Opportunities for serving others
Continuing service programs
With the mortgage crisis and rising prices for gas, food and other necessities, there are increasing numbers of people in need. This is a good time to look at the programs through which local Episcopalians reach out to the needy. It is also a good time to thank the many people who help these programs – and to encourage participation by new volunteers.
FOOD BANK: The Rev. Carl Hansen, Episcopal priest and Executive Director of the SLO County Food Bank, was interviewed by the New Times in late October: What particular need does the Food Bank have now? Our main need is for donated food, in that our sources of low-cost food have dried up due to food’s increasing cost. Our supply agencies have to pay a lot more for food. What issues are the most pressing? Our most pressing issue is for donations to cover our escalating operating costs. Our administrative costs account for only 4% of our budget, and we’re able to donate much of our food for free, but have to pay freight and administrative costs to get it to distribution agencies. Has there been an increase in clientele recently? We’re averaging about a 25% increase across the county, with about 35,000 people being served on an annual basis. About half of our clients are families with children, and we’ve seen more working people coming in because they’re experiencing economic hardships. What impact does the Food Bank have on the communities of SLO County? We donate over 4 million pounds of food annually, estimated to be worth over $5 million, to financially distressed individuals across the county. It’s a large impact when you take into account that around 15% of the county is estimated to be living either at or below the federal poverty level. How can individuals and community organizations contribute? We regularly send out mailers to county residents, as well as coordinate events with businesses and organizations within the county. People also help us out through telethons and our “Hunger Awareness Day.” And people are always able to donate at our website, slofoodbank.org.
HABITAT APOSTLE BUILD: Our deanery's commitment as part of the Apostle Build in Atascadero has come to a close. The Home Dedication was Saturday December 13. A free-will offering from the participating Apostle churches was taken to build more homes. Leann Brooks and Mark Waters would like to thank all who volunteered, provided lunches and made financial donations to this project. The new Grover Beach project has been approved and Habitat will be looking for Apostles for it as well. If you are interested in being the Apostle Coordinator, contact Leann Brooks at leannbrooks@hotmail.com, and I'll put you in touch with the church relations folks.
St. Barnabas – South County People’s Kitchen
Members of St. Barnabas serve monthly at the South County People's Kitchen, where volunteers from various churches and non-profits have been feeding the homeless and the working poor for over 18 years. 50-100 hot meals, as well as prayer and fellowship, are delivered 365 days a year. Stacey Cox writes, “South County People’s Kitchen is currently in need of a permanent location in the area, as we had some zoning issues at our previous home, and our temporary home in a county building expires at the end of the July. Please pray for the Peoples Kitchen, and contact me with any ideas or any possible properties or facilities in the area where we might continue this important ministry.” To help, contact Stacey Cox at saintbarnabas@sbcglobal.net. In addition, St. Barnabas has been a founding member and active participant in the Five Cities Christian Women's Food Pantry for over 30 years; the pantry operates 5 days a week, providing non-perishable food to those in need. St. Barnabas also makes Homeless Hygiene Kits, containing tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, combs, shampoo, conditioner, wash cloths, towels, Kleenex, lotion, nail clippers, deodorant, and laundry soap. Women’s kits contain shower caps and men’s kits have razors. Mending kits and shaving cream are optional items. Members of St. Barnabas bring needed items to the parish hall, and cash donations enable the group to purchase what is needed to complete the kits. To date, 664 Homeless Hygiene Kits have been completed and delivered. Each hygiene kit is assembled in a hand-sewn bag and includes a message of God’s love. Volunteers at St. Barnabas would be happy to share lists, bag diagrams, labels and procedures if anyone is interested. Contact Marilyn Nelson or Carol Wilcock at saintbarnabas@sbcglobal.net.
