dates, resources, service, curriculum

Our Lady’s Inn

https://ourladysinn.org/volunteer/

Carla Howard-Owens 314-351-4590

Application process-links on line

Confidentiality Form

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Opportunities to volunteer to support a ministry to people that are without homes and resources are available at Peter and Paul Community Services.  Homemade meals, sandwiches, and possibly in-person volunteering are needed.

To volunteer contact:

Kati Ballard Hoffman

(She, Her, Hers)

Volunteer Coordinator

Peter & Paul Community Services

2612 Wyoming Street | Saint Louis, MO 63118-2402

Main 314.588.7111 | Direct 314.338.8191 | Mobile 417.693.7304(text is best)

www.ppcsinc.org

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Stewards of Hope International

From Lynette Olwig, St. Gabriel parishioner:

Stewards of Hope International (SOHI--formerly Elba's Orphans), the non-profit I have been involved in for over 10 years.We do important work of sending monthly supplies of necessary food, medicine and toiletries to Venezuela.  These items are literally keeping people alive as the people of Venezuela continue to struggle under their current government.  We currently send 25 boxes of food and Juice Plus to Sister Pascaline of the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa's order) that are shared between 7 homes. Another 17 boxes are sent to Fr. Angel Castillo who is a Catholic priest and pastor of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Barquisimeto.  He shares the supplies with a total of 50 needy individuals in his parish.  Our monthly costs to cover food and shipping averages to ~$3300/month.   I currently have collection boxes in front of my house: 6604 Winona Ave and inside Mirabella Hair Salon, 4912 Hampton if you would like to make a food donation.  

In addition to our food collection we are starting a new program called Food Buddies.  We are asking for a monthly commitment from individuals for food ie. 5 cans of tuna to assist with ongoing supplies.  I will be placing a collection box in front of my house the 1st week of every month for drop-offs.  

 Check out stewardsofhope.org or our FaceBook page for more information. 

When we combine our meager efforts, we can make a significant difference in people's lives!!

Thank you and please keep our efforts in your prayers.

Lynette Olwig <lrolwig@yahoo.com>

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 Here are a few ideas for places to think of for service activities:

 – look in your parish bulletin for opportunities to help in your parish

-Help your grandparents out with yard work.

-Clean out the basement, garage, or attic at home

-Volunteer once a week or once a month at a nursing home

-help a neighbor by playing with the kids while they go grocery shopping or do yard work for the elderly

-help at an animal shelter.

-Catholic Charities has a variety of ways to help, and there are links on their home page to various ministries.

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Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition Service Information

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN

ReFresh

ReFresh: A Fashion Forward Resale Boutique provides clothing for youth in foster care at 90% off and is also open to the public.

Youth who are 13 years or older

Youth who are 13 years or older can volunteer at ReFresh as part of a volunteer group of 5-10 individuals. We require 1 adult chaperone for every 4 youth volunteers in a group.

ORGANIZE A CLOTHING DRIVE

Most children enter foster care with only the clothing on their backs, so the Coalition always

appreciates new and gently-used clothing donations for all seasons. ReFresh: A Fashion Forward Resale Boutique stocks clothing for older youth and young adults, while Resource provides gently-used clothing to foster and adopted children from newborns to 12 year olds.

THROW A BIRTHDAY PARTY

You can follow the lead of an innovative girl scout troop – they supported our Birthday Buddy

program by inviting other girls at their school to attend their “birthday party”.  Over 60 girls attended their birthday party, each bringing a gift card or birthday present for a foster child.  The girls had a blast playing games, doing arts &amp; crafts, and enjoying a snack.  Through the gifts collected, the girls sponsored the birthdays of three foster children who were likely to receive few or no gifts on their birthdays.

Contact Shelley Thomas-Benke, Director of FosterServe Volunteers at https://www.foster-adopt.org/

or 314.367.8373 for more information about these and other volunteer opportunities.

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Show Me Care Bags  

This organization provides care bags filled with simple items that provide comfort and entertainment to patients who are receiving treatment for cancer. They deliver these care bags to local Missouri hospitals and treatment facilities.

You can help by collecting materials to donate for the bags, helping assemble the bags, and more. Contact Jennifer Preston at 314-492-4098 or visit the following website for a list of all the items they accept and for a wish list of other goods and services they can use.

https://www.showmecarebags.org/

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St. Anthony Food Pantry

Church basement

3130 Meramec Street.

This outreach welcomes help with serving meals and other assistance.

• Rob Telthorst  314-320-0605

• stanthonyfp@att.net

• Wednesdays- 4pm  until 6 pm

• Saturdays could arrange a group project

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Twenty four days of the month St. Peter & Paul Parish in Soulard feeds between 150-200 homeless and hungry people of St. Louis.

