Serving in Outreach
As Christians we are called to "seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. " St. Thomas' lives into this call by reaching out to our neighbors, far and near.
Outreach Opportunities
Outreach Committee: This committee coordinates and seeks to expand the outreach ministries of the church, seeking to proclaim God’s message of justice, peace, and love by addressing hunger, sickness, loneliness, and neglect in our neighborhood, city and beyond. Contact June Hardy Dorsey (321-9548 ext. 12.)
In Ministry Programs
Food Pantry distributes food each week on Thursdays from 10 am - noon. Volunteers assist in procurement, organization, hospitality and distribution.
Second Saturday Drop-In Ministry serves the adult-home population on the North Side of Richmond. It provides a Saturday morning of fellowship, activities, and food for this population once a month.
CARITAS Congregations Around Richmond Involved to Assure Shelter. helps provide food and shelter (at St. Thomas' ) for homeless individiuals and families during one week in December or January. Volunteers help by preparing and serving dinner, making bag lunches, doing laundry, providing transportation to showers, helping with set up or clean up for the week and with evening activities for our guests. Click Here for Detailed Volunteer Job Descriptions
Concerned Northside Congregations
Mission Trips take place periodically for St. Thomas' members to serve and learn in communities away from Richmond. We also facilitate our parish members joining other churches on their mission trips. All youth being confirmed at St. Thomas' receive a $200 mission trip voucher from the Diocese of Virginia to help offset costs.
Bright Beginnings helps provide school clothing and school supplies for local children whose parents cannot afford them. The program is coordinated through the local YMCA. St. Thomas' collects funding for this ministry as well as volunteers who serve as shopping buddies.
City Jail support is offered by donating magazines and paperback books to women and men in Richmond City Jail. In December, we also donate postage stamps, stationery, and Christmas cards as a way for inmates to connect with loved ones they are separated from. Periodically we also collect underwear, toiletries and socks.
St. Thomas' Day School is one of our primary outreach ministries. Serving chidlren ages 2 - 5 through a play curriculum, the Day School is a resource for children and families.
For more information, contact Kelly Kane (321-9548, ext. 14 kkane@stthomasrichmond.org)
Sewing Guild designs and creates baby quilts that are given to new babies in the church and donated to those in need. Rotation: Weekly on Tuesday mornings, September through mid-June.
Stations of the Cross takes place in the afternoon on Good Friday. Together with other Northside Churches, St. Thomas' walks the Stations of the Cross and prays along a portion of Brookland Park Boulevard.
Episcopal Church Women provide a Thanksgiving meal for those in an adult home on Chamberlayne Avenue.
Refugee Resettlement Projects work with leadership from Episcopal Migration Ministry through the Virginia Council of Churches to provide support and welcome to refugees in our community.
Pastoral Calls to the O'Brien Home and The Palace
Vacation Bible School always includes Missions Emphasis for education and outreach. Past emphases have included The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, an elementary school in Sudan, and home restoration ministry in Appalachia.
In Sharing Space
SCAN: Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) is a local nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect in the Greater Richmond area. SCAN was founded in 1991 in response to the rapidly growing rate of child abuse and neglect in the City of Richmond and its surrounding counties. http://www.grscan.com.
Al-Anon: The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems. Al-Anon meets Wednesday mornings (HAPPY WEDNESDAY AL- ANON GROUP meet at 10:30) and the Friday group (FRIDAY AFG) meets at 11 a.m. http://www.va-al-anon.org.
Region 11 Clergy Gatherings
Regional Educators Meetings
Northside Mom's Yard Sale
In Collecting Things to Share (Collection bins are in the Parish Hall Foyer)
Calendars for the Seaman's Church Institute
Cell phones as well as cell phone parts and accessories are collected to be donated to victims of domestic violence. Collection bins are in the Parish Hall foyer.
Children's Books for the Food Pantry
Diapers for the Virginia Council of churches
Eyeglasses for a mission group in Uganda
Food Items for the Food Pantry
School Supplies for the YMCA
Toiletries for Second Saturday Drop-In
Coins for Outreach Loose change in the offering plate is collected for St. Thomas' Outreach ministries.
Dimes for Lire, Sudan