The Nicholas Project — a Rite of the Advent Season at Our Lady of Grace Church for years — numbers were staggering.

For example, the Roman Catholic parish distributed more than $2,000 in store coupons for food and $2,500 for stores where families in need could purchase gifts as well as hundreds of different toys and clothing items for families in need.

“The amazing thing,” as OLG’s popular pastor Rev. Peter J. Gower began, “is the joy not only of people who are giving but to see the joy of all those who received from the generosity of people in our parish.”

Perhaps the best example of the annual Nicholas Project giving happened last week when people came to the office rectory and received special heart-warming donations of food, gift cards and toys, many had tears in their eyes and told OLG volunteers they were “truly grateful for the generosity of so many people in the parish.”

Likewise, as Father Gower went on: “As a parish we work together to try to meet the needs of one another and this Christmas we succeeded in bringing joy to so many, many people.”

Father Gower proudly noted: “There were well over 100 households that — because of the generosity of the people at Our lady of Grace — will have a happier Christmas season.”

The unmatched Nicholas Project begins each year with proud OLG parishioners embarking on a program that includes many individuals offering food, gifts, toys and gift cards. Once it’s underway, OLG’s office staff (as well as different societies within the church) reach out to find people who are in the most need at Christmas and begin putting the special baskets together.

As equally impressive is each and every food basket includes a ham which again was donated by the Pannese Society, and more generosity from special sponsor David Constantino who owns and operates Columbus Door in Warwick.

Even the Pannese program is unique and a two-fold act of giving and tribute to the Pannese Society’s late president/holiday ham founder Joseph Spremulli and late William Constantino, who like his brother are members of the Italian American non-profit.

“We are proud to again donate the hams so people can have a Christmas dinner,” said Pannese President David Venditelli: “We donated 40 hams and 40 gift cards for the Nicolas Program and another 10 hams to the Johnston Senior Center.”