St Gabe’s parishioners are invited to prepare a meal and feed the homeless each month on the 7th and 10th. This would be a good activity to do with a sponsor, or get a small group of friends and go together. 

Margie Uxa,  uxamr@swbell.net   314-303-9338 for questions & about what to bring.

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SSM Sweet Babies service opportunity  

Volunteers atSSM St.Mary’sHealthCenter are helping new born babies to go home warm, clothed and knowing people care.New or slightly used onesies and sleepers, sized newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-12 months are needed.  Small diapers are essential and would be most appreciated. A gift bag stuffed with love, onesies, sleepers (in each size) diapers, bibs, socks, hats, sweaters and outfits is given to each mommy and new baby in need.  We are proud to recycle.  The volunteers are asking for your help with this small program.  We give away about 60 bags a month. Please consider giving a shower or hosting a diaper drive to support this program.  We also will be happy to host a service group, scouts, parishioners, or anyone wanting to help wrap and pack gift bags. We also need help sorting all the donated items, which could be done after school or on a Saturday morning. We will be happy to pick up anything you have or items can be sent to St. Mary’s Volunteer Office, 6420 Clayton Road, Richmond Heights, MO 63117. Call to arrange a time to help or if you have questions. http://www.sweetbabies.org/ 

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Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis–Kids Helping KIds

While we require that volunteers be at least 18 years old, here are some ways that kids and teens can help us provide a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children.

Collect coins

A dime here. A quarter there. Your small change can make a big difference! Collect loose change and donate the funds to help RMHC families!

Recycle for RMHC

Aluminum tab tops, old keys and electronics can all be recycled and turned into a monetary donation to RMHC! Learn more at rmhcstl.com/recycle.

Collect Wish List items

RMHC relies on donations of everyday household items to operate our Houses and Family Rooms. To download a Wish List, visit rmhcstl.com/wishlist.

Donate new toys

Help make our Houses and Family Rooms feel like home to seriously ill children and their siblings by donating new, unwrapped toys for all ages.

Host a fundraiser

Whether it’s a lemonade stand or garage sale, hosting a fundraiser on behalf of RMHC is a great way to help. To get started, visit rmhcstl.com/thirdpartyfundraisers.

Prepare a meal

Children ages 12+ can help cook meals for our guest families with the help of adult chaperones. Visit rmhcstl.com/meals for more information.

Join Team RMHC

Go the extra mile to help seriously ill children by joining Team RMHC and running on our behalf at your next race. Visit rmhcstl.com/ teamrmhc to sign up!

Get creative

Show off your arts-and-crafts skills by creating cards, blankets, care packages or other heartfelt items for our guest families!

Help at the holidays

Donate new, unwrapped items to our McGift Shoppe, where RMHC families can shop for loved ones free-of-charge each December. Visit rmhcstl.com/holidays to download a Holiday Wish List.

For more information, please email McKenna Cooper, Volunteer Coordinator, at mcooper@rmhcstl.com

Sponsor Information

The students should have chosen their sponsor by late September—this means thinking of a qualified person, asking the person, and the person saying yes. We will expect the students to be communicating with their sponsors regularly and hope to have at least one meeting at school with them, taking into consideration the pandemic conditions at the time. We have had to re-imagine how the students and sponsors work together and each family will have to decide what works best for them. The students should inform the potential sponsor that Confirmation is on April 25. The sponsors will be asked to complete some form of service with the student, and they will be interviewed by them at least once during the students' preparation. 

Our journey of faith in the Catholic Church is never taken alone. Our full initiation into the faith takes place in the Sacrament of Confirmation.  One of the people important to us in the process of becoming a fully initiated member of the Church is our sponsor.

 The word “sponsor” means “one who promises to help; one who takes on a responsibility for someone.” Just as we have godparents when we get baptized, so will you be asked to choose a sponsor for Confirmation. This person will literally stand behind you when you are confirmed; but hopefully, this person will also be “behind” you spiritually, someone who supports your decision to be confirmed and models MATURE Catholic faith for you.

Because of its connection to Baptism, godparents are a good first choice to consider for confirmation sponsors. These are people who have already committed to helping you grow as a faithful member of the Church. If godparents are no longer a possibility, follow these guidelines when choosing a sponsor:

• A sponsor must be a fully initiated Catholic (has received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist)

• He/she should be practicing the faith.

• Must be at least 16 years old

• A sponsor may NOT be a parent of the candidate

• He/she should be an excellent role model for the student

• The candidate should respect the sponsor, and the two should build a relationship that will be ongoing throughout the candidate’s life.

• The sponsor should be able to help the student with a service project and attend a meeting with the candidate (this may need to be changed this year).

• He/she should know the name the student has chosen and will announce it to the bishop at Confirmation.

Welcome to Eighth Grade Religion!

