Outreach
We look for new opportunities to serve God and our fellow sisters and brothers
Through St Elizabeth's outreach, we endeavor to follow Christ's teaching by working together with partners, locally and globally, building relationships, and sharing our time, talents and financial resources with our fellow sisters and brothers.
To get involved in any of the St Elizabeth's Outreach programs,
please fill out the outreach form.
Care Pantry
Liberating Ourself from Racism
Appalachia Service Project
Every other year, the high school youth travel to Central Appalachia for a week of service and outreach. As Appalachia Service Project (ASP) volunteers, the youth, under the supervision of many dedicated adults, spend a week participating in home repair ministry and relationship building. Volunteers and ASP staff work together to make homes warmer, safer and drier for low-income home owners and their families in Central Appalachia.
Blackstone School Partnership
"Make a difference" - This usually trite statement takes on real meaning when applied to the St. Stephen's B-Safe (Summer) and B-Ready (secondary school support) programs partially funded by the diocese and initiated and administered by St. Stephen's mission church in South End Boston. Cooperating with a Boston Schools' experimental school's program, B-Ready has "adopted" Blackstone School for contributing resources and volunteers to enhance education. St. Elizabeth's joined this initiative by "adopting" a first grade class after 8 parishioners visited a classroom during library time in May of 2014. We yearly collect school supplies and help in updating the technology for the Blackstone school. In addition, volunteers continue to read books to classrooms of students each week during 'library time.'
The Pearl Street Cupboard & Cafe at Park
The mission of the Pearl Street Cupboard & Cafe at Park is to give support to individuals who find themselves experiencing economic and personal challenges by providing hot meals in a respectful, dignified and welcoming social setting.
The Cafe used to serve at the Salvation Army's Miracle Kitchen, but in January 2018, the Salvation Army's "Miracle Kitchen" program ceased operations. At the same time, the Pearl Street Cafe expanded its hot meals program at the Cafe to five days a week, Monday through Friday. The two organizations agreed to combine their volunteer forces to staff the combined meal program at the United Way's Peral Street Cupboard & Cafe location at it's 46 Park Street Framingham MA location. The Salvation Army is moving to a smaller temporary location at 59 Howard Street, which is more suitable for most of the organization's needs. However, the new Corps location doesn't have a kitchen, so joining forces at the United Way site, which seats 118 at a time, makes sense for both social service agencies. The goal of both organizations is to offer a helping hand by continuing to feed people in the community.
On the second Tuesday of each month, volunteers from St. E's help serve hearty meals to approximately 80 individuals at the Pearl Street Cafe. Volunteers age 8 and up are welcome! Most months, we need between 9 and 11 volunteers to help serve a restaurant-style meal from 5:00pm until clean up (between 7 and 7:30pm). Click here to sign up to volunteer. For more information, contact Susanne Gilliam or Carol Davies.
Ecclesia Ministries, Spring Baskets and the Giving Tree
In December, we sponsor the Giving Tree, which is an opportunity for parishioners to give Christmas gifts for needy families in Sudbury and gifts for the Ecclesia Ministries for the homeless men and women in Boston. Gift cards, warm winter clothing, including socks, hats and gloves are collected and distributed to the homeless.
Ecclesia Ministries works out of our Diocesan Cathedral on Tremont Street in Boston. Clergy and volunteers have been actively engaged in daily street ministry in Boston since 1994. They provide outdoor Sunday worship known as Common Cathedral at the Boston Common. Pastoral care, teaching, mission, study, recovery, and other aspects of community are offered to mitigate the isolation experienced by people living in shelters and on the street.
Spring Baskets - In the spring, members of the parish fill baskets with food and other items requested for families in Sudbury. This effort is coordinated with the Town of Sudbury's Social Worker.
Sister Relationship with St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Dorchester
In addition to the many projects listed above, St. Elizabeth's began exploring the possibility of something new -- of building relationships based on reciprocity and mutuality with people in Boston. One of the beautiful things about being part of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is that is connects us with people we would otherwise never encounter. We are bound by a shared faith and a shared liturgy. We are all in communion, in relationship, with one another across a wide spectrum of experience.
In November 2015, we began to explore the possibility of a sister relationship with St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Dorchester. We have shared several events with them and hope to keep this relationship growing and vibrant. As this relationship grows, we might worship together, hear their steel pan band, receive Brazilian dance lessons from Padre Edwin Johnson, or hold joint fellowship, youth group, or outreach activities. We would be spiritual companions, seeing what we have to offer each other, what we have to learn from one another, and what we might do together. Our commonalities are far greater than our differences. Please click on the link to read more about the activities at St Mary's.