African Team Ministries
Caritas Outreach Ministries
Eastern State Hospital Christmas project
Episcopal Relief and Development
Family Promise of Spokane - (formerly Interfaith Hospitality)
Habitat for Humanity - Spokane
Holy Trinity Dinner Table
Hope House
Mid-City Senior Center and Meals on Wheels
United Thank Offering
African Team Ministries
This non-profit private voluntary agency supports missions, evangelism, orphans, refugees, and famine relief to and through the Church in East Africa. The agency organizes preaching missions in the USA for African bishops, and makes African crafts available for sale on consignment in congregations, dioceses, and other church settings. St. David's members contribute by purchasing items during the annual fall sale in the parish hall.
Caritas Outreach Ministries
N 2919 Monroe, Spokane 99205
Open from 10-1 on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
Telephone: 326-2249
Caritas Outreach Ministries is supported by 14 churches serving Northwest Spokane (north of Montgomery, west of Division, east of the river, and south of Hawthorne) with volunteer chore services for the elderly and disabled, emergency assistance for families in crisis, utility assistance, transportation and a necessities/food bank connected with Spokane's Second Harvest Inland Northwest. Clients coming to Caritas also occasionally need assistance with payment of bills for heat, electricity, and water or garbage pickup.
St. David’s has been a supporter of Caritas since its beginning. Our members donate food in the baskets in the narthex, and the food is taken to Caritas on a weekly basis. Three St. David’s members volunteer in the Caritas office and in the food bank section. More volunteers are always welcome!
The Outreach Committee has made a decision to focus on Caritas Outreach Ministries in 2011. Other outreach efforts will also continue as usual. Please watch the monthly newsletter, Sunday bulletins and this website for opportunities to participate in assisting this worthwhile cause. Also please feel free to contact us with any ideas for outreach activities. -- Outreach Committee: Char Mills, Chair; Lou Ann Crass, Sue Pratt, Jean Rose, Bob Mills.
Eastern State Hospital Christmas project
This ministry provides Christmas gifts for patients at Eastern State Hospital who would otherwise receive none. Each patient completes a list of gifts they need or would like. St. David's members volunteer to take the lists, purchase gifts, and return them wrapped to the church. They are delivered to the hospital in Medical Lake shortly before the holiday. Betty Hartman is the contact person for this ministry.
Episcopal Relief and Development
Working in partnership with the worldwide Church, ecumenical agencies and local organizations, Episcopal Relief & Development saves lives and strengthens communities around the world. Their programs work toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015. Their focus is on
(a) alleviating hunger and improving food supply,
(b) creating economic opportunities and strengthening communities,
(c) promoting health and fighting disease, and
(d) responding to disasters and rebuilding communities.
The Rev. Char Mills is St. David's contact person for this ministry.(b) creating economic opportunities and strengthening communities,
(c) promoting health and fighting disease, and
(d) responding to disasters and rebuilding communities.
Habitat for Humanity-Spokane
732 N Napa St., Spokane 99220
This is an ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing and homelessness. Habitat provides home ownership to those who qualify. There are three criteria for qualification: they currently live in substandard housing, they are willing to put in 500 hours of sweat equity and are able to pay the mortgage. Affordable housing is critical and many families live with their rent ratio over 30% of their income and barely meet other critical needs. Home ownership requires payment of a no-interest load over a 20 to 30 year period.
St. David's has several individual members who provide hands-on assistance in Spokane and other locations. St. Martha's Guild prepares and serves a meal to between 60-80 volunteer builders during the Habitat Blitz Build held each June in Spokane.
Holy Trinity Dinner Table
1832 W. Dean Ave. Spokane
Every Wednesday evening, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church serves dinner to the hungry and the homeless in Spokane's West Central neighborhood. Worship in the chapel is at 5 PM, followed by dinner at 6 PM. Volunteers help set the tables, serve the food and then sit with folks during dinner and clean up after. The whole process takes about 3 to 4 hours. It provides an opportunity to meet and talk with those who use services that St. David’s supports.
Currently, there are up to nine St. David’s members who volunteer on the third Wednesday of the month. The Rev. Char Mills invites anyone who would like to come along. Please call or email her, or contact the church office, if you would like to participate. You can also sign up to receive and email reminder from Char a few days before each time she plans to volunteer. See photos of some of our volunteers here.
Hope House
There are more than 1,800 homeless single women in Spokane, many with mental health or chemical dependency issues — all with nowhere else to go. Hope House offers refuge from the dangerous streets to any woman regardless of her mental health status, chemical dependency issues or lifestyle. Hope House offers an environment of dignity, respect and compassion that honors the intrinsic value and unique experience of every woman.
Thirty-four shelter beds are available each night. Each woman receives personal care including nutritious food, a hot shower, clean dry clothing, hygiene items, a warm bed, onsite case management, resource information, and referrals to community resources. Hope House also offers permanent supportive housing in 25 apartments for low-income women who are ready to leave the streets.
St. David's supports Hope House by donating clothing, food, toiletries and financial support.
Family Promise of Spokane -- (formerly Interfaith Hospitality)
517 E Indiana Ave., Spokane 99207
Family Promise of Spokane provides temporary shelter to the homeless by inviting the religious community to participate in its efforts to assist the homeless. The program mobilizes community resources: churches and synagogues for overnight lodging, congregations for volunteers, social services agencies for family assessment and referrals and existing facilities for day programs. Congregations participating in the program provide overnight lodging and meals for three to five families (up to 14 people), for one week each, two to three months on a rotating schedule. It is noted that Family Promise is the only organization assisting the homeless in the Spokane area that allows families to stay together.
St. David's supports this organization in several ways. During 2009, St. David's contributed $600 (a major portion of its "Outreach" budget) toward the rental of Trinity House to house Interfaith families. St. Martha's Guild has also proposed a project for the 2009 Advent season whereby parishioners will purchase gift cards at local grocery stores to be donated to Interfaith for the use of the homeless families in their care. In addition, guild members prepare and serve a meal every three months at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. They serve from one to four families depending upon the need at that particular time.
Mid-City Senior Center and Meals on Wheels
1222 W. Second Ave., Spokane 99201
This organization's mission is to promote independent living of Spokane's senior citizens and disabled adults through nutrition, advocacy, spiritual, education and recreation services via the Meals on Wheels program and the Mid-City Senior Center. Several members of St. David’s deliver meals for Meals on Wheels.
United Thank Offering
The United Thank Offering is a program of The Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole Church, founded by and administered by women since 1889. The United Thank Offering Committee is a spiritual and financial partner in the mission work of The Episcopal Church, through every person in every pew. UTO is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the United Thank Offering monies through grants. The Committee awards and administers these grants within the framework of the policies and procedures of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS) of The Episcopal Church.
St. David's members contribute to the UTO through the spring and fall ingatherings. Lou Ann Crass is our contact person for this ministry.
