Join us as we care for our neighbors this fall
People often refer to the sign outside of St. Paul’s that reads, “God loves you. No exceptions!” We know that God loves each of us – and when we read scripture, we are reminded that God is gravely concerned about whether our love extends to other people who are in need. Over and over, we are reminded how much God loves them, and hear that God calls us to care for all of our neighbors.
During our Summer of Suppers, we provided a tremendous amount of care for our food-insecure neighbors. Over 130 volunteers from St. Paul’s provided more than 1,500 meals and 315 bags of groceries, on 28 different occasions, with 8 different community partners in the South Hills, downtown Pittsburgh, the Hill District, Homewood, and the South Side. The true number of people helped is even higher, as any leftover meals and ingredients are taken by volunteers to local community partners for reuse and distribution. Volunteers worked to meet urgent needs – such as providing meals for the fire displaced residents at the Second Avenue Shelter in downtown Pittsburgh. Volunteers even came on the 4th of July, and at 5am on a weekend morning, to help cook, transport, and serve these emergency meals! We plan to continue this feeding ministry this fall, and have meals scheduled with our outreach partners. The projects are listed below– check out the sign up sheets for each of them.
We are also always looking for volunteers to shop for groceries, and drive donations to our community partners. If you are interested in helping in these ways, or have questions about any of these opportunities, please let me know by emailing me at [email protected]. We also currently have several projects in development, so keep checking the weekly email and St. Paul’s website for new opportunities.
Now that fall is arriving, we have many more opportunities for everyone at St. Paul’s to continue helping. Below is a list of opportunities for individuals and families. We encourage you to look them over and sign up when you are available.
Peace,
The Rev. Erin Morey, Assistant Pastor
Lunch Packing for Neighborhood Resilience Project
Saturdays, September 7, October 5, and November 2 from 9 – 11am in the Nursery School Big Room
We will continue to pack lunches for the Neighborhood Resilience Project in the Hill District on the first Saturday of each month this summer in the Nursery School Big Room! Sign up to pack lunches here.
Fall Meal Programs @The Table and Neighborhood Resilience Project
Dates throughout the Fall through December
St. Paul’s will be preparing meals for The Table @ Hot Metal Faith Community and Neighborhood Resilience Project on an ongoing basis, and you can sign up now for fall dates. Many dates are available from September through December, with more to come. Sign up to help here!
We would like to add more dates, so if you are interested in helping and do not see a date that works for you, please be in touch with Erin at [email protected] or call (412) 531-7153×13.
Harvestfest
Saturday, September 28, 5pm – 7pm in the Undercroft
Join us for our next fundraiser for St. Paul’s Outreach Commission, to help local families in need while enjoying a delicious meal and fellowship for the whole family! Tickets and volunteering information will be available soon.
Halloween Candy Packing at the Ministry Fair
Sunday, November 3, 10:45am in the Undercroft
If you have leftover Halloween candy, drop it off in the marked bin in the Undercroft before the 9:45 service on November 3. Then, help us pack it to share with St. Paul’s community partners during the Ministry Fair after the service!
Food Pantry Sunday
October 6 & November 3
St. Paul’s collects food and monetary contributions to support the South Hills Food Pantry the first Sunday of the month. Please remember to bring your nonperishable food contributions to the service of your choice. All canned, jarred (plastic, please) and boxed items are appreciated. Contributions may also be placed in the food box in the Undercroft at any time. You can make monetary contributions at this link.
Trinity Walk-in Ministry
Trinity Walk-in Ministry, located at Trinity Cathedral downtown, currently needs donations of:
- new adult underwear, all sizes, especially men’s
- rain ponchos
- reusable bags of all kinds: shopping bags (including ones with logos from stores or events); backpacks; and duffels.
You may leave your donations in the bin marked “Trinity Walk-In Ministry” located in the Undercroft. Thank you for your generosity in helping those who are struggling in our community. If you would like to volunteer for the Walk-in Ministry, please contact Mike Radziwon at [email protected].
Backyard Angel in Brookline Seeking Donations, Volunteers
The Backyard Angel Ministry at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Brookline is a “free store” that provides clothing to people in need. They are in need of men and boy’s (size 4T and up) new or gently used clothing. Also, they are in need of volunteers (especially Spanish-speaking volunteers) to help hand out clothing the 2nd & 4th Saturdays of each month, from 10am – noon, and the 3rd Wednesday of each month to help sort items from 9am – noon. Please contact Cheryl Vergot 412-719-6205 with questions.