Social
Justice Ministry
Social
Justice Ministry is at the heart of the Good Shepherd
Community's mission: to serve people in need, to do justice
where there is inequity, to stand for human dignity, and to
promote peace. Social Justice Ministry programs seek to promote
justice through:
•
Education about poverty, social issues, and the Church's social
mission;
• Service
to the poor and vulnerable in our parish and community;
•
Supportive programs that meet specific individual needs and
promote community.
Where
do you fit in?
If you desire to enrich your life,
please review the following listing. You are welcome to get in
touch with any of our contacts to sign up or just for more
details!
Some
notes to help with your search: 1) social justice-oriented
programs designed specifically for youth are posted under the
Youth Ministry listing; 2) if you are more interested in the
“behind the scenes” or strategic side of our ministry, consider
involvement with our Social Justice Committee; 3) the Social
Justice Ministry uses the Seven Themes of Catholic Social
Teaching as the structure for its programs and events so we have
provided a brief summary of each theme below its heading! Each
theme also has a “Theme Manager,” more or less an overall chair
of the theme; 4) if at the time of publication there is no
current program coordinator, please contact the pertinent theme
manager, or if there is not a theme manager, please contact the
Director of Social Justice!
Social Justice Committee
The Committee is a stratified body so that its members can carry
out its various functions on their own schedule and as they see
fit! The committee meets as a whole on a monthly basis, with a
representative from each of the sub-committees when possible,
while sub-committees meet on an as-needed basis. Quarterly the
entire committee will meet with the seven Theme Managers to
build relationships, share developments and challenges, and to
make sure everyone is on the same page. Functions of the
committee currently include the following: Chair
(provides meeting agendas and facilitates), Vice Chair
(reviews committee charter), Recorder (assists with
budget), Think Tank sub-committee (brainstorming and
research), IHD sub-committee (incorporating IHDs and the
Parish Pastoral Plan), One Community sub-committee
(developing the relationship between the Spanish and
English-speaking S.J. ministries), Communications
sub-committee (developing S.J. communications), and
Events sub-committee (leading the hosting of S.J. events)!
If you might be interested in becoming involved, know you are
welcome to join in meetings as an at large member until you find
a niche! Contact the Director of Social Justice with interest
or questions.
LIFE AND DIGNITY
Each one of us is made in God’s image. Basic dignity is not
something we earn; it is a gift of God. People are sacred and
more important than things.
(Divided as follows: Two Circle of Caring Ministries:
Ministries to the Homebound and Seriously Ill, and Ministries
for the Bereaved and Their Families, as well as Community Life
Ministries.)
Theme Manager: Ann Hyland – (703) 704-5285,
annhyland@cox.net.
Ministries to the Homebound and Seriously Ill,
Circle of Caring
Card Writing Ministry
Purpose:
To provide the homebound and seriously ill with support and
encouragement through card-writing.
Duties:
Each regular participant will receive a small fraction of the
names of those on the parish homebound and seriously ill listing each month and
will be responsible for sending a card to each of their assigned parishioners.
Commitment:
Regularly about one hour per month.
Program
Coordinator:
Marisa Scala-Foley – (703) 765-1936,
mscalafoley@cox.net.
Friendly Visitors
Purpose: Establish
friendships and help those who are homebound and seriously ill
maintain contact with the
parish community.
Duties: Volunteers make a
weekly visit to each of the parishioners they are
assigned to visit (often one or two) at a
time that fits their personal schedule. The willingness to bring understanding and a
smile is the only requirement.
Commitment: Usually between
one and two hours per week.
Program Coordinator: (no
coordinator as of the date of publication)
First Friday Eucharist
Purpose: To bring Communion
to our homebound parishioners.
Duties: Extraordinary
Ministers bring Communion to our homebound parishioners on
the first Friday of each
month, upon request. To serve one must already have been trained as a Sunday minister.
Commitment: One or two
hours per month.
Program Coordinator: Jean
Larson – (703)360-2111,
JMLtwinmama@aol.com.
