A kind-hearted 7-year-old girl is using her creative talents to raise money for the homeless. Scarlett Raucci has been busy building an impressive portfolio of artistic pieces, including painted pebbles, rocks and seashells among other gifts washed up on the shore. The mini-Michelangelo has also enlisted other family members to help her with her project that has seen two parishes come together in their home state of Rhode Island to help the vulnerable.
With the guiding hand of her grandmother, Marian Mattison, young Scarlett has created a project that involves parishioners from St. Thomas More Church in Narragansett, where the family are churchgoers, and those from St. Patrick Church in Providence, where her grandmother volunteers.
The pastor of St Thomas More, Father Marcel Taillon shared with the Rhode Island Catholic: “It’s creative charity, and that’s what the world needs a lot of these days. That is the Christian life.”
Thanks to the sales of Scarlett’s precious gems, the non-profit has managed to buy 450 pairs of socks and underwear that have been donated to the homeless ministry at St. Patrick Church, Providence.
““It’s the work of such an amazing community. From Scarlett being the driving force behind all of this, to Marian and everyone at St. Thomas More contributing their talents in so many different ways,” explained Fr. Ruggieri, from St. Patrick Church.
The idea first emerged in 2019 when Scarlett was out with her grandmother admiring all the treasures being washed ashore. Over the summer she collected an impressive collection to which to add her artistic touch. Then, with her grandmother, they worked out how they could best use the proceeds of the sales, with Scarlett insisting on the profits going to a worthy cause.
In 2020 the entrepreneurial youngster wasn’t going to let a pandemic stop her in her tracks. She set up a table at a local farm and sold her masterpieces. In order to respect social distancing, Scarlett came up with the clever solution of offering painted shells as change. The idea worked, and $1,150 was raised to buy essentials for the homeless. Fr. Ruggieri then handed out the socks and underwear.
Scarlett hopes to continue her charitable efforts and has even got a friend busily knitting hats and scarves to give to the homeless across the state line in Connecticut.
If anybody would like to help the Raucci family in serving the homeless, they can make a donation to the ongoing clothing drive at St. Patrick, visit https://maryhouseri.org/donate/, or to call 401-274-6286 for additional information.
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