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October 7, 2023
Service to people in need
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’…‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40)
South Oakland Shelter
SOS (South Oakland Shelter) is a program run by Lighthouse of Pontiac which helps homeless families transition to homes by supporting them with lodging, food, job transportation, etc.
Before COVID: St. Regis’ wonderful volunteers hosted a group of about 30 people in the school building each year for a week in June, providing lodging, transportation, food, entertainment, and support.
COVID drove major changes: the SOS clients are now housed in a motel and apartments, and churches, parishes, and other organizations fund their lodging and meals for the week. This summer was our first chance to interact with the “offsite” model. The St. Regis community, together with our Family of Parishes partners, supported about 90 people for the week of June 19-26. We raised funds for food and lodging, donated homemade lunches, desserts, snack bags, personal care items, craft supplies, and gift cards. In addition, we held 3 outdoor ‘family fun nights’ at the motel with great participation.
The Giving Tree
St. Regis has two “Giving Tree Projects”, one in Advent, in preparation for Christmas, and one in Lent in preparation for Easter.
For the Advent Giving Tree, individuals and families assist in preparing and distributing over one thousand tags for the Giving Tree and in organizing the gifts donated from beginning of November to the second week in December. In addition, volunteers assist in the vetting, coordination and delivery of the gifts to the participating inner city parishes. Some of the organizations and parishes we provide gifts to include:
- St. Moses the Black (formerly St. Benedict and St. Gregory) – Highland Park
- St. Charles Lwanga (formerly St. Cecilia and St. Leo) – Detroit
- St. Augustine and St. Monica – Detroit
- St. Aloysius Community Outreach – Detroit
- St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center – Detroit
- Michigan Council of Catholic Women (newborn baby layettes)
- Our Lady of Rosary – Detroit
- Mary’ Children Family Center – Clawson
- St. Christine’s Soup Kitchen and Outreach – Detroit
- St. Vincent de Paul Prison Outreach – Detroit
For more information, contact Deacon Francis King at francis.king@stregis.org or (248) 646-2686 Ext. 4012.
The Lenten Giving Tree Project is organized together with the Women of St. Regis. We encourage parishioners to provide gifts in support of the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund, Thank our Troops, Ladies of Charities, Mothers and Unborn Baby Care, and Care House.
For more information contact the parish office at (248) 646-2686.
Non-Perishable Food Drive
Parishioners of all ages may participate in this ministry by providing non-perishable food items each week at Mass for the Food Bank at the Church of the Transfiguration in Southfield. The Church of the Transfiguration is part of the Franciscan Outreach Program serving over 500 needy families. Volunteers help move the items from the hunger baskets in the vestibules to the storage closet each week, and other volunteers serve on a rotating basis to transport the food to the pantry. For more information, contact Cynthia Neer at cynthia.neer@stregis.org.
Donations to the food pantry are a regular Christian Service project for our school-aged children, too, who assist with all aspects of this ministry. For more information, contact Theresa Skwara at theresa.skwara@stregis.org
In addition to the weekly collections, the parish also supports seasonal food drives, such as supplies for the annual Thanksgiving Food Collection for St. Leo’s. Volunteers are always needed to assist with sorting, packing, and deliveries. For more information, contact Deacon Francis King at francis.king@stregis.org or (248) 646-2686 Ext. 4012.
For parishioners in need of food, arrangements can be made to assist them through the Food Bank at the Church of the Transfiguration. For more information, contact Cynthia Neer at cynthia.neer@stregis.org.
Meal Delivery Ministry
For parishioners in need of meal delivery service, e.g. returning home from a surgery, arrangements can be made to assist them through our local communities (e.g. meals on wheels) or donated meals by parishioners. Volunteers are needed to cook and deliver meals to our needy parishioners when dietary restrictions prevent the use of local community meals. For more information, contact Cynthia Neer at cynthia.neer@stregis.org
St. Vincent De Paul Clothing Drive
Young and old are invited to participate in this ministry. Volunteers accept drive-up clothing donations from parishioners and load them onto the St. Vincent de Paul pods in October on Saturday or Sunday before or after Mass. The time commitment is one hour, 30 minutes before Mass and 30 minutes after Mass. For more information, please contact the parish office at (248) 646-2686, or Cynthia.neer@st.regis.org