Daily Hospital Extraordinary
Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC)
Purpose: To bring
Holy Communion to Catholic patients in Mount Vernon Hospital
upon request. To serve one
must already have been trained as a Sunday minister.
Duties: Volunteers are
responsible for any such requests while they are scheduled.
Recipient confidentiality must
be guarded with care.
Commitment: Volunteers
are asked to serve once every three to four months and are
scheduled for a week each
time.
Program Coordinator: Mary
Rice – (703) 780-4791,
nanarice2@aol.com.
Mount Vernon Nursing Center
Communion Service
Purpose: To
celebrate Communion Services at Mount Vernon Nursing Center
with residents.
Duties: Volunteers bring
the residents to the solarium and accompany them back to their
rooms following the service.
Commitment: A Communion
Service is held each Wednesday at 4:00pm. Total time commitment is less than two
hours per week.
Program Coordinator:
Kathleen Russell – (703) 780-8992,
kathleenrussell@yahoo.com.
Outreach to the Ill
Purpose: To telephone the
ill and especially those who are on our parish weekly prayer
list in order to find out how
they are doing, whether they are in need of additional services, and to let them know
they are in our thoughts and prayers.
Duties: To make telephone
calls to a fraction of those parishioners on the prayer list on
a one-time basis and assist with
necessary follow-ups.
Commitment: Up to half an
hour per week.
Program Coordinator: Doris
Wielga – (703) 765-6526,
sweilga@cox.net.
Transportation
Purpose: Provide
transportation for those who do not have vehicles to get around.
Duties:
Volunteers drive those in need to and from medical
appointments, usually in the local area, and to church activities such as weekend Mass.
Volunteers use their personal vehicles.
Commitment: Volunteers
assist as their schedule and location permit them to fulfill
individual needs as they arise. Volunteers usually assist on a
one-time or temporary basis, but regular needs do exist.
Program Coordinator: Pat
Connor – (703) 780-6022.
Ministries for the Bereaved
and Their Families, Circle of Caring
Bereavement Outreach
Purpose: To support the
families of Good Shepherd parishioners as they journey through
the grief process.
Duties: Throughout the year
following the death of a parishioner, four booklets are sent
to the next of kin explaining
the emotions they may be experiencing. A personal note is sent along with the
booklet.
Commitment: Three to four
hours per month.
Program Coordinator: Barbara Rufe – (703) 780-1180,
Brufe@aol.com.
Funeral Reception
Purpose: To help bereaved
families by offering a reception in Creedon Hall following
the funeral liturgy.
Duties:
Volunteers help by donating desserts or salads, setting up the
room, serving at the
reception, and/or cleaning up afterwards.
Commitment: Volunteers are
contacted on a rotating basis, and of course the scheduling
of
receptions is irregular, although they routinely occur during
the work week in the day
time. Time involved depends on the duties for which one
volunteers. Bringing in a
dish requires no
time on site, while up to four hours
could be necessary for setup, the reception, and cleanup.
Program Coordinators: Emma
Niemiec – (703) 780-8425,
miemiec@weichert.com and Ruth Lescher – (703) 780-7433,
rslescher@mac.com.
Holiday Grief Program
Purpose: To present
an annual discussion-centered workshop, hosted by a professional
facilitator, for those in our
parish who have lost a loved one and may be having difficulty facing the coming
holidays. This program always occurs in November.
Duties:
Volunteers are asked to provide refreshments for those in
attendance.
Commitment: Volunteers
need only assist on a one-time basis.
Program Coordinator: Judy
White – (703) 768-2087.
Mass of Remembrance and
Reception
Purpose: To hold a
special liturgy on All Souls Day to remember all of our
departed, especially those who have died during that year.
Duties:
Volunteers are needed for several duties involving the Mass:
liturgy planners, greeters, lectors, and assistance for guests during the candle
lighting service. Volunteers are also needed to assist with planning,
decoration and the provision of refreshments for the
reception.
Commitment: Assistance
with one or more of the described duties on a one time basis.
