The Outreach Committee and members of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church believe that God calls us to assist those in need. We support local agencies as well as at the national and global level.
MONTHLY FOOD COLLECTION
January 2025 - Margaret’s Pantry, Holyoke, MA
Margaret’s Pantry is the food pantry associated with Providence Ministries in Holyoke. Margaret’s Pantry, named for its foundress, Sr. Margaret McCleary, is proud to provide enough food for 3 meals and 3 snacks for 4 days to those in need. It serves all communities in Western Mass except Springfield unless there is an emergency need there. Wish list items include: cereal, mac and cheese, canned soups/stews, condiments, Chef Boyardee, baking mixes, and Hamburger Helper.
December 2024 - Amherst Survival Center, Amherst
We are collecting for our neighbors in Amherst this month. Their wish list of items includes: brown rice, dried beans, healthy kids snacks like granola bars and trail mix, meat and chicken soups, pasta, oats, cereal, quinoa, low sugar canned fruits, canned vegetables, coffee, tea, honey and shelf-stable kids drinks. Their kitchen could use donations of bottled salad dressings, olive oil, jams and jellies and salt and pepper. Amherst Survival Center has been in existence since 1976, growing and expanding over the years. Currently the Center is home to community meals, a food pantry, fresh food distribution, a community store, and a health clinic.
November 2024 – Lorraine's Soup Kitchen & Pantry, Chicopee
For over 30 years, Lorraine's has helped the greater Chicopee community by hosting daily hot meals, running a food pantry and sponsoring a mobile food pantry to go out and get food to those in need. We are glad we can help support this wonderful organization for the month of November. Most needed items that are always in demand include: 1 lb. packages of rice, pasta, soup, peanut butter and jelly, instant mashed potatoes, canned tuna or chicken, spaghetti sauce, cereals, beans-all types and canned fruits. Thanks for your participation.
This year we collected 279 pounds of food for Lorraine’s…thank you all!
October 2024 – Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a non-profit food pantry serving those in need in the South Hadley/Granby area. It all began in 2010 when the United Methodist Church's mission committee was looking for a way to serve our community, and members learned that food was the greatest need. Their website shares: "Everyone needs help sometimes. Neighbors helping neighbors is a nonprofit food pantry that builds strong communities by connecting people with their neighbors in need.
This year we collected 248 pounds of non-perishable food, including: soup, hot and cold cereal, canned meat, tomato products, and personal hygiene products.
September 2024 – Westfield Food Pantry.
The Westfield Food Pantry provides:
a pantry for emergency groceries,
a community garden that supplies the pantry and the Westfield High School Athletic Food Program (50 students)
Assists with Greater Westfield and Western Hampden County Medical Reserve Corps during disasters to provide for Westfield Public Schools
Types of Outreach
Christmas Collection for Families in Need
Education
Elderly & Homebound
Outreach for Homeless
Food Preparation
Immigrants and Refugees
Monetary Donations
What’s in a Blessing Bag?
Part 1
Part 2
Agencies & Causes That We Support:
Food Preparation: ● Prepare “take and go” hospitality meals for members or their friends who are ill, housebound,, feeling overwhelmed, or struggling financially. ● Create meals to collaborate with St. Paul’s Veteran’s Lunch ● Host Homecoming Brunch
Christmas Gift Collection: ● Collected Christmas gifts to donate to the families living at the Oak Street Homeless Shelter in Holyoke ● Collected toys for the Holyoke Police Department Christmas Toy Distribution ● Baked cookies and treats to fill Christmas tins to deliver to members of St. Peters who are away at college, serving in the military, and/or the elderly and housebound.
Education ● Annually award the Jonno Gray Memorial Scholarship to a deserving high school graduate or college student who is a member of St. Peters . ● Host events to raise money for Jonno Gray fund ● Send “Finals Survival Boxes” (filled with snacks and a prayer) to members away at college
Monthly Food Collections: ● Non-perishable food is collected and donated monthly on a rotating basis to the following food banks ○ Kate’s Kitchen, Holyoke ○ Western Mass Food Bank, Hatfield ○ The Amherst Survival Center ○ Family Readiness Center at Westover ○ Northampton Survival Center ○ Westfield Food Pantry ○ Parish Cupboard, W. Springfield ○ Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, Chicopee ○ Neighbors Helping Neighbors, S. Hadley ○ Easthampton Food Pantry
Global Outreach: ● Collect vitamins annually to send with church member(s) who participate in a medical mission trip to Honduras. ● Sew dresses to donate to the village girls in Honduras on the aforementioned trip. ● During Lent each year, coin banks are distributed to members to fill and return. The money is used to purchase items through the ELCA Alternative Gift Campaign. In the past we have purchased piglets, fish, chickens, water purifiers, fruit and vegetable gardens. ● Monthly pledge to ELCA Global Giving Initiatives such as World Hunger and Disaster Responses.
Immigrants: ● Donate requested items (e.g. food, blankets, cleaning supplies, etc.) to CLASEF to go to Hurricane Victims from Puerto Rico who have relocated to the area. ● Donated money, Best Buy and Amazon Cards to Ascentria Care Alliance. These gift cards would be used by refugee immigrant students to buy computers, to help them complete schoolwork.
Elderly: ● Bake and fill cookie tins for members who are in nursing homes or housebound. ● Go Christmas caroling to the housebound members of our church.
Monetary Donations: ● Baystate Children’s Hospital ● Katelyn’s Ride, Alzheimer’s walk ● ELCA Disaster Response for floods, tornadoes, refugees, earthquakes ● EACH medical non-profit doing mission work in Honduras and Grenada
Outreach to the Homeless: ● Cook and serve food at the Interfaith Cot Shelter in Northampton 1-2x/year ● Cook and serve food at Cathedral in the Night in Northampton 1-2x/year ● Jenna’s Blessing Bags: bags filled with necessities to be given out to the homeless population in Holyoke ● Set up a playroom for the Oak Street Homeless Shelter in Holyoke ● Collected Christmas gifts to donate to the families living at the Oak Street Homeless Shelter in Holyoke ● Collected and donated toiletries to local shelters
God’s Work, Our Hands: Every September, we take the opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. Service activities offer an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: that all of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.
Veterans & Active Military ● Mail Christmas cards to active military members ● Bake and fill cookie tins for members who are actively serving in the military. ● Host an annual ice cream or pizza party at the Soldier’s Home in Holyoke ● Collaborate with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with their weekly Veteran’s lunch program ● Organized Homeward Vets Warehouse ● Served food for USO-Barnes and Westover ARBs ● Knitted hats for New England Seafarers Mission
Past “God’s Work / Our Hands” projects include: ● Work at a Habitat for Humanity work site ● Work at the Holyoke Rows Boathouse doing cleaning and repair projects ● Host an ice cream party at the Soldier’s Home ● Host pizza party at the Soldier’s Home ● Set up playroom for Horizons for Homeless Children ● Cook for Veterans Lunch ● Work in Homeward Vets warehouse