Hello –
Today, I want to run through what I like to call our “diversified portfolio” of ways to serve our poor and lonely brothers and sisters. We have five efforts that we primarily organize. I’ll also mention a few of the other ways people at St. Paul’s reach out.
In chronological order (I deliberately include just first names- contact me if you want to directly connect with any of these folks)….
• San Rafael Health Care Center. Since at least the last 70s we’ve ben visiting folks at this care center on 5th, right across from Marin Academy. Now, every other Sunday, a crew goes over to lead a sweet worship service at 11am. Talk to Sue or John if you want to join in.
• Ritter Center. We have a long standing relationship with this multi-faceted safety net for the people of Marin. Now, folks from St. Paul’s go over on weekday afternoons to assemble bags of groceries and hand them out. Talk to Jack to find out more.
• Death Row. We’ve been visiting Joseph for over 20 years. Starting 4 years ago we began visiting other men on Death Row and now are in relationship, though visits, letters and care packages with a total of 9 men. Come on Wednesday the 13th at 5:30pm to the Upper Room to find out more, of talk to Richard.
• Teen Success Breakfast. For the last 11 years we’ve been serving breakfast to students at the County Community School for Probationary Youth, now in Terra Linda. Talk with Ginny or Mike to find out more. The school year is just getting started.
• St. Monnica’s Mutual Housing. For 4 1/2 years we hosted a support group every Friday afternoon called Young Moms Marin. We also created a program upstairs for the their children. Now, alongside Mutual Housing of California and St. John’s, Ross, we are working to create housing for these families and their peers in Marin. Our goal is for our community of St. Paul’s to have a close, supportive and neighborly relationship with the future St. Monnica’s community. Talk to Jacob to find out more.
Those are the five things we do together. People also do good things like work with the Street Chaplaincy, work with mainline prisoners at San Quentin and volunteer at the St. Vinnie’s Soup Kitchen.
In all these things, we remember that Jesus said “surely as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.”