“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 or purchase any non-perishable food items from the Amazon Wish List.  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. Parishioners are invited to make a donation to the poor boxes in Church or online.  All money given to the poor box goes directly to helping hands. 

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.  Any parishioner is welcome to visit and pray with parishioners who cannot leave their home at mutually agreeable time.  In addition, trained Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion bring Holy Communion once a week to those who are unable to attend Mass.  For more information, contact Beth Gambel.

Hotel Hope

Hotel Hope is a New Orleans shelter for homeless women and their children. It provides families a homelike atmosphere while helping them move toward residential and financial stability. SCS supports Hotel Hope in several ways: evening meals (provide an evening meal to Hotel Hope residents. A weekly census is published that
gives the number of people for dinner each night, currently as few as 15 meals);
work at Hotel Hope front desk (4-hour shifts in a secured building at 3923 Martin Luther King Blvd. Available shifts can be viewed on a monthly calendar); Birthday Angel (volunteer to provide a birthday cake, card and a couple of balloons on an as-needed
basis. If unable to assist, the next person on a list is contacted); grocery shopping (from a list provided by Hotel Hope, grocery items are obtained for use by the
residents. Typically, this volunteer commitment is every other month). For more information, contact Carol Pfister.

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels is a service organization whose members deliver meals to the homebound. It is a once-a-month commitment that takes no more than 2 hours. 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.
 

Senior Outreach Ministry 

The Senior Outreach Ministry is a group that helps our seniors that need assistance with everyday chores, rides to doctor appointments, grocery runs, etc. or maybe just someone to visit.  We will initially offer an hour maximum per week.  This will allow us to assist/visit as many parishioners as possible.  Any parishioners interested in becoming a part of, or need the services of this ministry, please contact Debbie Romagosa at ext 1589.  Please leave your name and telephone number and she will be in touch as soon as possible.
 

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 for prison ministry retreats (on hold since Covid), participating n the 24th JDC Re-entry Court Mentor program for parolees, and prison youth ministry that educates high school and middle school students in the ocmpassion and forgiveness of Christ.  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.