redoing the guidelines,” noted Father Jerry E. Hardy, Chancellor of the Archdiocese. “This was just another way that the drive is people helping people,” he said, referring to a phrase used in this year’s promotional material.

Among the materials prepared to help parishes pursue their goal is an attractive brochure designed by Sister Frances Ann Cook of the Office of Religious Education. The brochure and specifically prepared parish bulletin and pulpit announcements will highlight the various offices, agencies and programs funded by the drive. (Watch the Georgia Bulletin each week beginning the week of January 25, for feature stories on these.)

Mr. Larry Cudsik, lay chairman of the 1976 drive and a member of the Archdiocesan Finance Council from St. John’s Parish, spoke to the group as a past parish head of the Drive. He emphasized the importance of the lay chairperson’s role in keeping the drive before the people and in viewing it as a positive means for improving general parish levels of giving.

Archbishop Donnellan closed the evening’s program expressing his personal gratitude for the efforts of those who work in behalf of the drive each year. The archbishop also reminded the group that he, and many others served in the programs funded by the drive, relied on those efforts with this year more than ever before.

The meeting was the largest and best attended drive kick-off since 1968.