Grace-St. Luke’s Parish Vision for Outreach is reaching beyond our internal parish life to serve God’s people and the wider community through acts of charity and volunteer opportunities to further the mission of a particular ministry, agency, or organization. The mission of the GSL Outreach Committee is to:
. . . to help develop, coordinate, and promote opportunities for Grace-St. Luke’s parishioners to continue the work of Christ through actively serving the world in God’s name. This means using every means available to help parishioners understand the Gospel imperative to feed the hungry, clothe and shelter the needy, care for the sick and visit the imprisoned, as well as the Christian call to be an instrument of healing in our broken world.
Servant Ministry Partners are the agencies and programs (below) supported by GSL through which we serve our neighbors, beyond and within its doors. Our support is derived from funds the Vestry provides for Outreach, donations designated for Outreach ministries and clergy discretionary funds to further the mission of these agencies and programs. Ministry Contacts are available in to assist interested individuals and households with identifying ongoing or seasonal opportunities to sign up and serve.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Day Services operates dementia-specific therapeutic activity adult day programs at two centers in the Memphis area. GSL Liaison: Barbara King at mimikingx6 [at] outlook [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Ruthann Shelton at rshelton [at] adsmemphis [dot] org or Stacey Sears at ssears [at] adsmemphis [dot] org
Church Health provides health care and wellness services to low-moderate income uninsured patients. GSL Liaison: Rivers Powers at rivers.powers [at] gmail [dot] com. Volunteer Contact: Sharon Jones at joness [at] churchhealth [dot] org
Citizens for Community Values offers assistance to victims of sex trafficking and exploitation. GSL Liaison: Phillip Ramsey Rule at ramseyrule87 [at] gmail [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Lacey Craig at lacey [at] ccvmemphis [dot] org
A Step Ahead Foundation offers free long acting reversible contraceptives to low income women in order to encourage them to delay starting a family until they are emotionally mature financially stable. GSL Liaison: James Drummond at drummondjamesf [at] gmail [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Amy Mulroy at amy [at] astepaheadfoundation [dot] org
Community of St. Therese of Lisieux provides a safe home with the services / goods needed to build physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually healthy women who will re-enter society following battles with prostitution and addiction. GSL Liaison: James Drummond at drummondjamesf [at] gmail [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Sandra Ferrell at lisieuxcommunity [at] gmail [dot] com
Community Table nurtures an organic community garden that serves the Mid-South Food Bank and provides food to others in need. GSL Liaison: Patti Newsom at pattinewsom [at] gmail [dot] com. Volunteer Contact: Sarah Taylor at communitytablememphis [at] gmail [dot] com
Dorothy Day House of Hospitality provides temporary housing and support services for homeless families. GSL Liaison: Patti Newsom at pattinewsom [at] gmail.com [dot] Volunteer Contact: Sister Maureen Griner at mgriner [at] aol [dot] com
Exchange Club Family Center is a volunteer service organization that has child abuse treatment and prevention as a focus area. GSL Liaison: Ruthie Lentz, rlentz [at] comcast [dot] net Volunteer Contact: Jennifer Balink jbalink [at] exchangeclub [dot] net
Gilda’s Club was created in honor of Saturday Night Live’s Gilda Radner and provides a place where men, women, and children with any type of cancer and their family and friends can come together for free support and education while learning to live with the disease. GSL Liaison: Betsy Black at betsybmemphis [at] yahoo [dot] com. Volunteer Contact: Laurel Niday at laurel [at] gildasclubmemphis [dot] org
Memphis Child Advocacy Center provides forensic interviews, victim advocacy, and therapy services for victims of child abuse. GSL Liaison: Rivers Powers at rivers.powers [at] gmail [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Mark Jordan at mjordan [at] memphiscac [dot] org
Memphis Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) operates a multi-faceted program delivering services to low income Memphians. GSL Liaison: Bill Pichette at picwill [at] rocketmail [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Linda Marks at lmarks [at] mifa [dot] org
Mid-South Sober Living provides transitional housing and support services for individuals who are starting on the road to recovery from addiction. GSL Liaison: Barbara King at mimikingx6 [at] outlook [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Walter Williams at wwilliams [at] midsouthsoberliving [dot] org
Multi-National Ministries serves the refugee/immigrant community in Memphis through faith-based programs for cultural transition and achieving academic success through its Homework Help tutoring project. GSL Liaison: Betsy Black at betsybmemphis [at] yahoo [dot] com. Volunteer contact: Laurie Graves-Morris at laurie [at] mlfonline [dot] org
Neighborhood Christian Centers guides those in need toward stability and sustainability through Christ-centered ministries and empowerment programs. GSL Liaison: Ruthie Lentz, rlentz [at] comcast [dot] net Volunteer Contact: Jeremy Gray at jaergray [at] gmail [dot] com
Porter-Leath provides a continuum of high-quality early childhood and social service programs including Books from Birth, which promotes kindergarten readiness and strengthens family bonds by providing high quality, age appropriate, monthly books for children throughout Shelby County from birth to age five. GSL Liaison: James Drummond at drummondjamesf [at] gmail [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Natalie Jones at njones [at] porterleath [dot] org .
Saint Columba Episcopal Center-Camp Able serves diversely-abled children including those with Down syndrome, autism, ADHD and similar challenges. GSL Liaison: Bill Pichette at picwill [at] rocketmail [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Suzanne Cantwell at suzanne [at] saintcolumbamemphis [dot] org
Saint George's Summer Camp receives funding from GSL for fourteen low-income children to attend the St. George’s summer academic enrichment camp. GSL Liaison: Katie Savage, katierue516 [at] yahoo [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Maggie Murff at mmurff [at] sgis [dot] org
Samaritan Counseling Center provides faith-based counseling through a ministry of healing to those seeking a balance of emotional, relational and spiritual health. GSL Liaison: Katie Savage, katierue516 [at] yahoo [dot] com Volunteer Contact: Brooks Moneypenny at brooks.monypeny [at] samaritanmemphis [dot] org or Earl Donelson at Earle.donelson [at] samaritanmemphis [dot] org
The Clergy and Lay Leadership for Outreach encourage everyone at Grace-St. Luke’s to find a place to serve our neighbors, and we have ample ways to do so with a wide range of Servant Ministry Partners. Still not sure how to get involved? Contact one of the Outreach Ministry members or a member of the Clergy. They would be happy to help you identify where your time, talent, and treasure can be used as forms of servant ministry.
