The Georgia Knights of Columbus State Council — comprising 117 local councils and over 19,000 members — recently held their 122nd Annual State Convention in Savannah, Georgia. 

Pope John Paul II-Council 13808 from Christ Our King and Savior Catholic Church received top honors for their focus on Community Outreach efforts and providing support to People With Intellectual Disabilities in the tri-county area (Greene, Putnam and Hancock).

The 2023/2024 Community Award was titled “Feeding the Neediest Amongst Us.”Michael Dutton, Grand Knight of Council 13808, accepted the award on behalf of the Council. In Council 13808’s submission, they noted that feeding the hungry is a complex issue. Council members recognized that they are blessed to live in an affluent area which is surrounded by some of the poorest residents in Georgia and access to quality food is paramount for these communities. The Knights responded to this need to help feed the hungry by:

• Providing over $40,000 in donations with more than 100 Knights volunteering in service projects, donating over 1,300 hours of time in service to others

• Assisting the Greene County Food Pantry with it’s monthly offload of approximately 15,000 lbs of food

• Volunteering to handle logistics and serve meals to over 250 people at Martha’s Closet in Sparta, Georgia at Thanksgiving

• Co-sponsoring two food drives in coordination with the St Vincent de Paul Society

Georgia State Deputy TJ McCaustland commented, “The Knights of Columbus in Georgia are a proponent of those on the margins of society, providing aid and support whenever possible.Pope John Paul II – Council 13808 at Christ Our King and Savior Catholic Church in Greensboro is an exemplary example of what the Knights are trying to achieve. At this year’s Annual convention, they were awarded two distinctions for outstanding service.Awards well deserved.”

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization with more than 2.0 million members. Locally, Pope John Paul II Council 13808 located at Christ Our King and Savior Church, has over 190 members. Council 13808 donated over $82,000 to various charitable organizations in Greene, Putnam and Hancock counties with over 22,000 service hours from their volunteers.