Servant Sunday Extraordinaire!
Even in a pandemic, DOERS made Servant Sunday extraordinaire! Some 80 ministry slots were filled (and we are still counting), and you stretched yourselves across our city, from Southside to East End and all in between. You wrapped our community in your amazing compassion and generosity and provided a witness to faith-in-action all along the way. Ministry teams worked at the newly built CARITAS Center (cleaned apartments and created gift bags), the REAL program house (built raised garden beds), and at the Rise Against Hunger warehouse (packed 10,000 meals) and during this week many gifts will be dropped off to other community agencies. Your many and varied gifts of time, talent, and resources strengthen the mission of our partner agencies and uplift those who are served. Thank you to one and all who participated, and very special thanks to lay leader Margaret Bloor and her planning team: Becky DeCamps, Monica Lewis, Yvonne Gibney, Judy Philpott, and Jennifer Pollard. Also, many thanks to our dedicated and creative communications staff. As we get updates from our ministry partners, St. Philip’s and Beth Ahabah, we will provide more details and many pictures. Servant Sunday extraordinaire! You the DOERS make it so!
September 27, 2020 Local community agencies and our partners in service are looking forward to being the recipients of Servant Sunday and are so very appreciative of the love and support from our congregations. Others that you serve on this day will be as well. Servant Sunday celebrates who we are as faithful people responding to the needs of others. Together with friends from Congregation Beth Ahabah and St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, we will “blanket” our community with love-in-action and provide witness to a faith that calls us to love God and to love our neighbors. Once again we will welcome Rise Against Hunger, a meal packaging program aimed to stop hunger around the world. On September 27th we are scheduled to have 2 shifts of 20 people each at their site, 5022 Byrd Industrial Drive, Richmond 23231. RAH will follow CDC guidelines and local regulations to maintain the utmost care for the safety of their volunteers. To register for Rise Against Hunger, see the link at the top of the page. Please review the list of ministry options, sign up below, and plan to have supplies available to create your gifts to be delivered during the week of September 27 or as designated in each agency’s instructions. Be creative in packaging any gift items you plan to give and please add a tag that reads “From Friends of St. James’s Episcopal Church.” Also, add your message and name if you like. We would love photos depicting your Servant Sunday ministry! Please send your photos to [email protected] subject “Servant Sunday”, include your name, the name of your congregation, and the name of your project. With any questions, please contact
Important information regarding COVID-19 regulations:
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Project | Description | Location and Instructions |
Blood Drive | You must register in advance on the American Red Cross website. No walk-ins at any location. https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive | 9/27 6:30 AM to 2:30 PM Emerywood Donation Center 2825 Emerywood Pkwy. Richmond 23294 OR Innsbrook Donation Center 4040 Cox Road, Glen Allen 23060 9/29 12 Noon – 5 PM St. Philip’s Episcopal Church 2900 Hanes Ave. |
Rise Against Hunger | 40 people will package over 10,000 meals for those in need | 5022 Byrd Industrial Drive Henrico, VA 23231 |
CARITAS Apartment Cleanup | Groups of no more than 6 people each with masks to clean up to 4 sober-living apartments to be ready for the community. Click here to sign up | 2220 Stockton Street, Richmond, 23224 9/27 1 PM – 3 PM |
CARITAS Volunteer Meeting Space | One group of 6 people with masks to set up the Volunteer Meeting space in the furniture bank. Click here to sign up | 2220 Stockton Street, Richmond, 23224 9/27 1 PM – 3 PM |
CARITAS Welcome Kits | Assemble welcome kits for The Healing Place for Women with your donated toiletries. Please bring the following items: feminine hygiene products (pads, tampons), shampoo, deodorant, comb, brush, toothbrush, and toothpaste. | 2220 Stockton Street, Richmond, 23224 9/27 1 PM – 3 PM |
Circle Center Adult Day Services | Donate cleaning supplies, gloves, and disinfectants. Click here to sign up Donate additional items from their wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/L5BY8HCN3K76?ref_=wl_share | 4900 West Marshall Street, Richmond 23230 Drop off Monday – Friday 8:30 AM – 5 PM |
Family Lifeline | Donate food cards, hand sanitizers, face masks, gloves, other sanitizing products, and children’s books. | 2325 West Broad Street, Richmond 23220 Drop off 9/22 or 9/29 9 AM – 4 PM Ring Buzzer at the back door. |
The Healing Place | Donate men’s underwear, t-shirts, and socks. | 700 Dinwiddie Ave., Richmond 23224 caritasva.org/programs/healing-place/ Drop off Monday – Friday 8 AM – 4 PM |
Health Brigade | Donate non-bleach sanitizing wipes/anti-viral wipes, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, surgical masks, diabetic syringes, gift cards for groceries for clients and patients in need, water, and bagged lunches for Saturday volunteers helping with COVID testing. | 1010 North Thompson Street, Richmond 23230 Drop off Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM |
