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Reaching out with tangible love to our neighbors in need.
The Outreach Committee listens for and responds to local, national and international neighbors in need with hands-on and financial support.
Locally, the church actively assists Bethany Women's Center, FACETS (Fairfax Area Christian Emergency and Transitional Services, Inc.), Food for Others, Martha's Table, Reston Interfaith, Refugee Resettlement, and Sunrise Assisted Living Center. These groups work on a daily basis with the hungry, poor, ill-housed or homeless persons in our local and surrounding communities. Church activities range from weekly sandwich making to making and serving monthly dinners to annual filling of Easter baskets, school backpacks and Christmas stockings for homeless children.
Nationally, a large Church of the Good Shepherd led team travels annually to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to improve homes and community buildings and learn more about the Lakota Sioux culture. The 2007 trip will take place from Wednesday, June 27th through Friday, July 6th.
Gleaning efforts benefit Society of St. Andrews and cookie baking benefits Kairos, an ongoing prison ministry.
Internationally, the church encourages and supports mission trips. Delegations have traveled to and will continue to travel to the Gulf Coast for repair work. A Haiti support team looks at ways to work in Haiti and takes a yearly trip. The church sponsors refugee families and we are awaiting the arrival of a family. We support the Heifer Project and World Vision. As a Global Mission Partner we have an ongoing commitment to support missionaries. |
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FACETS, Fairfax Area Christian Emergency and Transitional Services, Inc., is a nonprofit locally based organization created in l988 to provide transitional support services and nutritious evening meals to the homeless population in western Fairfax County. FACETS drives a mobile resource center, tutors and mentors youth, coordinating a broad-based network of resources.
FACETS is housed at 10565 Lee Highway, Suite 10 in Fairfax, phone 703-352-5090.
How we participate:
- Fill Easter baskets
- Donate school supplies each August
- From Nov. 2004 - Nov. 2006 we sponsored a family in their transitional housing program. We provided financial resources, mentoring, and other support as a family moved from homelessness to self-sufficiency. As of January 2007, the head of the family learned to drive and received a licence, bought a car, graduated from an apprentice program and has full time employment, and is renting an apartment.
- Participate in their Hot Meals Program by cooking a meal on the 4th Thursday of each month. After preparing the meal, another team delivers it to the four distribution stops. Any leftover food is taken to the shelter.
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It's hard to drive through Washington, D.C., without seeing the homeless sleeping on the grates, park benches or in store doorways at night. Some of the homeless are able to stay overnight in a shelter. Some women, some of whom have children, are fortunate enough to find space at Luther Place, a shelter for women on Thomas Circle. During the day, most homeless are on their own. Bethany Women's Day Care Center provides support and meals to women during the day and is only one of two day care facilities serving meals to the homeless women in the District on Saturday and Sunday. Bethany relies on organizations like the church for food and support.
Every fourth Sunday of each month, church members prepare, deliver and serve a complete dinner to 60 women at Bethany Women's Center. On Thanksgiving, church members prepare, deliver and serve a full traditional meal to Bethany Center residents and nearby drop-ins.
The following are some of the things we will do to make this very easy:
- We provide the recipe for a casserole and a salad.
- The menu will be posted months in advance and is available here.
- All meals are prepared in advance in disposable containers and brought to the church on the Sunday, ready for transport to the Bethany Center.
Directions to Bethany Women's Center:
Take Rt 66 east to DC onto Constitution Ave, left (north) onto 12th or 13th Street, and left (west) onto N Street NW, looking for 1333 N St NW on right of one-way street. Double park to take food, then find parking on street, maybe having to circle block(s). Better yet, follow coordinator's van to site. Current coordinator is Susan Shearhouse. Round trip time approximately 3 hours, 10:30 am-1:30 pm, every fourth Sunday. Sign up on bulletin board in the Information Center.
Bethany Women's Center is part of N Street Village, a ministry founded by Luther Place Memorial Church. A year ago the ministry added Sojourner Truth House, a group home for dually-diagnosed women. Visits, additional volunteering or individual contributions to N Street Village can be arranged by contacting them directly: 202-939-2071.
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As often as can be arranged, preferably twice annually, the church makes approximately 2,000 sandwiches for homeless persons in Washington, D. C. After worship services on Sunday morning, members gather in the Fellowship Hall to put together cheese and bologna sandwiches, bag, and deliver them to Martha's Table. In partnership with McKenna's Wagon, donated food is picked up and redistributed to more than 3,000 children and adults daily.
Martha's Table operates a food pantry, learning and literacy programs, and hosts field trips in addition to making and serving 65 gallons of soup and beverages to be served with the sandwiches.
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Every summer since 1994, the Church has sponsored an annual mission trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in order to:
 Build, repair, and refurbish homes and community buildings;
Engage local reservation children with a stimulating program of activities;
Conduct other community development and assistance activities
Provide scholarships for students at the Oglala Lakota College; and
Increase team members' understanding and appreciation of Native American culture, particularly the Oglala Lakota.
The Pine Ridge Reservation is consistently among the poorest counties in the United States with unemployment near 85 percent and high incidences of alcoholism, diabetes, high infant mortality, and poor housing conditions. Our long-distance, long-term commitment has been a catalyst for generating many other resources and groups to this deprived area.
Maybe you have read about life on the Reservation or perhaps you have listened to a team member recount their experiences and want to do something. Join us. You can make a real difference to the people of the Pine Ridge Reservation.
The Lakota Mission Team is sponsored by the Church of the Good Shepherd but welcomes team members from any church. Currently, there are team members from several churches, denominations, and faiths.
Lakota Mission Team Council
The Council meets monthly at the Church and welcomes team members from the congregation as well as from many other churches to join them. A successful trip requires careful planning. There are a variety of jobs to be done in this preparation: For instance, securing airline tickets for everyone on the team, maintaining the tents that we use on the reservation, planning activities for the children.
While on the reservation, a variety of cultural events enrich our understanding of the Native Americans. These include lectures and presentations by local elders, tribal council and other government officials, demonstrations of local crafts, side trips to pow wows, the hospital, courthouse, public schools, Wounded Knee, Oglala Lakota College, Red Cloud Indian School, etc. All these activities, as well as planning for the trip, are the responsibility of the Council.
Additional Information
To learn more about our history and ongoing plans please see our newsletter, Lakota Feather, below.
Pictures
View some representative photos(opens in a new window).
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