Program Coordinators: Carol
Coyle – (703) 780-7955,
carolcoyle@cox.net (Mass) and Irene Pippin– (703) 619-1292,
dpippin169@aol.com (reception).
Community Life Ministries
Alzheimer's Support Group
Purpose:
To provide a meeting space and opportunity for this group, in
cooperation with the
Alzheimer's Association of the National Capital area. This
group allows caregivers and family members to meet, provide emotional
support, and share experiences, coping skills, educational information, and
community resources.
Duties:
Come to share your experiences of life with persons with
Alzheimer’s disease.
Commitment: The group
meets the second Thursday of each month at 7:30pm.
Program Coordinators: Lucy
Marten – (703) 780-8743,
lucymarten@hotmail.com and Joan
Miller Sutton – (202) 285-6486,
Joan.Sutton@sunriseseniorliving.com.
Pro-life
Purpose: This
ministry focuses on the dignity and quality of life of all
individuals, from pre-birth through the end of earthly life. Activities are open
to the creativity and interest of volunteers!
Duties: This is a
budding ministry; therefore, volunteers will work together on
their own schedule and their own pace to enrich the parish through
pertinent activities or events of
their own design with the support of staff!
Commitment: No commitment
is required.
Program Coordinator: Stacy
Austin – (703) 980-8367,
stacyj309@yahoo.com.
Senior Social
Purpose: To provide a
social gathering of lunch and bingo for elderly parishioners and
community members the third
Tuesday of the month September through April. Paul Springs Retirement Community
staff orchestrates much of the events and their residents compose most of the
participants.
Duties: Volunteers are
needed to assist with setup, preparation of lunch, hosting the
event, and takedown.
Commitment: No commitment
required. If assisting with all efforts a volunteer can expect to spend about three
hours per event.
Program Coordinators: Ruth
Lescher – (703) 780-7433,
rslescher@mac.com or Barbara Sullivan, Paul Springs Staff –
(703) 768-0234.
WINGS
Purpose: To be a
support group, information resource, and outreach for families
who have a family member with a disability. The group meets monthly
and the dates are noted in the bulletin and the Sunday announcements. In addition
to regular meetings, there are also family social events and speakers of interest
throughout the year.
Duties: Volunteers might
share pertinent unique ideas or personal talents or experience
to
enrich the group and its activities!
Commitment: No
commitment required.
Program Coordinator: Kathy
Andrus – (703) 780-8856,
ANDRUS13@aol.com.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Laws, economics, public policy and the organization of society
influence the integrity and wellbeing of individuals and
families; these areas of governance should be decided upon by
the people who are most directly affected. We need to
participate in the shaping of our world.
Theme Manager: (no theme
manager as of the date of publication)
Ventures in Community (VIC)
Purpose: Volunteers
represent Good Shepherd at monthly meetings to promote
activities and programs of interest to the members of area churches and
community human services agencies, and to encourage an "ecumenical spirit" in
addressing local issues. VIC spearheads events such as the Crop Walk for Hunger and local
services such as
the winter Hypothermia Outreach Program (temporary night
shelter).
Duties: Participants
would attend meetings and share information and follow-up action
items with the Social Justice Director, Social Justice
Committee, and parish as is necessary.
Commitment: Each meeting
runs two hours, including lunch, and occurs the first Wednesday of the month September through May. In addition to
meeting attendance, minimal time would be necessary for the described
information sharing.
Program Coordinator: Jerri
Pogue – (703) 780-8737,
gbpogue@aol.com.
Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement in
Northern Virginia (V.O.I.C.E. in NoVA)
Purpose: To advocate for
social justice issues through Good Shepherd’s
growing involvement in VOICE in Northern Virginia (we are one of the 40+
faith communities involved!) VOICE, under the umbrella of the
Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), is a non-partisan, multi-racial, multi-faith,
citizens’ power organization, rooted in local congregations and other voluntary
associations to make change on social justice issues (e.g., affordable housing,
immigration, child care, etc.) affecting the lives of low- and middle-income residents in four
Northern Virginia jurisdictions: Prince William, Fairfax, Arlington, and
Alexandria.
