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Human Concerns
The St. Michael Human Concerns Ministry strives to wholly embrace Christ in Word, Sacrament and Community...to catechize as we hear, speak and live the gospel, to celebrate faith-filled relationships with each other, and to commit to outreach within and beyond our parish boundaries.
The most important part of this ministry is you, the parishoner. Without you giving of yourself, this ministry cannot be successful. Please consider sharing your time and talent. There are many ways to do so; long-term, short-term, and one-time-only commitments are available.
Karen Hannon, Chair
874-4591
Administrative Support
Volunteers Needed
Primary role is to welcome people who have indicated interest in one of the Human Concerns ministries. Volunteers would call people new to St. Michael's and those who indicated interest on the discernment sheets. This is so important and can be done at your convenience.
Special Events
New Chairs/Volunteers needed.
Special events sponsor the Giving Tree during Advent that support our ministries. They also sponsor a program during Lent that benefits the Guardian Angel Fund, which is used to support our parishioners who have a special financial need.
Appalachian Ministry
Michael Smith
See the slideshow from our visit to St. Elizabeth's on November 3rd and 4th.
This newly formed ministry will "twin" with cluster (4) parishes in Southwest Virginia. The current focus is to build a structure for ministry as we build relationships with people from these parishes. The expectation is that there is tremendous interest from the people of St. Michael's in this ministry and many opportunities for us to come along side our brothers and sisters; helping them to do ministry in their areas.
Art & Communication
New Chair/Volunteers needed.
Contact: Linda Stewart 672-8557 (lstewart@saintgertrude.org)
Volunteers lend support to all ministries when they need of a flier for the Defender or promotional materials for the Ministry Fair or special event.
Blood Drive
Rick Pleasants 798-4810 (apdchief@aol.com)
Blood Drive Ministry hosts 4 drives for Virginia Blood Serve to help them replenish blood supplies for the Richmond area hospitals throughout the state. Each pint of blood can save three lives. Donors always needed. Baked goods and prizes also needed during blood drives. Goal is 100 pints per drive.
Boaz and Ruth
St. Mike's volunteer coordinator: Toni Schmiegelow - td754@comcast.net or 822-4808 (office).
Boaz and Ruth works with released prisoners to acquire the attitude and skills they need to re-enter society as productive citizens.
When someone is released from prison, he or she needs a decent job and safe housing. Boaz and Ruth takes a unique approach to decent job placement by developing businesses to employ them--- a used furniture store, a furniture restoration business, a restaurant and catering business, and a moving business. Soon, Sunny Days, a second-hand clothing store will open.
For safe homes, they've purchased and renovated houses in the community as transitional housing. Currently, 10 participants are paying rent and sharing 2 homes renovated by Boaz and Ruth in Highland Park.
As a parish, St. Michael's has embraced a couple of geographically-based ministries - one with our twin parish in Haiti and one in Fr. Dan's former parishes in Appalachia. Now we have an opportunity to adopt a City of Richmond-based ministry.
C.A.R.I.T.A.S.
Kathe Henke 756-7440 (khenke@sleepcenter.org)
Diane Versfelt 527-0255 (dianevers58@msn.com)
We are blessed to provide shelter, food and fellowship for up to 40 guests twice a year here at St. Michael's. Captains (one or two people to coordinate one night of the week) are always needed, as are people to spend the night. For more information call Kathe or Diane or watch for the sign-up sheets. Upcoming dates are Jan. 6-13, 2007.
C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Outreach
Larry and Susan Gidley 360-5429 (lgidley@comast.net)
Team assists other churches in hosting C.A.R.I.T.A.S. guests. This is an important ministry because it helps smaller churches say yes to the call to serve C.A.R.I.T.A.S. clients. The need is often during a holiday week. Additional service will be provided to Friends of the Homeless - serving meals to 200 people on a Friday, 5 times a year.
C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Furniture Outreach
John Demitri 545-8998 (jademitri@comast.net)
Team assists clients as they move into housing. Donations of furniture and household items and people to pick-up and deliver these items are needed when we are contacted by C.A.R.I.T.A.S.
POD Party - we are planning on working with Embrace Richmond - sponsoring a POD Party in April 2007. Help is needed to coordinate this project. This ministry will continue to collaborate with Embrace Richmond.
Coal Pit Learning Center
Natalie Foster 360-2142 (TomFosterFamily@aol.com)
Currently volunteers serve hot lunches to 16 pre-school children every Monday (following Henrico calendar). Through Giving Tree donations they provide gifts and host Santa for a special luncheon for children and parents. We need a Santa this year. In June, they shop and serve for the graduation ceremony or the children and their parents at the Belmont Recreation Center.
Conrad House
(formerly Freedom House)
Donna Compton 360-7368 (donna.compton@comcast net)
We serve dinner to the homeless and working poor every 4th Thursday and 5th Wednesday of each month. This is a small time commitment with great rewards. The youth also do a special collection on Souper Bowl Sunday that benefits the Conrad House.
Crump Manor Nursing Home
Joy Dawson 527-0524
Volunteers needed to organize events at Crump Manor. This is a wonderful opportunity for families, teens, girl scout or boy scout troops. Please call Joy is you'd like to learn more. Volunteers also assist with the Mass on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. They bring patients to the chapel, assist with the Readings and bring communion to the bedridden. Volunteers also b ring Eucharist to residents every other Sunday.
