The purpose of the Social Responsibility Commission is two-fold: to reach out to those in need and to help eliminate the causes of social problems.
Advent Giving Tree
This ministry's goal is to encourage members of the parish to participate in Christmas gift donations to share the Christmas joy with those less fortunate. The parish supplies ornaments during the Advent season that state the gifts requested based on lists provided by several area agencies.
Parishioners purchase, wrap and attach the ornament back on the package and deliver them to the church after which members of the committee then help with the distribution.
Commitment: generally lasts form Thanksgiving to Christmas
CONTACT: Rosemary Guptill, 225-761-4145
All God's Children
This ministry is a partnership with inner-city schools (St. Gerard Elementary and Eden Park Elementary) to provide resources such as supplies and tools to help children learn. Parishioners from St. George are involved in a variety of ways: by providing school supplies, sorting, packaging and distributing supplies, tutoring, light duty maintenance and staff support (i.e. library and office help). Another important goal of this ministry is to foster a student exchange program between schools.
This ministry encourages adults and students to participate.
CONTACT: Joyce Jackson, 225-293-6250
Bereavement Committee
This ministry assists St. George families during times of bereavement by preparing food and offering support. There are three roles in this ministry: Contact People- who make calls to line up meals for the ministry; Cooks- who make meals and bring them to St. George; and Reception Servers- who welcome people to the funeral reception, serve, and help package up the remaining food.
Commitment: depends on a schedule prepared by the parish
CONTACT: Nancy Proctor, 225-752-5524
Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA)
This organization works closely to make real the ideals put forth in the National Mission Statement: "CDA strives to embrace the principle of faith working through love in the promotion of justice, equality, and the advancement of human rights and human dignity for all.” Court St. George's annual fundraiser is the Pancake Breakfast with Santa, and funds raised support many good causes, such as providing the Bishop Ott Shelter with meals and donations to St. Vincent de Paul and national CDA projects. All Catholic women (over the age of 18), regardless of parish, are invited to join CDA. The group meets on the third Sunday of every month at 7:15 p.m. in the St Luke Center.
The date for the CDA breakfast with Santa for December 2010 will be announced later.
Elizabeth Ministry
The Elizabeth Ministry is an outreach to women and their families during the joys, challenges, and sorrows of the child-rearing years. Elizabeth Ministry offers support in the form of visits, prayers, e-mail and phone calls, resources, and other assistance. The areas supported by the Elizabeth Ministry include, but are not limited to: pregnancy, birth, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant or child death, crisis or special needs, adoption, fertility and infertility. Women, their families and even grandparents can benefit from Elizabeth Ministry.
CONTACT: Lisa Goodin, 225-333-9659 or Kim Kleinpeter, 225-505-7837
Interfaith Federation
This St. George ministry includes St. George Church in a Federation of Interfaith Congregations in the Greater Baton Rouge area working to bring people of diverse faith, race, and economic status into communion with God and with each other.
The Interfaith Federation accomplishes these goals through the Holy Grill, Kids Café, Interfaith Caregivers, Annual Community Prayer Breakfast, Sounds of Community, the Human Race/Walk, and Social Justice Activities. St. George, along with other congregations, join together in the ministries of the Federation by offering volunteers, joining in on activities and publicizing events.
CONTACT: Dianne Hanley, 225-303-1509. (Contact Jimmy Lamy if you would like to serve at the Holy Grill, 225-293-2725)
Habitat for Humanity
The Habitat for Humanity ministry at St. George is part of a national program which provides decent housing to the low income. Churches, civic organizations and individuals pull together to buy building supplies, and literally work on site to construct a home for a qualified, low-income person.
Hundreds of St. George parishioners are already reaching out to those in need by working with Habitat. Being involved in this ministry enables you to share your time, talent and/or financial resources with Habitat. Carpentry, painting, landscaping, providing lunches for workers or helping to call and coordinate volunteers are just a few of the skills needed.
CONTACT: Bill Shedlof, 225-751-5940
Hospital Visitation
Members of the Hospital Visitation ministry visit the sick of our parish at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center twice a week. Members go in teams of two. Each pair visits parishioners in the hospital approximately once every six weeks on average.
CONTACT: Louise Chandler, 225-766-0843
Knights of Columbus Council 4030
The Knights of Columbus #4030 was chartered in 1955 and has been connected with St. George for over 30 years. Presently the Council has 320 members, but not all members are parishioners of St. George Parish. The KC's ministry focuses on five areas: Council, Youth, Community, Family and Church Programs.