Duties: Parishioners
can be involved in various ways—as members of the core organizing team, as researchers of social issues for advocacy
actions, as members of action groups to advocate in large groups, or in other ways you
may feel called.
Commitment: The minimal commitment would be to share
your ideas with the core organizing team and to attend action items as they arise
and as your schedule permits.
Program Coordinator: Clem Bezold – (703) 924-0204,
cbezold@altfutures.com.
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Fundamental human rights need to be protected. Coupled with
these rights is our individual and collective responsibility to
help meet the needs of one another and society as a whole.
Theme Manager: (no theme
manager as of the date of publication)
Annual Drives:
Purpose: To support needy members of our local community
through as-needed item donations to non-profits. Good Shepherd’s Social Justice
Ministry hosts three annual drives: the Mother’s Day Baby Shower Collection (May), the
School Supply Drive (August), and the Cradle Project (December). Donations go
directly to the Mariah Center, UCM and Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services.
Duties: Volunteers help to promote the drives and to
deliver donations to the respective local non-profits.
Commitment: There is no required commitment. Volunteers
may assist on a one-time or annual basis.
Program Coordinator: the Director of Social Justice –
(703) 780-4055.
Bikes for the World
Purpose: Each
year, in the fall, Good Shepherd collects repairable used bikes
and gives them to Bikes for the World, an
organization that repairs and ships bikes to third world
countries.
Duties: Volunteers help
prepare the bikes for shipment by removing pedals and turning
handle bars, along with a variety of
other jobs. There is a particular need for someone to schedule
and organize the event, as well as someone to do promotion,
write press releases, etc.
Commitment: It is always
held on a Saturday in the fall, usually 8:30am - 1:30pm.
Program Coordinator: (no
coordinator as of the date of publication)
Blood
Donor Assurance
Purpose: To provide an
opportunity, in cooperation with Mount Vernon Hospital, for
parishioners to donate blood to
support a program that allows parish members to receive transfusions through INOVA Blood Donor Services without
paying a replacement fee. These blood drives take place in Creedon Hall
and occur at scheduled times, usually three to four times a year.
Duties:
In preparation: assistance with signups in the church commons
after Masses for two
to three weeks preceding a drive. The day of a drive:
assistance with set-up, take-down, sign ins, or other operational functions.
Commitment: Volunteers are
on an as-needed basis and can volunteer for one or more specific functions on a one-time or regular basis.
Program Coordinator:
Elizabeth Schwenk – (703) 360-1181,
ewschwenk@msn.com.
Eleanor Kennedy Shelter Lunch
Program
Purpose:
To support the Kennedy
Shelter for homeless adults in their program that provides working residents all
the items needed to for a bag lunch.
Duties:
Each team of volunteers contributes to cover the expenses,
about twenty dollars per person. One or two members
shop for and deliver the items to the shelter.
Commitment:
Shopping and delivery trips occur six times a year. Total time
involved is about two to three hours for
shoppers and deliverers.
Program Coordinator:
Eileen Reosti – (703) 780-1950.
JustFaith (JF)
Purpose: To earnestly explore Catholic Social Teaching
in a small group setting. This extensive, conversion-based program provides a context in
which participants can grow in their commitment to care for the vulnerable and to
become advocates for justice. JustFaith was designed to strengthen the growing
commitment of individuals and parishes to be agents of social transformation, mercy,
and compassion, focused through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. Through
readings, videos, prayer, speakers, Scripture reading, and discussions, participants
explore an array of social issues in some depth.
Duties: Regular attendance, preparation (significant
reading), and participation. Provision of refreshments for weekly gatherings rotates
through all participants.
Commitment: 30 weeks of gathering once per week for two
and a half hours at a time. Opening and closing retreats, three off-site Saturday
gatherings. Breaks in regular meetings occur around Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New
Year, and Holy Week.
