Calendar of outreach events:
Raphael House: May 5 - cooking starts at 3:00 PM and serving begins at 5:00 PM - contact Josie to volunteer at 751-7410
TALK Line Telephone Crisis Counselors - the core of the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center's network of family support services - 24 hour crisis and counseling line for parents. For more information or to learn how you can volunteer, call Anita Moran at 415 387-2684 X325
Volunteer Child Caregivers - Childcare assistants in the Children's Playroom and at the Respite Center - observe, care for and play with some really great kids. For more information, call Jacky Bloom at 415 387-3684 x243
Canon Barcus Community House - They are in need of school supplies: backpacks, spiral notebooks, loose leaf paper, pens and pencils and small, handheld solar calculators.
Food for those in need - Now more than ever our community needs your donations of canned goods or dried foods, or foodstuffs appropriate for after school snacks for homeless kids. Proceeds go to St. Gregory's Food Pantry where 2 tons of food are given away every Friday. Volunteers are welcome anytime 1-6 p.m. to help distribute food. If you can help in delivering these goods on Fridays around 1 PM, please call Mother Beth at 921-3665, ext. 314
Home Away from Homelessness - They can use some small children's clothing, boys or girls. They are also looking for volunteers to mentor 8 year through middle school age children during the summer. To learn more or volunteer, contact Nancy Bryan, 351-1515
Simple Gifts for Kids - Provides birthday gifts for children in need. Please wrap an appropriate gift for a child ages 2 to 12. Indicate the age of the which for which it is appropriate on the bottom of the gift and leave it in the narthex in the "Simple Gifts for Kids" box. Some families are encouraging their children to donate a gift in the month of their birthday
Raphael House: After retrofitting and renovations, Raphael House has just re-opened its doors to shelter homeless families in San Francisco. They are looking for assistance in the Evening Children's Program (5:45 to 8:00 PM), and in the Evening Residential Program (5:45 to 9:00 PM). If you are interested in being an important part of the lives of these struggling families, please call Carol Field, Volunteer Coordinator, at 345-7265 or contact her at volunteers@raphaelhouse.org. You can visit their website at www.raphaelhouse.org.
Volunteers for Home Away from Homelessness! Our local center for homeless kids has published their wish list. If you can help with any of these things or services, please call Volunteer Coordinator, Camille Uriu, 561-4501:
Wish List - Donations can be left at St. Mary's to be taken to Home Away from Homelessness
Beach Towels, Pots and Pans, large sizes needed! Kitchen utensils, Cleaning Supplies, Backpacks for middle/high school students, Children's fuzzy slippers, Sports Equipment, Youth Fast Passes, Boys & girls swimsuits, sweatshirts, socks and underwear
Services - Mentors, School House & Beach House Volunteers, Building Repair & Maintenance, Gardening & Landscaping
Simple Gifts: Simple Gifts provides birthday presents to kids who otherwise would not get many or any at all. St. Mary's parishioners have given stuffed animals, books, toys and many other wonderful gifts. One child was quite moved to receive a book. This program unquestionably means a lot to the kids. Gifts are for children ages 2 to 12 years. Please let Katherine Cohen know directly about a gift you have. You may reach her at www.simple-gifts.org. We also need gift wrapping and ribbon. Some SMV families with children are picking up on the idea of having a child make a donation on his or her own birthday. Considering what our society would be like without charitable acts of this kind, we need to teach our children the importance and meaning of giving!
Pastoral Care Team: If you can give assistance or know of someone who will need some extra care, please give us a call at St. Mary's office: 921-3665, ext. 362.
Disaster Relief
Disaster relief contributions can be sent to: The Episcopal Relief and Development, PO Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101. One hundred percent of your dollars go directly to those in need. Designate on your check to which disaster you want your contribution applied (e.g. El Salvador earthquake, India earthquake, etc). For more information on this organization, visit their website at www.er-d.org.
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities for Individuals
Helping Homeless Families
Raphael House is an emergency shelter that serves homeless families in crisis and helps them regain stability. Casework, counseling, education, and a children's program all provide necessary ingredients for families to find and maintain permanent housing and to strengthen family bonds. Aftercare programs help families hold on to the gains that they made while in residence.
Most positions are in the field of family service:
Children's Program volunteers coordinate arts and crafts projects, play games, tell stories, lead singing and facilitate numerous other activities. Daily in 3 shifts: 1) 7:30 AM to 11 AM; 2) 4 PM to 6 PM, 3) 6 PM to 8 PM.
After-School Tutorial volunteers help both current and former resident children with homework and in scholastic areas where they need additional attention. Tuesday through Thursday, 3 PM to 6 PM
Residential Service volunteers stock supplies and assist the shelter manager with routine responsibilities during the day and provide support for the orderly progress of evening activities, including maintaining supplies and assisting residents. Volunteer opportunities daily in 4 shifts: 1) 9 AM to Noon, 2) Noon to 4 PM, 3) 4 PM to 6 PM, and 4) 5:45 PM to 9:30 PM.
Activities volunteers conduct a variety of classes, including creative writing, cooking, computer skills, exercise, sewing, jewelry making and other crafts. Activity hours are 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM daily for residents, with volunteers coming once week.
Additional positions are available in the kitchen and thrift store. There are also opportunities available for fundraising projects, administration, and special projects.
Requirements: Training is mandatory and is held in September, January, and May. Training consists of one or two five-hour sessions on consecutive Saturdays, depending on where you want to volunteer. Most volunteers work one shift, about three to five hours a week.
Information: Volunteer Coordinator, 1065 Sutter Street, 415-474-4621
Prepare Dinner at Raphael House. Join St. Mary's parishioners to help serve dinner to the women at Raphael House on one Monday night per month. (3:30 for cooking - 5:30 for serving) If you would like to help and join the fun cooking, serving or cleaning up, please call 415 929-8953.
Visiting the Elderly in Long-Term Care Facilities
The San Francisco Ministry to Nursing Homes (MNH) offers an opportunity to establish life-affirming connections between elderly residents of long-term care facilities and the wider community. One-to-one visits with our institutionalized elderly are the heart of this program, which contributes significantly toward meeting the social, emotional, religious and spiritual needs of these residents. A volunteer's presence and gift of time on a regular basis can have a major effect on an older person's well being.
In 1985, Rector Richard Fowler of St. Mary the Virgin founded this ministry. Today it has grown to include 23 faith congregations and a number of other community organizations, with hundreds of trained volunteers developing vital relationships with our most isolated senior citizens.
Requirements Volunteers participate in a ninety-minute orientation to familiarize themselves with the needs of elderly people in institutions and to help diminish fears or reservations they have about visiting long-term care facilities. Spending an hour a week with someone is desirable, but even an hour a month makes a great difference in a resident's life. Daytime visits (including weekends) are preferable, but evening visits can be arranged.
Information St. Mary's MNH Coordinator, Beverly Barrows 415-386-8101
Supporting Quality Health Care in a Hospital Setting
Founded in 1871 and strongly supported over the years by the Episcopal Diocese of California, St. Luke's Hospital is the only private, nonprofit hospital south of Market Street providing high-quality medical care to San Francisco. The primary purpose of its volunteer program is to provide efficient and essential services to the staff, patients, families, and friends of patients.
Volunteers assume responsibility for:
- Staffing the gift shop.
- Giving information at the front desk.
- Cuddling newborns in the nursery.
- Assisting with in-house patient transport, handling discharge procedures, and escorting discharged patients.
Visiting with magazines, books, and playing cards; reading to patients; doing in-house errands; performing other tasks related to patient comfort and dietary services.
Copyright © 2008 Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin
