Outreach
I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” Albert Schweitzer”
At St. Paul’s, there is a dedicated group who help to plan, coordinate, and lead the parish’s efforts in Outreach. This group is called the Outreach Commission and is led by Joyce Davis and Tracy Meyer. Click here for an Outreach Presentation from a Sunday Service.
The Neighborhood Garden Project
Food grown in the raised garden beds on the church grounds are donated to Katy Christian Ministries to help feed our community fresh produce. In addition, area residents are given the opportunity to take care of a raised bed (community plot) and grow food for their table. Contact Josh Singleton at (972) 261-8704 or joshsingleton816@gmail.com if you’re interested in participating in this effort. Additional information can be found on their website – https://theneighborhoodgarden.org/. Currently, on Sundays in between the services around 8:30am-10:30am, Josh will be selling his seasonal produce to the community including St. Paul’s parishioners. If you see the tent and table setup in the garden, then he is open for business that Sunday. He will only be accepting cards, no cash! Donations will be accepted as well. Come support the Garden and get the freshest possible tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc. as possible. Click here to see a video and see what Josh our gardener has been doing on this great project
Food Collection
Each week, St. Paul’s collects food in the Narthex which is donated and distributed by Katy Christian Ministries (KCM). KCM is an interfaith ministry addressing many needs in the Katy area. St. Paul’s participates by regularly collecting food. Look for monthly needs listed in the bulletin and weekly email.
Homework Buddies
Katy Christian Ministries organizes the tutoring/mentoring program which is held in the St. Paul’s parish hall every Wednesday afternoon during the school year from 4 pm to 5:30 pm. Contact Rev. Mark Wilkinson if you’re interested in volunteering or go to https://ktcm.org/volunteers/social-services/.
T
he Gathering Place
This ministry provides monthly social activities for people in need of extra care such as those with Parkinson’s, memory issues, or stroke survivors. Attendees are entertained and given a chance to exercise. Meetings are held the first Thursday from 10 am to 1:00 pm with lunch included. Primary caregivers are offered respite, a time to take care of errands, go see their own doctor, or join our support group. The more volunteers that are available, the more people that are served. Please contact the ministry coordinators, Iris Poteet and Mary Brimer for more information.
The Beacon
A group of St. Paul’s parishioners work at The Beacon the fourth Thursday of each month serving a hot lunch to the homeless population. Volunteers meet at the church at 9:15 am and carpool into downtown Houston. The work is generally complete by 12:30 pm at which time the group heads back to Katy (stopping at an area restaurant for lunch). Please contact Tracy Meyer for more information.
Amazing Place
At Amazing Place, we believe adults living with dementia can live full, meaningful lives. We are a faith-based organization, governed and guided by churches. At Amazing Place, we’re here to empower the lives of everyone impacted by dementia – helping those living with dementia to live fully and live well. Together, we’ll make more strides and enrich more lives than we could ever do on our own. St. Paul’s works with Amazing Place to identify members who may need assistance for memory care. We also provide space for their educational classes and programs to help keep minds sharp and support caregivers. For additional information – click here to watch a video from Linda Jenkins explaining the organization.
Lord of the Streets
LOTS (Lord of the Streets) is an Episcopal based homeless ministry. We are part of a team from Emmanuel Episcopal that prepares and serves a hot breakfast to the downtown Houston homeless population one Sunday a quarter. Breakfast follows a service at Trinity Church. The opportunity requires you to be at Trinity Church by 6:30 am and ends around 9 am. Please email Tracy Meyer for more information.
Quarterly Blood Drive
The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center comes to St. Paul’s each quarter. Numerous parishioners generously donate to this effort which is organized by Andrea Smith.
School Supplies and Winter Coats
Every summer money is collected to buy school supplies for a total of about 40 kids attending Hutsell Elementary and Katy Elementary. In addition, each fall a Winter Coat Collection is organized to provide coats, gloves, and scarves for about 54 kids at the two schools. This ministry is organized by Joyce Davis in coordination with counselors at each school who identify kids in need.
Katy Cares
Each Lent, specifically identified items are collected for Katy Cares, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to the community’s most vulnerable population – single parent families who are victims of trauma. This effort is organized and led by Emma Zone.
Fall Festival
The first Saturday in October, St. Paul’s holds a festival for the local community. It is a day of fun and food for the whole Katy community. It is a great time to get a head start on Christmas shopping, enjoy exciting children’s activities, and eat delicious BBQ sandwiches. We usually have 50+ vendors selling a wide range of fares, an expanded children’s area, and many outreach and health opportunities – including the Garden, Katy Cares, and looking to add a blood drive and flu shots this year. Volunteer needs range from cleaning, hydration station, children’s area, and helping with the vendors.