ASTORIA — Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To everything, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” 

And in Astoria, one knows the fall season and a new school year are just days away when blue canopies fill the parking lot at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. 

For 17 years, the parish has partnered with Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens (CCBQ) to host the annual Kids Fun Day. This year, the event was held on Aug. 22 in advance of the first day of classes, set for Sept. 3, at Catholic schools and academies in the Diocese of Brooklyn. 

Families lined the streets surrounding the parish to participate in the event where they received new backpacks, school supplies, and information on health services in the community — all for free. 

The agencies assembled beneath the canopies provided by CCBQ. Entertainment included a DJ, plus appearances by two popular local mascots, Mr. Met of the New York Mets and Johnny Thunderbird from St. John’s University, who posed for photos with kids. The carnival-like atmosphere included games for children, face painting, and a used-book giveaway with titles for kids and adults. 

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Participants also took home sacks of fresh eggs and produce. 

Debbie Hampson, CCBQ’s senior director of community outreach services, described how the agency and the parish began collaborating in 2008 for the back-to-school event. CCBQ received a large shipment of school backpacks, and received help from parish volunteers who were willing to help distribute them.  

“But back then,” Hampson added, “we said, ‘What else can we do?’ So, we created this. 

“We bring food out to the community, but we also bring 20 different community-based organizations that people might not know of.” 

For example, Trinity Pharmacy provided a vaccination clinic for participants to get shots for COVID-19, the flu, shingles, pneumonia, and RSV. 

St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Long Island City was represented by Principal Lucy Alaimo, teacher Jennice Tankleff, and Neida Martinez, a member of the board and a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. 

Msgr. Cuong Pham, pastor of the parish, got his flu shot during the event. 

He expressed pride in the partnership between the parish and CCBQ. 

“An event like this draws everybody in,” he said. “They all bring their children, other family members, and even the elderly come here.” 

Msgr. Pham called the event “multicultural” because Astoria is precisely that. Participants included immigrant families from the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. 

“You have seen it yourself here today, all kinds of languages spoken,” Msgr. Pham said. “But they come because they feel that the Church cares about them. 

“That’s very important, because our business is about compassion, spreading the healing of Christ, and the love of Christ.”