Food and Clothing
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed to collect and deliver donations. This is a great project for families and teens. We do five food drives per year, food basket sign ups for Christmas and Easter and one clothing drive during lent.
We support Our Lady of Lourdes Food Pantry and Catholic Charities with our donations.
Friends of the Homeless
Mary Jane Hansen
Habitat for Humanity
Laurie Canning 364-8483 (lcanning@comcast.net)
Co-chair needed.
We have supported Hanover Habitat for Humanity. Most recently, we purchased 170 tickets to Night Under the Stars funding raising event, raising $850. for Habitat. Our middle school Religious Ed students have constructed a recycling box. Our goal is to build a house - if necessary - with the help of another church. In Richmond, this cost is approximately $55,000. In Hanover, the cost is $125,000.
Haiti Twinning
Loretta & Dave O'Donnell 270-4426 (lorettaodonnell@aol.com)
We are proud and extremely grateful for the gifts of time, talent and treasure that so many of you have given to change the lives of our brothers and sisters in Dos-Palais, Haiti. The Leadership Team (Loretta, Dave, Andy Ferguson, Nancy Kunkel and Dan Burns) and all of the people involved on the various committees will continue to keep you updated. Read the weekly Haiti Corner in The Defender and/or view the Haiti page on this website. If you have any question, please don't hesitate to call.
Meals on Wheels
Larry and Susan Gidley 360-5429 (lgidley@comcast.net)
Meals are delivered one weekday selected by the volunteer per month. This is a small mid-day commitment, approximately3 hours. Driver and partner select and retain the same route and as a result become familiar with directions and clients. The meal and your presence means so much to the clients served. MOW is a well run organization performing a basis service for many deserving clients, and the need for additional volunteers continues to grow.
Our Lady of Hope Nursing Home
Larry and Susan Gidley 360-5429 (lgidley@comcast.net)
Volunteers help transport residents to and from Mass and other liturgies, make spiritual visits to residents who cannot attend out-of-room services, lead the Rosary and other devotions, and assist the Activities Dept. with crafts, bingo, poker, playing pool, etc.
Pregnancy Resource Center of Metropolitan Richmond
(formerly Crisis Pregnancy Center)
Miriam Lindsey 741-2016 (bentiger17@aol.com)
Kathy Rogers 364-2339 (stkrogers@msn.com)
Events - Baby Bottle Campaign - just completed with Religious Ed children.
Walk for Life, May 2007 - at St. Michael's for the first time. Also - new baby items and maternity clothes can be donated at any time.
Prison Ministry
Paul and Peggy Spera 556-6811 (peggypaul@comcast.net)
Volunteers join the ladies at the Virginia Correctional Center for Woman in Goochland County (on Route 6) on the first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM for Eucharist (plus at a condensed version of Holy Thursday and Good Friday services on the Wednesday evening of Holy week, and the same for the Vigil service on the Saturday morning before Easter).
This is a safe, rewarding and amazing ministry - something to try at least once. The Goochland prison is a low security facility. We partner with St. Mary's (who has the lead) on this ministry; and St. Michael's provides gift cards through the Christmas Giving Tree. A revised Monday night discussion group follows a RCIA program for inmates interested in the Catholic faith; not necessarily for conversion, but to better explain our faith to other dominations.
At present, we are compiling an ecumenical resource list for woman leaving the facility upon release, to include housing, medical facilities, job contacts, transportation, etc. Another goal is to provide a contact person in every catholic parish to insure that on release woman are welcomed into the church community. We also support the Elizabeth Kate's Foundation which provides scholarships, speakers and other practical support for these ladies.
The ministry also provides: appropriate books and pamphlets for worship services and reading for the ladies on a continuing basis; and money for college courses for self betterment.
We have also made donations to Boaz and Ruth and C.A.R.E. which are organizations that provide training and other support for people when they leave prison.
Refugee & Immigration Ministry
Lisa Pedraja (lpedraja@richmonddiocese.org) New Chair
Former contact: Debbie Kammeter 270-2177 (dkammeter@verizon.net)
Contact for tuition program for Sudanese Young Men: Paul & Jenni Sauer, 364-0241.
St. Michael's has a long, award winning history of welcoming people to this country and this community. This is an ongoing ministry that always welcomes new volunteers. The Diocesan Refugee & Immigration Service office has short and long-term volunteers needs. For more information you can contact Lisa at 355-4559 (ext. 14).
Respect for Life
Beth Hungate (bhungate@mcvh-vcu.edu)
Volunteers needed to expand this ministry; to keep people informed about legislative issues, bring in speakers and support the annual Prayer Service for Life, scheduled for January 26, 2007 at the Church of the Epiphany. Will also support Pam Stenzel (abstinence speaker) in 2007 and 2008.
Virginia Home for Boys & Girls
Contact Person Needed
St. Michael's has been involved with the Home for more than 12 years. Now, their only need is for us to sponsor their Christmas in July (or August) party.
Youth Emergency Shelter (YES)
Kay Hamill 754-0663 (kayh@covtrav.com)
Louise Preiss 750-2940 (lulou55@aol.com)
Volunteers provide dinner, an activity, friendship and support to the residents of YES on one Wednesday each month.
As the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community, CRS provides humanitarian relief and development assistance in 98 countries worldwide.
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