Outreach Ministries

We welcome all parishioners and community members to join on of our outreach ministries. We offer many opportunities to serve our community at St. Maria Goretti and the greater Madison area.

Outreach Updates

First of all, thank you to all who have donated to the Outreach Fund during this pandemic. While our usual ministries have changed during these times (see below) we are using the Outreach Funds to help our neighbors in need.

Snack Packs
Even though we cannot get together to assemble snack packs for the Meadowood neighborhood, there is still hunger in our neighborhood. We need several volunteers to make 25 sandwiches each and drop them off at SMG. We have enough volunteer for October, but if you would like to help in the future, please email Deacon Dick at dick.martin@stmariagoretti.org. The sandwiches will be put into the snack bags along with an applesauce cup and a granola bar. The bags will be donated to Coach Assad of the Mellowridge Foundation who will distribute them to hungry children. Hunger is still a issue for the neighborhood, especially because of the pandemic. While the Madison School District is providing breakfasts and lunches for children, they are delivering an entire week's worth of food on Monday. Because of a lack of refrigerator space, some of the food spoils. In other instances, because of hunger in the family, the food is gone by Wednesday. Our snack packs will help alleviate some of this hunger. Donations to the Outreach Fund will be used to purchase perishable items for the packs like cheese sticks and Gogurt. Thank you for helping our neighbors in need.

CMC & Luke House Meals
Speaking of the meals at the CMC and Luke House, while they still continue, they are substantially changed. Luke House is preparing bagged lunches for its clients. To make it easier as their staff prepares the lunches Luke House is purchasing the lunch items except for homemade cookies and bars which our volunteers are donating. At the CMC staff and select volunteers are preparing a hot meal daily that is served as carryout in their parking lot. The SMG Outreach Fund has given donations to both Luke House and the CMC to purchase food used in their programs.

SVdP Food Pantry
Many parishioners from SMG have been faithful helpers at the SVDP food pantry sorting donations, stocking shelves and helping clients “shop” at food pantry. Because of the pandemic SVDP is delivering food to its clients as they drive through the SVDP parking lot using pre-packed boxes of food. To create these pre-packed boxes SVDP is getting their supplies from Second Harvest and other vendors and has asked for financial donations rather than product. So, what happens to food that is put into the red bins at SMG? They are donated to the seasonal workers at the Queen of Americas Mission in Cambria and the food pantry at the Multicultural Center.

Cambria Mission
Since the middle of June the seasonal workers at the canning factories in Cambrian have come to the Queen of Americas Mission for celebrate mass. It is a wonderful, vibrant community but it is a little smaller than last year. For COVID safety reasons the factories have hired few people this year but they are working longer hours, which is good because they get paid overtime but many are getting worn out. But even with the long work hours they faithfully come to Mass each Sunday, and in case you missed it, Bishop Hying has been up twice to celebrate with the community. They will be in Cambria at least until the middle of September.

Housing Needs
If you have been following the news you know that housing for the poor is a major concern. With the pandemic there has been a moratorium on evictions and utility shutoffs but as these moratoriums expire there will be people who will lose their housing. SMG has been working with Good Shepherd Lutheran and Orchard Ridge UCC along with Joining Forces for Families to keep families with children in their homes. SMG has also kept a reserve in the Outreach Fund to help any of our parishioners should they face housing issues.

- Deacon Dick

Support Outreach Ministries

For cash/check donations, please use the monthly blue Outreach Envelope. We appreciate your generous support for all the various outreach ministries. Thank you!

• Give Online (Outreach Fund)