Parish Serve Day

Parish Serve day was initiated by you, our parishioners.  When we conducted our parish-wide survey last year we had an overwhelming response for more service opportunities... especially for families to do together.  Parish Serve Day is our answer to that.
 
Our first Parish Serve Day took place on Saturday, February 24^th, 2018.  We started the day with Mass as a community, and then sent forth the participants to their work sites in matching St. Michael t-shirts. 
 
Multiple service projects across the city were arranged in which parish families volunteered.   Service groups were made up of 10-20 people.  Families could sign up for the project that most interests them.  There were a variety of projects to suit different interests and different ages.  Some simple projects were held in Fr. Porter Hall to accommodate our youngest parishioners or those with limited mobility. 

General Schedule of the day:
8:15am - Mass
9am - Donuts and send off
9:30-2pm - Volunteer at service sites, times vary depending upon the site
After finishing at your work site - have lunch with your volunteer group

Out in the Community - 10am-2pm (varies per site)

Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 10am-1pm - 10 to 12 spots, ages 14+ - Work in the ReStore unloading trucks, sorting donations, shaking paint cans, pricing merchandise and organizing.
https://habitatkc.org/restorekc/

ScrapsKC, 10am-12:30pm - 20 spots, ages 5+ - Dedicated to reusing and repurposing all sorts of items.  Sort, organize and display inventory and donations.
https://scrapskc.org/

TurnStyles Thrift Store, 10am-12:30pm - 20 spots, ages 8+ - Help sort and organize clothes, hang clothes on hangers, sort through other donations, collect donations in the donation bay.
https://catholiccharitiesks.org/turnstyles/

Hope Distribution Center, 10am-12:30pm - 20 spots, ages 5+ - Unload, sort, organize and box up food donated to Catholic Charities during various food drives.
https://catholiccharitiesks.org/where-we-work/hope-distribution-center/

Morning Glory Ministries, 10:30am-2pm - 20 spots, ages 11+ - Food kitchen for the Cathedral downtown.  Assemble 600 sandwiches and prepare sack lunches to be distributed over the weekend.  http://morningglorycares.com/volunteer/

Little Sisters of the Poor. 10am-Noon - 20 spots, all ages - Retirement home for the less fortunate in our community.  Visit with residents, play games, make crafts, etc.
http://littlesistersofthepoor.org/a-place-for-you/volunteering/

Vintage Park Assisted Living Community, 10am-Noon - 10 spots, all ages - Visit with residents, play games, make crafts, etc.  http://www.vintageparkassistedliving.com

Jerusalem Farm, 9:30-1pm - 15 spots, ages 15+ - home repair for neighborhood residents and/or renovations on a newly-acquired home. 
Lunch and prayer included.  http://www.jerusalemfarm.org/


In Fr. Porter Hall - 9:30-11:30am

St. Mary's Food Kitchen, make casseroles - 15 spots, ages 5+ - Prepare, bake and freeze 20-25 casseroles in Fr. Porter Hall's kitchen.  Supplies and ingredients will be provided.

Creative Expressions - ages 2+ - Decorate the bags that are used to deliver meals to the recipients of Meals on Wheels.  Also, create cards, notes and small crafts to put in the bags.

Nursing Home & Homebound Parishioners - ages 2+ - we will write notes and make cards for all of our nursing home & homebound parishioners.

A Million Thanks - ages 2+ - write cards and letters of appreciation for our military - active, reserve and veterans - whether they are serving at home, abroad, or are injured in hospitals.
http://www.amillionthanks.org/send_a_letter.php

Companions in Faith - create Easter cards for each student, by name, at OLU.

Honduras - Assemble  40-50 "welcome" baby packages for the home for pregnant women and 
assemble 150 beaded bookmarks


In the Church - 9am-2pm

Prayer Partner - 30 minute slots, any number, any age.  Pray for our volunteers out in the community, pray for the organizations we are assisting, and pray for the people that these organizations serve.