“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’  And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” - Matthew 25:34-40

“GO!”  This is the word that Jesus speaks to the apostles as He is ascending into Heaven. In this command, we are reminded that it’s not enough to encounter Jesus or to grow as His disciple. The purpose of encountering Him and growing is to bring His love, mercy, and truth into the world. It is, after all, His world, and He invites us to work with Him to get it back.  Below are some of the ways that we invite you join us and “Go!”
 

Boys Town Louisiana

Boys Town Louisiana provides an array of life-changing services that meet children and families where they are, giving them the right kind of care at the right time and in the right way.  Across Greater New Orleans, Boys Town Louisiana offers those in need emergency intervention and assessment services, long-term residential care for adolescent youth, in-home family services, parenting support, Early Head Start, a crisis hotline, and school-based programs.  Boys Town depends on volunteers to help enhance the level of care they provide in our community. 

Ways to get involved include preparing and delivering meals (teams provide meals to the organization's Family Homes throughout the area; commitment is generally once every 2 months), back to school and holiday drives (help organize and/or donate to support gift drives for Boys Town residential adolescent youth and Early Head Start infants and toddlers), and Successful Futures (provide mentoring and/or in-kind support for youth aging out of Boys Town and preparing for independent life).  For more information, please contact Terri Stuckey.

Feeding the Homeless

In conjunction with the Harry Tompson Center and the Lantern Light Ministry of the Presentation Sisters, volunteers are divided into teams to prepare and serve breakfast or a midday meal for the homeless at the Rebuild Center located on Tulane Avenue behind St. Joseph Church. Before serving meals, teams cook as a group the day before in the Melancon Center kitchen. Teams rotate and cook every third or fourth month. “He who has compassion on the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his good deed.” Proverbs 19:17.  For more information, please contact Gail Arnold.
 

Helping Hands

Help Hands ministry (formerly SVDP Society) provides aid that alleviates suffering and serves Catholics and non- Catholics alike from our parish area. Some members organize the food pantry, handle cases directly, work on Thanksgiving baskets, the Angel Tree in Advent, and in various other capacities as described below.  Helping Hands meets the first Wednesday of every month. 

• FOOD PANTRY: Parishioners are invited to place non-perishable food items in the large white food boxes in the narthex of the Church.  Every Thursday, Helping Hands gives away food from the food pantry to needy people.

• ANGEL TREE:  During advent, the Helping Hands sponsors an angel tree where parishioners can adopt a needy person for Christmas and buy them gifts that they would otherwise not receive during the Christmas holidays.

• FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Helping Hands helps provide financial assistance to those people who are in need.  Contact the Helping Hands Financial Assistance line.

For more information about Helping Hands, please contact Karen Haydel.
 

Homebound Visitation

The Homebound Visitation ministry visits parishioners who are unable to leave their homes due to age or sickness.  Homebound Ministers bring Holy Communion once a week to those who are unable to attend Mass.  As part of this ministry, you must also be delegated as an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion. For more information, contact Beth Gambel.
 

Hotel Hope

Hotel Hope is a 24 room motel that shelters homeless mothers and their children.   Housed in former Crescent Palms motel at 3923 Martin Luther King, Hotel Hope provides a temporary home in a secure location for the families while assisting the mothers in finding sustainable employment and permanent housing.   With no license to cook meals for the guests, there is a need for volunteers to deliver evening meals for the families.  Volunteers are also needed to staff the front desk in 4 hour shifts.   If you would be interested in providing a meal or being a concierge, please call Janet Meyers.  For more information, contact Janet Meyers.
 

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels are a service organization whose members deliver meals to the elderly. Meals are picked up at the Metairie Senior Citizens Center and are delivered to those members who are registered with the Jefferson Parish Council on Aging.  For more information, contact Mary Sue Battle.
 

Ozanam Inn Homeless Ministry 

Since 1955, Ozanam Inn has sough to offer aid and comfort to the poor and needy in our community by providing basic human needs such as, food, shelter, and clothing.  It also provides counseling, medical and legal services, adult education and basic employment skills and housing, all without charge to all who see assistance.  The Inn recently moved into new quarters and for the first time in its history can offer overnight shelter to women. 

While members of Helping Hands/ KC’s have been consistently assisting in serving Sunday lunch for many years, SCS has agreed to partner with Ozanam Inn to provide our parishioners with additional opportunities to volunteer and share the talents given to us by God.

While the Inn has paid employees to handle day-to-day activities, the number is small and many non-critical projects get left undone.

In conjunction with Ozanam Inn’s CEO, we have identified a number of potential projects, but there appear to be initial areas where SCS can be of immediate assistance.

Ozanam Inn has a number of programs which help clients move away from homelessness and obtain housing. Our Helping Hands Ministry has already agreed to provide those who are moving with initial bags of groceries and cleaning material to help them get started. We have also had four people who have volunteered to organize the clothes that have been donated to the Inn, making it easier provide to the clients.

There are two additional areas where assistance is immediately needed. 

Help is needed to maintain the garden that runs along the front of the Inn. It’s mainly green bushes. The Inn cuts the grass,  so this would appear to be an occasional project consisting of weeding and trimming the bushes.

Ozanam Inn offers training in employment skills and has an adult education program. However, all of these sessions are on computers. Most of the homeless clients are unable to use a computer or need to have their skills updated. The Inn is in need of individuals who have an understanding of computers to train the clients on the basic use of a computers. This may be an ongoing project, but is, of course, subject to the volunteer’s schedule.

“As each has received a gift, give it to one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” 1 Peter 4:10.

 To volunteer or to receive more information on this ministry, please contact Bob Barbier.
 

Prison Ministry

“Lord, when did we see you in prison and visit you?”  Matthew 25:39

We seek to be a healing ministry witnessing the unconditional love of Jesus to the incarcerated, their stake holders (guards, loved ones and victims), and to our fellow parishioners.  We do this by our prayer, our presence, and by our parish supporting services.  We are a new ministry founded in the summer of 2018 and are still discovering our activities.  There are at least 5 different mentorship and ministry programs we are currently pursuing.  If you are potentially interested in this ministry, either visiting prisons or remaining back at the parish, please contact: Mark Truxillo.
 

Respect Life Committee

Every individual is created by a loving God in His own image. From the beginning, each life is a part of God’s perfect plan. The goal of the Respect Life Committee is to proclaim a consistent ethic of the sanctity of human life, from the moment of conception to natural death. This is done through prayer, education, and service.  For more information, contact Jill Arteaga.