President Sean Pender has requested all AOH National Chairmen to meet quarterly with their counterparts on the AOH State Boards. The State and National Hibernian Hunger Project (HHP) Committee Chairmen met on December 9, and had an informative and productive meeting, exchanging ideas on various activities that have been used in their jurisdictions to combat hunger. Following the meeting, a survey was sent out to the State Chairmen to decide what night would be best night for the HHP Committee to meet for their quarterly meetings. As this Digest goes to press, we are still tallying the results of this survey. However, the next meeting is expected to take place in late January, several weeks prior to the application deadline for the 2024 Hibernian Hunger Award Applications that will be due on February 15, 2025.
By the time you read this article, the 2024 HHP applications will have already been received and will be judged by the National Board HHP Committee. If your division applied for our 2024 awards, terrific! However, if not, do not despair! Why not begin planning your 2025 Hibernian Hunger Project now? Need ideas for your HHP? Please feel free to contact me.
In 2026, the AOH National Board will award a total of $11,000 in Awards to Divisions who have developed Hibernian Hunger Projects during the year 2025. These grants will be spread out over 17 awards. To be eligible for these awards, a division must submit a Hibernian Hunger Application to the AOH National Board Hibernian Hunger Project Committee. To be considered for the Hibernian Hunger Project Awards, all activities must have taken place between January 1 – December 31, 2025, and all reports must be filled by February 15, 2026.
As you know, all divisions must send in a Form 9 (Certificate of Election) to our National Secretary Ray Lynch by February 15, 2025, as well as a Form 11. Hopefully, when you submitted your Division’s Form 9, you listed a Hibernian Hunger Chairman. If not, I ask that Division Presidents appoint a Hibernian Hunger Chairman and amend their Form 9 noting who your HHP Chairman is. Your division and Hibernianism will benefit from this request.
In future Digest articles and Web Blasts, we would like to highlight your division’s efforts to fight hunger. Please email me a short article on an activity your division is doing or has done. Without your help we cannot showcase the efforts of your division. When available, photos are most welcome, too. My email address is noted at the end of this article.
My best wishes to you and your families for a Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, and a Happy and Blessed Easter! God Bless!
Questions, concerns, comments? Please feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you! My email address is: williamjsullivan@verizon.net