St. Benedict’s – People’s Kitchen
30 churches and private groups also serve one meal each month at the People’s Kitchen at the Prado Road Day Center in San Luis Obispo, which provides services for the homeless. St. Benedict’s serves on the first Saturday of every other month, alternating months with St. Peter's. Members of St. Benedict’s sign up to bring casseroles, breads/rolls, milk, salad/salad dressing, dessert, and servers. “When we go to People's Kitchen, we usually have up to 6 servers....we put out a casserole, bread, salad, dessert, pour the milk, and a client opens the doors for us and counts how many people come through the door. After everyone has been served, then we clean up our stuff and go.... It lasts a total of about 1/2 hour, and is probably one of the most rewarding things anyone can do. What we do is very simple but very rewarding and a great outreach to our community.” To help, contact Diana Hammerlund at StBenedicts1@aol.com.
St. James – Loaves and Fishes
July is "Christmas in July" month at St. James, Paso Robles. Members are asked to bring any canned or packaged food item to church on Sunday, or drop food off at the church office during office hours. Loaves & Fishes in Paso Robles was founded in 1983 by several area churches, and was originally located at Saint James' because it had the largest pantry space. Now located at 26th & Spring Streets, Loaves & Fishes is managed by St. James’ Deacon Jackie Sebro and is one of the most successful outreach programs of its kind. St. James also participates in the Paso Robles People's Kitchen, a voluntary program supported by the various churches of Paso Robles. People’s Kitchen serves a hot balanced meal at the end of the day to anyone who needs it, plus social contact with others. Food is prepared at home, then taken to the First Baptist Church and served daily at 5pm. St. James serves on the second Tuesday of each month; with the help of a great team of volunteers, it is an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. To help at Loaves and Fishes or People’s Kitchen, contact St. James barbara@stjamespasorobles.org.
St. Paul’s – CAN Food Ministry
At St. Paul’s, Cambria, food is brought to the altar every Sunday; members also make cash contributions to CAN (Cambria Anonymous Neighbors). CAN collects food from many local organizations for low-income seniors, large families, and the homeless. Once a month, members of St. Paul’s join other CAN volunteers to help sack and distribute food. Volunteers dig into boxes of staples, produce, milk, butter, eggs and sometimes meat to distribute the contents to bags for the hungry; some months there are 250 bags or more. Anyone in need of food receives it; approximately 50 local families are fed every month. To volunteer, contact Ted Inouye at StPauls@stpaulscambria.org. St. Paul’s also houses Senior Nutrition, which provides nutritious hot lunches to needy seniors; some of the meals are served at St. Paul’s, and other meals are delivered to seniors’ homes through Meals on Wheels. Meals are available to eligible seniors at no charge. (The suggested donation is $2.00 per meal, but is not required.) For more information, call Jesse Miller at 927-1268.
St. Peter’s – People’s Kitchen
On the first Saturday of even-numbered months, members of Peter’s, Morro Bay, serve lunch at People’s Kitchen. Bill Morley writes, “In June we set a new record for us: We served more than 125 lunches, though we lost count after 125.” St. Peter’s also works with the Salvation Army: Every Sunday parishioners bring packaged food items to a basket in the narthex and then the basket is taken to the offer at the offertory. Robin and Frank Fiedler deliver the food to the Salvation Army office in Morro Bay, where Robin volunteers. To help, contact St. Peter’s at stpeters1@sbcglobal.net.
St. Stephen’s – Overflow Shelter Program
There are a number of homeless people in our area, including families with children. To help these families, the Interfaith Coalition for the Homeless (ICH), in cooperation with the Economic Opportunity Commission (EOC), coordinates the Overflow Shelter Program with EOC shelter staff. St. Stephen’s, San Luis Obispo, is one of 14 local churches providing overnight shelter for homeless families who cannot be accommodated in EOC’s Prado shelter. Each participating church hosts the program for one month each year, setting aside a room that can hold 25-35 cots. Family members are transported to the church in early evening, spend the night there and leave about 7:00 in the morning. Each church has a coordinator who is a member of the ICH board, and also provides two volunteers each night who offer security and friendly oversight. Volunteers are drawn from church membership, from the community and frequently from Cal Poly and Cuesta classes. During the month of February 2008, more than 25 members of St. Stephen’s and 84 Cal Poly students were volunteers in this program. Next February (2009) St. Stephen’s will again host homeless families. Deanery Episcopalians interested in helping out as overnight volunteers, greeters, or bringing snacks, should contact Bob Levison or Dick Warren through ststephenslo@gmail.com.