S.P.O.T. LIGHT ON CHRISTIAN SERVICE Crisis Pantry: The pantry operates 3 days a week and addresses the need for food, utilities, rent and basic needs of those unemployed or in serious financial distress. They work in partnership with the Good Shepherd Coalition and Macomb Food Program. Mary Ann and Tom Carter coordinate this effort with parish budgeted funds as well as donations from generous parishioners and the Giving Tree. Volunteers pack bags of food on a weekly basis with food generously donated from the parish families and canned goods provided by Macomb food warehouse. Volunteers also pick up food donations at local Kroger stores and drive food not needed here to St. Leo's each Saturday morning. Clinton-Aire Nursing Home: Parishioners take communion each Sunday after the 7:45 a.m. Mass to the nursing home on 17 mile near Garfield. You receive a schedule for a once a month assignment. Masses are said there several times a year and volunteers pick up and return residents to their rooms before and after Mass. Several parishioners also take communion every Wednesday morning. Lucille Mejaly. Eucharistic Ministers for Homebound: Volunteers take the Eucharist on a regular basis as determined by the homebound parishioners and Eucharistic Ministers. This could be weekly or monthly at a mutually set time. Pyxs are provided. Barbara Sosnowski. Transportation: Volunteers are needed to take parishioners to doctor appointments or rides to church on Saturday or Sunday. Maurine Dailey. Funeral Lunch Program: Leader to coordinate a group for cooking and serving a funeral lunch if desired by a family. Volunteers provide food as directed by group leader – cakes, jello, salad. The food is sometimes catered if the family chooses and only servers are needed to set up, serve food, and clean up. Habitat for Humanity: Building or painting skills are needed to build affordable housing for qualified buyers in Macomb County. Applicants for homes are screened and approved by Habitat for Humanity. We provide lunches several times during the building season so people are always needed to prepare and serve food. Reception Committee: Volunteers interested in setting up, serving and cleanup for a variety of receptions held during the year. Blood Bank: Blood Banks are scheduled each year in January and August. People are needed to take names of donors and make appointments after the weekend liturgies, and help provide lunch for Red Cross workers. Women Aware: The meeting is the third Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. A variety of programs and speakers are arranged to make us aware of the needs in or parish, community, and world. The group provides a January birthday bingo for Madonna Villa residents on 15 Mile next to St. Ronalds (bingo prizes are always welcome); dish soaps are collected monthly for the 1 Christian Service Summary March 2007 Crisis Pantry; members are active in many Christian Service ministries; dues are donated to a variety of charities. Justice and Peace Committee: This newly formed committee meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. We share an interest in catholic social teaching and are working to educate ourselves and the parish to transform and inspire our thinking to live purposeful lives, promote a peaceful coexistence in God's creation, care for the poor, be responsible stewards of our earth, and help to impact our world to bring economic justice for all. New members are welcome. Patricia Labadie. Parish Nurse Program: If you are a nurse with a current license and are interested in helping develop our Parish Nurse Program, please leave your name with Mary Ann Carter at 228-1210 x124. In addition to all of the above ministries, the Christian Service Chairperson sends a get well card to all the people on the prayer list which appears in the Sunday bulletin. Please provide a current address for any person you request to be put on the list. We hope you are better informed about what Christian Service does at St. Pauls. As you can see, it takes a lot of dedicated people for all of these ministries. With your help we could do even more. WE ARE CHRIST'S HANDS ON EARTH! 2 Christian Service Summary March 2007