Community Outreach Commission News
St. Mary’s Elementary School in Fairfield is seeking volunteers to help them organize their school library this spring. Assistance to this parish school is part of the ongoing community outreach of St. Francis Xavier School and Church. Groups or individuals interested in helping with this effort can contact Sherrill Ford, 956-3952 or Dick Schmalz, 936-7890. Previously SFX has donated items for the school yard sale and eight computers for the school’s computer education program and provided money and a contractor to install carpeting at the school.
In addition to help with the library, the school can use additional computers, books, and supplies.
The Firehouse Shelter (252-9571) provides homeless men with food and shelter. Currently, St. Francis Parishioners serve dinner on the third Saturday and Sunday of every other month. Volunteers are divided into teams and are asked to provide and serve a meal three times a year to an average of about 55 men. Team leaders co-ordinate food assignments. Our Sunday group could use more help now. Additional teams would be welcome. Contact Barbara Moore 870-3366
Meals on Wheels in the Mountain Brook Area was started by our women's sodality 20 years ago. St. Francis teams up with St. Luke's Episcopal, Canterbury Methodist, Shades Valley Presbyterian and Mountain Brook Baptist Churches to deliver lunch to elderly homebound persons in our Parish. SFX delivers meals on Wednesdays. Volunteers pick up meals at Mountain Brook Baptist Church. Delivery takes approximately an hour and a half. Contact Dolores Parish 967-8013.
Meals on Wheels in the Homewood and Goldwire Area serves low income elderly and homebound lunch daily. St. Francis uses about 30 volunteers and each person signs up for an assignment just once a month. Pickup is at the Two Towers building on Southside and takes approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. Volunteers and substitutes are welcome. Contact Marlyss Giles at 595-5954.
Food Drives help feed the poor. In addition to the annual Thanksgiving and Lenten Food drives, St. Francis Community Outreach is adding a Summer Food Drive to help when Food Bank donations and supplies are especially low. Parishioners pick up empty grocery sacks at church with a list of needed items and are asked to fill the sacks and deliver them back to SFX when they come to Mass. Donations go to the Catholic Center of Concern, Greater Birmingham Ministries and St. Barnabas Church Pantry according to need.
The Holiday Sharing Tree collects toys, games, books, puzzles, clothes and toiletries to give to the poor at Christmas. Volunteers are needed to make ornaments that list a specific age and item needed and to set up and decorate the tree. Everyone is asked to take an ornament and purchase that item and place it under the tree. Later, volunteers are needed to sort and deliver items to Greater Birmingham Ministries, Marks Village After School Program, and the Firehouse Shelter. Contact Barbara Moore 870-3366.
This page was updated on January 10, 2008