Whether you're looking for a long-term project or to help out for a few hours, St. Andrew's has many opportunities for you to join us in service to our community and the world. All ages are invited and encouraged to participate in our outreach projects. Community Outreach Center St. Andrew’s houses a multi-use outreach center in the space formerly occupied by our day school. The center currently houses these organizations: Tidewater Community Writing Center (in cooperation with CNU) The Carrington Institute (tutoring) Families in Transition (after-school enrichment) Homeschool Co-op Sprouting Roots (speech and language therapy)
SEEKING HELP? First Call for Help: 757-594-4636. First Call for Help can link you with the closest food pantry and can also provide information about shelters. First Call for Help provides information and referral, not direct aid. LINK: 757-595-1953, 10413 Warwick Blvd., Newport News. LINK provides emergency services to men, women and children who find themselves in a housing crisis or other emergency situation and also connects with community resources to provide fast and affordable housing solutions to homeless individuals and families. THRIVE Peninsula: 757-877-6211, 13195 Warwick Blvd., Newport News. THRIVE Peninsula provides emergency food, financial aid for housing and utilities, household budget mentorship, transportation aid, and housing/job/medical info and referrals. Assistance is by appointment.
Volunteer opportunities with Sedgefield Elementary Sedgefield Elementary has several rewarding and on-going opportunities for those who may be interested. Your time and talents can make a big difference in a child's life. Tutoring: Help out in the classroom with K-2 graders for an hour or two, accordingly to your availability. The teacher provides everything you'll need. Lunch Buddy: Brighten a child's day by sharing a conversation or just hanging out for a while during lunch break which runs from 11:30 am - 12:45 pm. For both Tutoring and Lunch Buddy programs, the length of time and days you volunteer, is set according to your schedule. KAIROS needs cookies! The Kairos Prison Ministry team for Nottoway Correctional Center is preparing for its 45th weekend from May 30th – June 2nd and needs Agape. Expressions of Agape come to the weekend participants in the form of prayer chains, posters, placemats and cookies. -- Prayers for the weekend participants and Nottoway’s residents, officers and administration: Signup sheets for prayer partners will be in the lobby. During the weekend, each prayer will be represented by a link in a prayer chain to show the residents that they are not alone.-- Cookies: Each Kairos team member needs to bring 100 dozen cookies for the residents of Nottoway. They cannot have any coatings such as sugar or icing, or contain any type of fruits or nuts. They can be baked in advance and frozen, but please don’t freeze them before they completely cool or they will be prone to crumbling.-- Posters and placemats with messages and drawings from youth remind the participants of God’s love: For posters, please use half-size poster board. Any children who draw posters or placemats can include their age, but should only sign their first names, do not sign with last names. The mission of Kairos Prison Ministry is to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals and their families. Financial support can also be used to sponsor an individual participant or a table family for the weekend. Those who wish to contribute or have questions can contact Matt Deller or the church office. Opportunities to feed the hungry We hope you remember to bring a canned or boxed item of food each Sunday for THRIVE Peninsula. The need is great throughout our community. Please: check the expiration dates on what you are dropping off and do not bring any kind of medication. Medications of any kind are not distributed.
One way St. Andrew's serves our community is through the administration of grants from the Carolyn Lackey Trust Click here to learn more about the Lackey Trust and the grant-making process.
Applications for 2023 outreach funding are now being accepted. Parishioners may nominate organizations for funding via an application found here . The applications may be completed by someone from the organization, or a parishioner may complete it on behalf of an organization with which they are involved. Applications should be returned to the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 45 Main Street, ATTN: Diana Skelton, Newport News, VA 23601 or electronically via email to dskelton3@cox.net. The deadline for applications is the last Friday in November.
Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc.
St. Andrew’s is active in the Kairos Prison Ministry which takes place in various state prisons twice a year. The goal of the program is to create a self-sustaining Christian community within the prison. Team members receive 35 hours of training prior to entering a prison. You can support Kairos by baking cookies (Each team member takes 100 dozen. Click here for recipes.), praying for the teams, or supporting a weekend financially. For more information click here or contact Matt Deller.
PORT
Over a 20 week period during the winter months, homeless individuals can find warmth and safety thanks to an ecumenical and community effort. Doors are opened and home-cooked meals are served. Anyone over the age of 16 can assist with the onsite shelter program. Visit the "Current Outreach Projects" page for more info or contact the church office.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Members of the Prayer Shawl Ministry create shawls that will bring hope and peace to people at critical moments in their lives. Prayers of healing, comfort, love and support are shared or offered as the shawls are knitted or crocheted. All are welcome to participate by knitting or crocheting shawls or by providing yarn. To learn more or get involved, contact the Rev. Carol Chamberlain.
Turkey Sandwich Day
This annual mid-December event results in the assembly of over 500 brown bag lunches which are distributed at a Christmas party for the homeless in Newport News. Work begins in the fall with donations of hundreds of drinks, cookies, crackers, containers of applesauce, desserts, loaves of bread. On the day of the assembly parishioners, friends, and community members come together in the Parish Hall, divide the tasks, and go to work. For more info, contact Bill Wilds.
