Ongoing Community Ministries

Organizations Supported by St. James UCC

SAM’s Kitchen/the Life Center Needs Your Help

St. James is committed to providing a hot meal and bag supper to 90 men and women at the Life Center in West Philadelphia on a Wednesday evening every other month.  Canned food items needs are:  canned or frozen: peas, carrots, corn, green beans, chicken broth, pasta, brown bags and sandwich bags.

It takes a crew to put all the components together that make up that meal.  We hope you will consider helping in some aspect of SAM’s Kitchen.  You can either volunteer to shop (done the day or days before), cook (12 PM-2 PM) and help prepare the bags of food (4-6 PM) or help serve at the Life Center (6-8:30 PM).  Please be in touch with Lois Adams  (610) 449-7775 to gain more information or sign-up to volunteer in any of the areas listed above.

Hope Outreach Ministries in the Kensington section of Philadelphia

St. James supports Hope Outreach Ministries in their various programs to help their community by providing clothes, furniture and food.  Furniture and clothing can be dropped off in the Bethany Room at the church.  Food is collected on the first Sunday of the month and can be dropped off in the basket in the narthex of the church. If you need more information, please contact Dorothy Pauli (610) 449-5468.

Food Bank Sunday & Elders Fund: 1st Sunday of Every Month

In the early Church, every time there was Holy Communion there was a collection for the poor.  At St. James, on the first Sunday of every month when we celebrate Holy Communion we will bring our canned food to donate to those who are in need.  As a way of remembering those who are economically poor, you can either place your canned food items in the basket when you come into worship or you can chose to participate by placing cash (mark envelope Elders Fund) or a check (mark memo line: Elders Fund)  in an envelope found in the pew rack and then place it in the offering plate. All items (food and money) will be dedicated during our morning offering.   The food collected is used to help us prepare hot meals at the Life Center and is sent to Hope Outreach Ministries in the Kensington section of Philadelphia to help them with their feeding programs.   The money collected will go to the Elders Fund (which provides rental and utility assistance and supermarket gift cards) for those who come to St. James and ask for help.  Items needed are:  canned or frozen: peas, carrots, corn, green beans, chicken broth, pasta, brown bags and sandwich bags.

  
 
Special Offerings

St. James is well aware that money is sometimes the gift that is most needed.  In the face of this reality, St. James takes up an offering for each of the following organizations/groups: 

Our Church’s Wider Mission 

All Saints Offering

American Indian Ministry

Bethany Children’s Home

Neighbors In Need 

One Great Hour of Sharing

Strengthen the Church 

The Christmas Fund 

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