I want to share with you what we will do in Religion class this year, some of the procedures that your child will be expected to follow, and some options he or she has for getting extra help.

Our 8th-grade Religion program strives overall to foster in the students an appreciation for what it means to truly be a disciple of Christ. As they prepare to be fully initiated in the sacrament of Confirmation, they will learn more about the beliefs and teachings of the Church, the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church and their own lives, and how they use this knowledge to become all that God created them to be. This curriculum is in line with the Archdiocesan Unified Standards for Religion.

In doing this we use several texts and resources.

Christ our Life: The Church Then and Now. This text focuses on the teachings of the Church and the history of our faith. The students will explore what the Church is, what it teaches (and why), and how we got to where we are today. We will take time in various chapters to connect what we are learning to our preparations for Confirmation as well.

In addition to the text, we will do activities and lessons to prepare for Confirmation. This will include a project about their Confirmation saint (or any saint if they are not being confirmed), interviews with their sponsors, and reflections on the service they do. We will become very familiar with the gifts of the Holy Spirit!

The 8th grade Family Life text is published by RCL Benziger. We will focus especially on the dignity of life and chastity with this text.

We will also use various media sources, such as video, newspapers, and magazines, to complement the topics addressed. The students will reflect in their journals, keep a service log, take notes and study for tests, write essays, participate in group activities, and learn to pray in a variety of ways. All of these activities have the primary goal of catechizing the children and instilling in them a love for God that inspires them to share their faith with others.

Part of achieving these goals requires assessments of your child’s progress in these areas. Sometimes that will require collecting homework, giving tests, and grading their work. As with the other junior high teachers, I expect homework to be ready to check or collect at the beginning of class, I expect them to participate in class discussions and activities, and they will need to use their study skills to take notes and prepare for tests. Because I want them to know the material, I offer students the opportunity to make up lost points on tests. Any student can make corrections to a test and return them the next day for half credit back on their grade. There are stipulations as to how they can do this, which they will have in their notebooks, and a copy of those is at the bottom of this page. I want you to be aware of this and encourage your child to take advantage of that when necessary. I am also available for help during study hall and after school most days of the week if your child is struggling with a particular concept or study skill. And if you ever want more information on any of the topics we study, I have resources that can help you as well.

I am excited about the year we have before us!

Procedure for reclaiming test points (up to half)

The purpose of test corrections is to foster learning of material, not just to reclaim points. That is why the students need to write out the questions and answers rather than just write a new answer in the blank on the test.

All corrections are to be done on LOOSE LEAF and stapled to the original test.

• For fill-in and multiple choice, write THE WHOLE SENTENCE, including the correct answer (not just the letter). You should look up the correct answer, not just take a guess.

• For matching, write the word with its correct definition (not just the letter).

• For essays and short answer, write the question AND the COMPLETE, CORRECT answer.

• For spelling errors, write the word correctly 5 times.

• For true/false questions, write the complete sentence if it’s true, if it is false, write it and make corrections so that it reads like a true statement.

You may not make up bonus questions.

Morning Procedure

1. Unpack backpack

2. Turn in any papers/notes to the teacher.

3. Look at the daily schedule

4. Organize your books for the first half of your day

5. Check Google Classroom and your email

6. At 7:45 all should be seated, have Chromebooks closed  and be prepared to participate in morning prayer

Lunch Procedure

• Enter the room quietly and respectfully 

• Go to your cubby to put away morning materials and organize afternoon materials on your desk

• Stand at your seat to show me you are ready for lunch. 

• Participate in the meal prayer

• Line up single file for lunch. A student will bring equipment bag and another will bring the lunch basket to lunch and back to the room after recess. 

• Place your lunch bags/boxes in the bin before going to the playground. NO FOOD IS TO BE BROUGHT OUTSIDE. 

• A student will retrieve the bin from the cafeteria and return it to the classroom.

Afternoon Dismissal Procedure

• Enter the room quietly and respectfully

• Put books in cubby/pack homework in backpack

• Double check that homework is written in your planner

• Charge Chromebook, making sure to plug it into the correct docking station.

• Lunch bin person will check that all bags/boxes have been claimed. Schedule has been updated for the next day and the date has been changed.

• Show me you are ready for dismissal. Check the floors around your desk and pick up any trash, make sure the desk is clean, wipe it down with sanitizing wipes if necessary.

• Stand by your desk for prayer. After prayer and announcements, line up single file and follow teacher when she leaves the room. We exit at the North Wing doors.

 Study Hall Procedures

• You should be actively working on homework at your seat.

• Voice level should be at a silent level until 2:30.

• At 2:30, the voice level can move to a whisper. Students may ask to leave the room as needed.

• No games on Chromebook (unless earned). Your Chromebook usage will be monitored through GoGuardian.