OutReach

The Outreach Committee currently has 18 members. About eight members regularly attend the monthly meetings and participate in most of the activities, while the others offer support and help when needed. Meetings are held on the third Wednesday night of each month at 7:15 p.m. in the Reception Area. We try to have at least one "out-to-dinner meeting" each year.

Jackie Halter and Sandra Lillard are the co-chairs the Outreach Committee. Most of our support goes to those in need in the St. Charles area through various social service agencies already in existence. We also lend support to the St. Louis area and world wide Episcopal agencies.

Ongoing projects include the Sunday food collection, which goes to the Salvation Army each month and is delivered courtesy of Bob and Ellen Sundermeyer. We also collect gently used clothing, small household and kitchen items and linens in the barrel at the top of the stairs for FISH (an all volunteer organization serving those in need in St. Charles County since 1969). Members of the Outreach Committee deliver these contributions when the barrel is full.

Another component of Outreach is to help promote, publicize and raise money for projects sponsored by the greater Episcopal community throughout the world. We continue to support Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) with publicity and special donations during the year. This organization raises and distributes funds for emergency relief following disasters. It also develops and supports programs that address the root cause of suffering the world over. ERD provides food, clean water, shelter, medicines and other critical supplies, made possible through your generous donations.

In an effort to inform our congregation about other volunteer opportunities, the Outreach Committee periodically includes "Volunteer Opportunities of the Month" in the Trinity Newsletter. These articles, written by our members, highlight organizations where they volunteer, with the hope that someone new might be interested in becoming involved.

Popular projects continued; such as Fans for the Elderly (fans were provided to St. Joachim & Ann for their distribution), Backpacks (53 backpacks filled with supplies were provided for Project Backpack), our Penny Harvest raised $150 to benefit St. Louis Children's Hospital, the Eighth Annual Cookie Shower (60 dozen cookies were donated this year) for Episcopal City Mission: Chaplaincy to Youth in Detention, Baskets filled with Hershey's Hugs and Kisses candies were given as a thank you to our local public safety departments in commemoration of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the Thanksgiving Basket Collection (we provided full meals including turkeys for 10 families), Salvation Army Volunteer Bell Ringing, and Christmas Toys were collected and donated to the Salvation Army's Toy Town program. 300 journals were wrapped and given to Episcopal City Mission: Chaplaincy to Youth in Detention to be used at Christmas gifts. On Blanket Sunday, donations were made to Church World Service to help purchase tools and blankets for people around the world. This worldwide ministry provides ordinary things to those in need and thus empowers them to build a better tomorrow.

The Outreach Committee provides monetary support to some organizations in our area. Money was given to the Salvation Army for use in their Emergency Local Relief Fund to help people with their heating bills. Contributions also went to Habitat for Humanity for the Diocesan Build Project and to Volunteers in Medicine for medications. Other local agencies we supported include St. Joachim and Ann's Food Pantry, Salvation Army Food Pantry, Women's Crisis Center for items on their wish list. In addition our involvement with "Faith Beyond Walls" provides a local hands on project at least once a year.