Helping Others: By cultivating a servant's heart to help those in need to show God's love to all
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
Social Outreach Ministry
What We Do, Why We Do It, and How To Get Involved
What we do - The goal of the Social Outreach Ministry is to improve the living conditions of those in need in our community, our country and throughout the world. Feeding the hungry, clothing those without adequate clothes, building homes for others, and sharing Christmas gifts to bring joy to neglected children are some of the tangible ways for each of us to love one another.
Why we do it - We believe that reaching out to our community and the world creates a better place to live for those less fortunate, while enhancing our experience of God. Jesus Christ teaches that through opportunities to give, we grow and benefit greatly as we serve others.
Getting Involved - Holy Cross has a Social Outreach Ministry Team that plans and spearheads a number of outreach projects each year. The team heartily welcomes new members and new ideas on how to best help those in need.
Many of the outreach projects ask the entire congregation to donate needed items or time to help others. Outreach is a ministry in which all church members can participate by responding to the call for needed items.
Our Outreach Program for 2009
In 2009, the Social Outreach Ministry leads the congregation in opportunities to provide for those less fortunate with food, clothing, shelter, and items to fulfill other basic human needs with projects such as the following:
**Boxes to Our Troops
Holy Cross followed the lead of many other Episcopal churches by encouraging people to donate items to put in care packages for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Boxes of snacks, clothing items, recreational items, and personal care items were sent to our troops.
**East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry Feinstein Challenge
The East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry participated in the 12th annual Feinstein Challenge throughout April, and Holy Cross answered the call to help with the challenge. We donated non-perishable food items and many paper and plastic grocery bags. For every food item placed in the barrel in our gathering space, the Human Needs Ministry received $1 in Feinstein money to fight hunger in our community.
**Mother’s Day–Father’s Day – Baby Bottle Boomerang in Support of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Fort Bend
People were asked to take home a baby bottle from Holy Cross, fill it with a donation to the Pregnancy Resource Center, and return it to the church.
**Manna Bags for Those in Need
Bags filled with food items were put together and sold to church members who distribute them to the homeless or hungry on the streets.
** Food-4-Kids Summer Food Drive
During the summer months, some Fort Bend children do not have access to free school breakfast and lunch programs. Because of this, the East Fort Bend Human Needs Food Pantry has a great need for “kid-friendly” foods that require little or no preparation.
**Shared Dreams Partners in Education
To help children and teens start the school year off right, Holy Cross supported Fort Bend ISD’s Shared Dreams Clothing Program. The purpose of Shared Dreams is to provide adequate clothing and toiletries for FBISD students whose need has been determined by school nurses. One third of the District’s students are defined as economically disadvantaged. Holy Cross filled bags with clothing and toiletries that were delivered to Fort Bend ISD for these students in need.
**Operation Christmas Child: The Power of a Simple Gift
Millions of boys and girls around the globe live in difficult circumstances and are in need of hope. “The Power of a Simple Gift”, sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse and directed by Frank Graham, son of Billy Graham, shares the Good News of God’s love with hurting children through the simplest of gifts – shoe boxes. Holy Cross families put together “shoe box” gifts filled with school supplies, small toys and personal care items, helping to introduce children to Jesus Christ. These shoe boxes were among those sent to children in poverty in over 100 countries.
** Christmas “Giving Tree”
Christmas is a time of wonderful traditions, and one of our favorites at Holy Cross is the “giving” Christmas tree. Our giving focuses on abused and/or neglected children of Fort Bend County who currently are under the care of Children’s Protective Services (CPS). Gifts from our “Giving Tree” are taken to the CPS Rainbow Room, an all-volunteer, charitable organization dedicated to helping Fort Bend infants, children and teens in crisis.
