Outreach

The Beacon, a ministry to the “street community” in the inner city, is seeking people called to share in this ministry on weekends. The Beacon provides lunch, showers, laundry services, and other assistance aimed at restoring and maintaining the dignity of people of the street community. This ministry is a project of Christ Church Cathedral, the Diocese of Texas, and the business and downtown communities. Persons are particularly needed to assist with serving clients on Sunday afternoons, but many other volunteer opportunities are available throughout the week and weekend. To become a part of this life-changing ministry, or to obtain more information, please contact Mr. Paul Mandell, Volunteer Coordinator, (713) 590-3321

Blood Drive Good Shepherd hosts several blood drives each year, our next drive will be held on May 4, 2008. Plan now to give the gift of life!

Feed My Lambs Feed My Lambs is an outreach program designed to help the elderly, single mothers with young children, and the disabled by providing nutritious lunches. Good Shepherd participates as a partner with several area churches to make and deliver bag lunches. Time commitment is only two hours per month! From August through May, we meet at Good Shepherd at 10:15 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month, make about 80 lunches and then deliver them in Porter. During the summer, various churches—including Good Shepherd’s youth—participate for a week at a time. Coordinators: Kathleen Dyke (281) 360-8468 and Emily Maas (281) 359-4341.

Friends of Lord of the Streets FoLOTS is a group of Good Shepherd parishioners who have a special compassion for and interest in the Lord of the Streets Episcopal Church and its ministries to the homeless. FoLOTS cooks breakfast for the homeless several times a year, collects and distributes clothes and other needed items, assembles emergency food and hygiene packs for those in need, assists in LOTS worship services, and otherwise helps LOTS provide both material and spiritual support for the poor and underprivileged living on the streets around downtown Houston. During the holiday season, FoLOTS participates in the annual Angel Tree Christmas Party sponsored by LOTS, which allows us to give children of prisoners a special holiday message. For information on joining, or our next event, contact Hutch Stewart at (281)-312-4443 or Jerry Smith at (281) 359-1551.

Hearts and Hands Is an outreach ministry engaged in rebuilding, and in some cases resurrecting, inadequate housing. Required improvements are provided at no cost to our clients – the elderly, the disabled, and the poor. Our goal is to be “a hand up, not a handout.” To most, the measure of Hearts and Hands’ success is the homes we rebuild. We measure our success by the effect our work has on the lives of the people we touch and the people that help us grow in our ministry. We work with, and among, the poor. We transform buildings and we transform lives. We participate in all facets of our clients’ lives. The experience transforms everyone involved in our work. We need volunteers of all skill levels and we are 95% “self supporting.” Come and work with us ... with your heart and your hands or help us obtain needed material and supplies. For more information, please contact Jimmy Hemphill (281) 361-7786 or Felicia Beswick (281)358-4944.

Humble Area Assistance Ministries (HAAM) Good Shepherd is a member of HAAM, an interfaith collation of some 28-area churches that serve as a community food pantry, social service agency, job bank, and resale store. HAAM serves those families in crisis living in Humble, Huffman, Porter, New Caney, Kingwood and Atascocita; feeding about 3000 people each month, providing job placements, distributing about 1800 back-to-school packets, providing 2000 food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and distributing toys and gifts to about 1100 families at Christmas time. All of this is made possible through donations of food, clothing, and household goods as well as volunteers. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please call Bob Deforest 281-358-1893 or Richard Hawley at (281) 359-4342.

Lending Closet Do you know there are medical supplies ready for your use? Wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, potty chairs, shower stools, etc. If you are in need of these, call Jeannine Garbacik (281) 358-7883.