Program Coordinator: the Director of Social Justice –
(703) 780-4055.
Mental Health Awareness Team (MHAT)
Purpose: Reaching out to educate, to fight stigmas, and
to bring hope to those with mental illness, their families, and the communities
surrounding them.
Duties: Volunteers discern speaker topics, seek and
secure speakers, coordinate advertising, and attend to most other details of the
events.
Commitment: There are three or four speaker events per
year, which require about six planning meetings per year, usually held Sundays after a
mass.
Program Coordinator: Bill Zaccagnino – (703) 360-5517,
wzaccagnino@cox.net.
Mondloch House Milk Program
Purpose:
To provide milk to a
local shelter for homeless families. Average cost to the
volunteer for 20 gallons of milk is $60-70. This is a good
experience for families.
Duties:
Volunteers purchase and deliver the milk to Mondloch House, the
family shelter.
Commitment:
Good Shepherd volunteers provide milk twice a month. Each
volunteer or volunteer family is
asked to help once a year, requiring about 1 ½ hours per
occasion.
Program Coordinator: Carol Kennedy – (703) 780-7779.
Parish Health
Purpose: This is a
developing ministry that hosts one or two events a year, such as
a flu shots event. The primary
function of this ministry is information sharing on health issues with the parish.
Duties: There are
opportunities to serve as a liaison to different parish
populations (youth community, senior community,
etc.), disseminating health and wellness information and assisting with events.
Commitment: Serving as a
liaison would require a couple of hours per month.
Program Coordinator: Jane
Gallagher – (703) 360-4543,
janegallagher@verizon.net.
Sharing Sunday
Purpose: Sharing Sunday is a monthly collection
of non-perishable food and paper products that occurs the first Sunday of each month.
Parishioners bring in donations around all Mass times the first weekend of every month.
Duties: Volunteers are needed to fulfill two functions
for this program: bag preparation and delivery. For bag preparation volunteers take home
five hundred flyers, staple them to brown paper bags, and return them to the office
when completed. For delivery volunteers use personal vehicles to transport
donations collected at an assigned Mass from the church commons to United Community
Ministries (UCM), about three miles away.
Commitment: For bag preparation: this is not a regular
commitment. For delivery: about one hour per month, after whichever Mass you normally
attend. The UCM Food Closet is only open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. to receive
donations on those Sundays. You can expect to be asked to volunteer four to
six times per year.
Program Coordinator: Barbara Micale – (703) 780-5826,
blmicale@aol.com.
Shepherd's Gate Grant Program
Purpose:
Shepherd's Gate is a small grant
program that supports nonprofit agencies or
organizations that reflect our parish mission.
Duties:
After the June 30 application deadline, volunteers are needed to
make copies of all application submissions for
review. An ad hoc committee of five or seven parishioners who may be
experienced in grant writing or human service delivery are asked to decide the grant
winners with consensus. These committee members cannot have any affiliation with any
applicant organization.
Commitment:
Application copying can take up to a
few hours. The ad hoc committee members will need to review all
applications (usually 25-30) on their own prior to a one-time meeting in late July
or early August. This meeting endures about three hours and is when decisions of
grant distribution are made.
Program Coordinator:
the Director of Social Justice –
(703) 780-4055.
OPTING FOR THE POOR AND VULNERABLE
The test of our society’s real moral worth is how we treat the
most vulnerable people in our midst. Working with the poor and
vulnerable is a special duty.
Theme Manager: (no theme
manager as of the date of publication)
Christ House
Purpose: To regularly serve a meal to homeless
individuals and families.
Duties: Duties are divided among four teams per evening,
sharing the purchasing, cooking, delivery, and/or
serving of an entrée and desert for 50-75 adults and children.
Commitment:
GSCC has teams for the first Thursday and Saturday of each
month, as well as the first Friday of
all even-numbered months. Volunteers participate on a rotating basis, usually once every two months. The meal is brought to Christ House
(S. West St., Old Town) by 4:30 pm, when reheating can
occur. Meal service is 5 – 6pm. About two hours are required per meal service.
