The following opportunities for service are available through St. John’s Homeless and Feed the Hungry programs. The Program Coordinators for Homeless and Feed the Hungry programs are Steven Dufour (stevedu4@verizon.net) and Pat Feige (patfeige@gmail.com)
Dinner for Rosie’s Place
Relying entirely on volunteers, this shelter for disadvantaged, single, abused, or homeless women and their children provides meals and comfort each day of the year – without state or federal funding support. Through donation of food, service, and money, this ministry assists Rosie’s Place in this life-giving mission. For many years, St. John’s Parish has taken turns providing evening dinner for the women, and our confirmation candidates support this program by volunteering to serve parish-provided meals three times a year. Please check the Announcements for details and upcoming dates.
For More Information: Please contact Pam McCourt 781-235-0612, or Barbara Tully 781-235-6182.
So Others May Eat (S.O.M.E.)
Since 1995, our parish has helped to serve the homeless by providing sandwiches for the Bristol Lodge in Waltham. The sandwiches are distributed to the clients of Bristol’s various programs for the needy and provide a nourishing midday meal for the residents of shelters which are closed during the daytime hours. The program has expanded in recent years to include the other churches in our Parish cluster. St. John’s provides hundreds of sandwiches on the 4th and 5th (when there is one) Sundays of each month.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- When are the sandwiches collected? On the 4th and 5th (when there is one) Sundays of each month.
- What type of sandwiches are needed? Simple sandwiches like ham and cheese (no condiments). They should be wrapped.
- Where do I drop off the sandwiches? In the refrigerator in the basement of the church.
For More Information: Please email Liz Phillips at Liz.phillips@comcast.net
Saint Katharine Drexel – Tutoring and Food Pantry
This ministry reaches out to provide a food pantry collection and basic tutoring for elementary and middle school students and for Saint Katharine Drexel, our sister parish in Roxbury/Dorchester, thus touching hundreds of lives, building hope, and easing hardship. Volunteers provide weekly tutoring in collaboration with the program “Reaching for Higher Ground.” Volunteers also deliver the food collected at St. John’s on the second Sunday of each month to Saint Katharine Drexel.
For More Information: Please contact Angela Spinale at 781-431-0008
Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center (MCAEC)
The Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center is located in the former Saint Katharine Drexel School in Dorchester. Mother Caroline Academy is an independent middle school for girls from limited financial means. The Academy emphasizes the importance of scholarship, leadership, spiritual, social and moral development. MCAEC also has a strong Adult Education Program, designed to empower MCA parents and other adults from the community to achieve their greatest personal and economic potential. Students in this program come from over 30 countries and range in age from 30-60 years. The program offers ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) classes, GED Preparation, and a wide variety of computer classes. There are many opportunities to assist at MCAEC. There is a Saturday morning tutoring program for children who come for help in many different subjects. A volunteer is assigned to one child and will work with him/her on a particular subject. Adult Education volunteers assist with ESOL classes and conversation groups, tutor individual GED students in math (arithmetic, trigonometry, algebra, statistics and other problem solving questions), and teach computer classes.
For More Information: Please contact John Kilbride at 781-449-1844
Thanksgiving at Bristol Lodge
Each year St. John provides a Thanksgiving feast for the guests at Bristol Lodge in Waltham. Parishioners provide cooked turkeys and lots of side dishes and get the dishes ‘meal ready’ for volunteers who serve the guests on Thanksgiving. Watch the Parish bulletin and website for more information.
For More Information: Please contact Deirdre Heilbron at dgheilbron@yahoo.com or 617-894-4416
Pregnancy Help
This service program provides outreach to women and families experiencing crisis pregnancies through Pregnancy Help Boston. The program offers new baby clothes, a counseling staff and help with locating jobs and housing for those families facing financial crisis. The volunteer commitment involves picking up baby items from the Natick office and delivering them to the Brighton office near St. Elizabeth Hospital.
For More Information: Please call Pregnancy Help at 617-782-5151