Home Again | Donate cleaning supplies (specifically mops, and brooms) and PPE (masks, gloves, etc.). | 5 East Franklin Street, Richmond 23219 contact [email protected] for delivery instructions |
Housing Families First | Donate (all new items please) pillows, twin-sized sheet sets, twin-sized blankets, bath towels, men’s and women’s deodorant, hand soap, shampoo & conditioner, disposable or re-usable masks, and hand sanitizer. Provide decorated snack bags for new residents filled with a drink, and individually packaged snacks. | 3900 Nine Mile Road, Henrico 23223 HousingFamiliesFirst.org/hilliardhouse/ Drop off Monday - Sunday. Contact Terri [email protected] to arrange day and time. |
Liberation Family Services | Donate non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, bleach, pine sol, trash bags, and household items. | 1201 Hull Street, Richmond 23224 lvsrva.org Contact Tameka Robertson 804-233-4064 ext. 211 or 804-564-7155 to arrange for drop off. |
McShin Foundation | Donate masks, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and hand sanitizer. | 2300 Dumbarton Road, Richmond 23228 Drop off any day of the week until 5 PM |
REAL Life Women’s Residence | Donate Getting Started Bag: non-perishable food for meals and snacks Welcome Home Bag: shampoo, conditioner, soap or body wash, lotion, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, razor, comb, brush, hand sanitizer, laundry detergent, notebook, and pens. This can include a note of encouragement in a gift bag. | 2111 Harwood Street, Richmond 23224 Drop off 9/27 1 PM – 3 PM |
REAL Life Gardening | Build and plant raised beds at Mimosa House. | Project Filled |
Safe Harbor | Donate cleaning items, laundry detergent, paper towels, and toilet paper. Click here to sign up | 2006 Bremo Road, Suite 201, Richmond 23226 To arrange a drop off time contact Mary Maupai, Development Director, at [email protected] or 804-439-1247. |
St. James’s Children’s Center | Donate breakfast and snack foods, sanitizing wipes, pull-up diapers, new books, and new art supplies. | 1205 West Franklin Sreet. Richmond 23220 StJChildrensCenter.org/mission-history Drop off items at Children’s Center door, weekdays between 8 AM and 5 PM, and ring buzzer so staff can come to the door. Or call Winnie Canup 804-358-9788 ext. 340 |
SCAN - Stop Child Abuse Now | Donate quick-dry disinfecting spray and wipes. Click here to sign up | 103 East Grace Street, Richmond 23219 Drop off Monday through Thursday 10 AM – 3 PM. |
The Shepherd’s Center of Richmond | Donate sanitizing wipes and masks for their volunteer drivers. | 3111 Northside Ave. #400, Richmond 23228 Donations can be dropped off on the Executive Director's front stoop from Monday, September 28 - Wednesday, September 30 4700 Patterson Avenue |
Ways to Help Our Neighbors | •Make thank you cards and treats for first responders •Help those in need of transportation to grocery stores •Offer yard work services to those who need assistance •Create and mail friendly “hello” cards or cards of inspiration to church members who are residents of The Virginia Home: Miss Christine Newbold and Mr. Thomas McDermott. Mail to 1101 Hampton Street, Richmond VA 23220 •Decorate a pot, add a plant and a note then give to a neighbor or someone who needs their day to be brightened •Fill a box of food and cleaning supplies for someone in need | “Ways to Help Our Neighbors” are suggestions that might be of interest to you, but please also feel free to come up with your own “outreach” to a friend, neighbor, or family member. Be creative and do something that you think will be special and meaningful to someone else. The idea for Servant Sunday is to do something special for someone else; to embrace the needs of others. |
Upcycle Old Christmas Cards | Make Christmas garlands for Children’s Center or Caritas. (Drop off at either St. James’s Children’s Center or The Healing Place (for Caritas). See locations and instructions elsewhere in this listing.) | 1. Using a circular top or large hole punch, cut circles out of old cards 2. Sort the circles into a color scheme and find a coordinating ribbon 3. Glue the circles to the ribbon evenly spaced (for best effect, glue two circles front to back with the ribbon in between) 4. Lay garland between two sheets of wax paper and place a heavy book on top until dry |
Upcycle Card-Stock Paper | Make Christmas tree ornaments for Children’s Center or Caritas. Drop off at either St. James’s Children’s Center or The Healing Place (for CARITAS). See locations and instructions elsewhere in this listing. | 1. Cut strips from a variety of card-stock weight papers -can also use promotional mailings and packaging 2. Stack the strips, cutting and arranging them into triangle shape 3. Glue strips to a popsicle stick and let dry 4. Turn the project over and repeat the process 5. To make a hanger glue a loop of ribbon to the top of the ornament or sandwich between the two triangles |
Virginia Supportive Housing | Donate food and/or prepared meals •For meals, call VSH to determine the location and number to be served Provide PPE and supplies Send thank you cards and/or food treats for VSH staff essential team members. Mail cards to “VSH Staff” and sign “A friend from St. James’s Episcopal Church. | 8002 Discovery Drive #201, Richmond, 23229 Drop-off Monday or Thursday morning between 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM. Call Marie at 804-517-9702 upon arrival so that she can coordinate delivery drop-off |