Mike Abbate jokes that those unfamiliar with the activities performed by Knights of Columbus Council No. 9623 members would be shocked at how much they get done.

“It’s a good group of Catholic men that have built a relationship by helping the community and helping the poor,” Abbate said.

“We cook every Thursday for the needy and poor of LaPlace. We almost have something going on every day for the community. If you would look at our monthly calendar, you would say ‘Good God, how are these guys still going strong with all the different activities that are going?’”

Abbate, who serves as Grand Knight for the Council based at Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church in LaPlace, said the local group boasts more than 130 members with approximately 40 percent of them active.

Knights of Columbus members made a tremendous impact this year following the devastating February tornado that ripped through LaPlace, damaging hundreds of homes and more than 50 businesses with winds that exceeded 130 mph.

Abbate said volunteers showed true dedication, harnessing local manpower to fill the Ascension of Our Lord parking lot each day before 7 a.m. and staying until dark, providing food and giveaways to anyone who showed up.

The effort lasted through mid-March and was fueled through the gratitude of those who accepted the meals.

The effort caught the attention of the international Knights of Columbus, which recognized the LaPlace group for serving more than 8,000 meals by presenting a prestigious service award at this year’s 134th international convention in Toronto.

Abbate and his wife Cathy accepted the award in person at the convention, joined by approximately 2,000 attendees.

The recognition included in part, the following summary shared with brother Knights across the world.

“The effort was wide-reaching and touched individuals on a personal level. Immediately following the storm, the council visited their brother Knights and made sure that the families and widows of deceased Knights were safe. Later, food was prepared and a cooking trailer set up, from which the council provided food on several occasions.

“The council members also purchased tools and supplies such as shovels, tarps, gloves, baby food, diapers and water to form a triage in the community. From fixing damaged roofs to helping families leave the rubble, the council members became an unwavering example of how Knights are called to care for their neighbors in times of need.”

The convention included a mixture of business, fellowship, prayer and the presentation of service and achievement awards to individual Knights and Knights councils.

“It was outrageous to see so many people, all in one hotel — of course it was a massive hotel,” Abbate said. “It was amazing to see all the people from around the world together, sharing their different cultures and how they do things.”

Council No. 9623 hasn’t slowed down since, leaping into response following the devastating August floods that impacted Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes.

“We have been totally involved with that, too,” Abbate said.

“We have served over 4,000 meals and have been all over the state almost every weekend. I’m proud of the crew. They called us to go cook at Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant a couple weeks ago. We’re on call it seems like 24 hours a day.”

Knights of Columbus Council No. 9623 members are a wonderful asset to our community, and their “volunteer” effort provides “fulltime” benefit to many of our disadvantaged.

Stephen Hemelt is publisher and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545  or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.