Program Coordinator: Celia Boertlein – (703) 360-3735,
Cboertlein@aol.com.
Meals on Wheels
Purpose: To help elderly and homebound local community
members remain independent and in their homes through nutritious meals, daily safety
checks, and friendly interaction where these things are not already present.
Duties: Volunteers use their person vehicles to pickup
meals from Mount Vernon Hospital and deliver them along an assigned route.
Commitment: Drivers can volunteer to deliver prepared
meals weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Meals are picked up between 10:30 and 11am. It
takes two hours on average to complete a delivery route. Substitute drivers are also
needed.
Program Coordinator: Jane Smith – (703) 780-6186,
genjeffrey@aol.com.
Nurturing Parent Program
Purpose: Through preparing, serving, and sharing in
supper to support this Department of Family Services program, which offers classes to parents
and their children to help them learn new ways to work together as a family.
Duties: Volunteers create a supper of their choice for
class participants, instructors, and all volunteers; the meal is prepared and served at a Mt.
Vernon area church.
Commitment: At least three volunteers are needed to
commit to a date once a month for the duration of a class. Class duration varies from three
to six months.
Program Coordinator: (no
coordinator as of the date of publication)
Route One Community Kitchen
(ROCK)
Purpose:
The ROCK program,
supported by several area churches, provides a hot lunch for
needy individuals and families.
Duties:
Teams of Good Shepherd volunteers prepare and serve meals. Meals
are prepared in the
church's kitchen and served at the Elks Lodge on Richmond
Highway. Duties include; being a shopper, cook, delivery person
or server on a regular or substitute basis.
Commitment:
three Wednesdays per month. Over 20 volunteers donate one to
three hours of
their time once a month.
Program Coordinator:
(no coordinator as of the date of publication)
DIGNITY OF WORK
The dignity of the person and the dignity of work are intimately
connected. The basic rights of workers must be protected.
(We currently have no programs that fall under this theme; if
you are interested in exploring possibilities please contact the
Director of Social Justice!)
Theme Manager: (no
coordinator as of the date of publication)
SOLIDARITY
The teaching of the gospel calls us to love and service our
neighbor and to expand the concept of neighbor beyond familial,
national, racial, and religious limits. We are called to be one
human family and in a special way to manifest our solidarity
with those less fortunate.
Theme Manager: (no
coordinator as of the date of publication)
Awareness Events
Purpose: To offer engaging parish events that aim to
improve participants’ awareness, knowledge, and understanding of various social justice
issues centered about poverty.
Duties: Volunteers help to plan and prepare for events.
Additional assistance is needed for the actual running of the event, such as setup or
meal-serving.
Commitment: Anyone may become involved to the extent
that they are interested. Currently, the only regularly scheduled event occurs on
Shrove Tuesday.
Program Coordinator: (no
coordinator as of the date of publication)
CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION
We are called upon to live in harmony with one another and with
God’s creation. Stewardship of the environment is a requirement
of our faith.
Theme Manager: Jean Rausch – (703) 780-3398,
jeanrausch@cox.net.
Environmental Stewardship
Purpose: To provide parishioners an understanding that
we all have a role to be good shepherds of God’s Creation by providing educational
seminars and activities to help us do our part to positively impact the environment at
home, in our church, in our community and for the world.
Duties: Volunteers can organize educational sessions to
inspire or inform the church community of opportunities for environmental stewardship,
such as hosting the annual environmental film festival, organize activities in the
local community to help clean up local treasures, organize and supervise youth group
environmental service projects, establish a church network of interested parishioners to
exchange ideas to help improve the environment, assist in implementing
environmental practices in the parish facilities, organize tree plantings, and other activities.
Commitment: Depending upon interest, volunteer
opportunities can vary from organizing or participating in a one-time activity, to
providing ongoing support in a particular area.
Program Coordinator: Jean Rausch – (703) 780-3398,
jeanrausch@cox.net.