The KC's meet on the first Tuesday and second Monday of each month at the KC Hall at 7070 Exchequer Drive. The Council coordinates their activities through the Parish office and is always looking for new members who are willing to serve the community
CONTACT: Ron Coco, 225-753-8947
Nursing Home Visitation
This ministry serves the residents of Heritage Manor, Lakewood Quarters, Village Woods, Landmark and The Haven Nursing Homes. This ministry is committed to providing Mass or a Eucharistic Service and Recitation of the Rosary on weekdays. The Sacrament of the Sick is celebrated at least twice a year. In appropriate situations, this ministry facilitates one-on-one visiting with some residents and serves as liaison for the nursing home and other St. George ministries for special projects and activities.
CONTACT: Kristel Neupert, 225-293-2212
EMAIL: kristeln@st-george.org
Parish Partnership
Parish Partnership has been a ministry of St. George since 1995. The committee's purpose is to be a liaison between St. Paul's Catholic Church located on Gus Young Avenue and St. George. This committee presents suggestions to other commission representatives as to how St. George could be more involved with the St. Paul community which may include Liturgy, Family Life, Spiritual Life, etc.
Commitment: varies as to project
CONTACT: Kristel Neupert, 225-293-2212
Prison Ministry
St. George parishioners have been ministering to the men at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center and Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola for many years. Throughout the month, Catholics from St. George and other parishes from the diocese meet with inmates for Bible study, Eucharistic celebrations and informal social gatherings.
All training for this ministry is done with experienced volunteers.
Commitment: monthly
CONTACT: Jay Jackson, 225-293-6250
Respect Life
The Respect Life committee works to foster a respect for all human life by raising the consciousness of parishioners throughout the year. Displays and reading material are made available to parishioners by members of this committee. Parish participation with diocesan Respect Life programs is also coordinated through this ministry.
Commitment: meets as needed, wtih emphasis in October and January
CONTACT: Kristel Neupert, 225-293-2212
St. Vincent de Paul
The St. Vincent DePaul Society is an international Catholic organization of laypersons that live their faith by loving and serving as Jesus did. The local parish ministry receives phone calls from parishioners and non-parishioners from the geographical boundaries of our parish seeking financial assistance.
Members of this ministry then make home visits to show them our care and concern and see what can be done to relieve their burdens. Typical help include utility payments, rental payments, prescription drugs, and clothing and furniture from the Diocesan Store. The St. Vincent De Paul ministry also may help motorist who drop in requesting gas or a night in a Motel, and some homeless who are drifting in and out of Baton Rouge. Their major annual project of collecting and assembling boxes of food at Thanksgiving provides meals for 65 to 70 families.
Funds are received as part of the annual parish budget and some holiday collections, plus contributions from parishioners.
Commitment: meetings every other week, emergency help calls handled immediately
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St. Vincent de Paul Needs Volunteers!
St. Vincent de Paul is in a crisis mode for volunteers. We presently have six volunteers who need assistance. We cannot fully function with only six volunteers. We need you!
This is how you can help. Give us one week a month of your time to be on call to help our clients, who live within our church boundaries. This volunteer service involves activities such as giving out food from our SVDP pantry, overseeing bill payment from our ministry funds, etc.
You will always be placed with another team member to learn our policies and procedures on how we assist our less fortunate neighbors. We need you! Please contact Paula DeCuir, volunteer president, at 205-5119 or pddecuir@cox.net.
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Working Interfaith Network (WIN)
The St. George Working Interfaith Network ministry works with the Baton Rouge community Working Interfaith Network to empower people of faith to achieve justice for a common good. This parish committee looks at social and civic issues in and around the St. George community and works through the proper system to effect change. The advantage of "networking” enables more people to be involved and thus become a stronger voice for the community.
CONTACT: Louise Chandler, 225-766-0843
Assisted Living, Nursing Homes and Hospitals
These are facilities within the St. George boundaries served by our parish:
Baton Rouge General Medical Center - Bluebonnet Center
Lakewood Quarters Hospital - 8225 Summa Ave.
Health South Hospital - 8595 United Plaza Blvd.
Haven at Windermere - 8225 YMCA Plaza Dr.
Heritage Manor - 9301 Oxford Place Drive
Jefferson Manor - 9919 Jefferson Hwy.
Lakewood Quarters Assisted Living - 8585 Summa Ave.
Landmark - 9105 Oxford Pl.
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center - Essen Lane
Sunrise - 8502 Jefferson Hwy.
Sunrise Nursing Home - 9351 Siegen Lane, 225-765-7538
Whealdon Estates - 8680 Jefferson Hwy.
Village Woods - 5323 Blair Lane
Bringing Your Gifts to Church - With You!
Have you done a home inventory lately and noticed that you own clothes, toys, small appliances or other miscellaneous household items you never use? Would you like to donate them to those who might need them more? If so, the St. Vincent de Paul Society has a large, metal bin in the parking lot located near the northwest entrance of the church for you to conveniently drop these items off.
The entrances of the church also have barrels for you to drop off non-perishable food items to help feed the needy. These items are also picked up on regular basis and delivered to those in need.
Writing to Public Officials
