Ministry to the Community - through projects supported by Groups of Trinity Parishioners

There are a number of opportunities for serving in the community as representatives of Trinity Church. This service falls into three categories.  (1) From time to time, parishioners step forward to help with donated items or by making monetary donations to support entities not specified in the vestry budget. (2) Support for many service opportunities is organized by the Social Concerns commission, led by Vestry Person Al Mathé. (3) Other entities are supported by one or more of the cell groups or other identifiable groups of concerned parishioners. Here is a list of such mission projects:

• AIDS Outreach - members of the Wednesday Morning Cell Group prepare food and staple items at their facility for distribution to those in need
• Bibles for India -  new and/or used Bibles and religious books collection for needy believers in India; organized by the Social Concerns Commission
• Blood Drive - a blood mobile from the Carter Blood Center comes to Trinity each year and parishioners line up to give blood; organized by the Social Concerns Commission
• Card Ministry - Sponsored by the Daughters of the King, the Card Ministry meets the last Friday of each month at 10:30 AM and makes cards to be sent to shut-ins at Trinity and in the community and to recovering service men and women.
• Christian Community Assistance - members of the Tuesday Afternoon Cell Group offer support by assisting staff members on a weekly basis
• Christmas food bags - Trinity buys the food; parishioners deliver to needy families in our area; organized by the Social Concerns Commission
• Christmas Giving Tree - parishioners select ornaments from the tree that contain information about clothing and toys that they then purchase for San Juan Apostal families, McLean 6th Grade Center students or an adopted family through Southside Central Alliance of Churches; organized by the Social Concerns Commission.
• Crop Walk - sponsored by the Social Concerns Commission each October
• Drop-in-the-Bucket Campaigns - Occasionally two buckets are placed near the altar railings, and when communicants come forward for the Eucharist, they may drop change, small bills, or checks in one of the buckets to support the announced collection. In the past year through these campaigns Trinity collected $993 for Florida Hurricane Relief, $481 for Iraqi Widows and Orphans, and $1422 for Tsunami relief.
• Easter baskets - Trinity buys the food; parishioners deliver the baskets to needy families; organized by Cora and Gary Werley
• Eye Glasses Donations - used glasses are distributed by Alcon Labs to needy in South America; organized by the Social Concerns Commission
• Habitat for Humanity - supported by concerned parishioners who help build houses and/or furnish food for the builders.
• Help for Haiti - parishioners are encouraged to save 25¢ daily during Lent to be donated to purchase food for the needy in Haiti.
• McLean Middle School - Trinity's assigned school through the Adopt-a-school program, support is organized by the Social Concerns Commission; school supplies are collected each summer and Christmas gifts are collected each December.
• Prayer bears - small stuffed bears are collected that benefit patients at Cook's Children's Hospital
• Presbyterian Night Shelter - supported by the Tuesday and Thursday Evening Cell Groups as well as concerned parishioners by making sandwiches on a monthly basis; disposable razors, baby powder, cough drops, etc. are also collected by the Social Concerns Commission on a monthly basis and delivered to the shelter
• Support to our troops in Iraq -toiletries and other personal items are collected for soldiers in Iraq
• Thanksgiving baskets - parishioners sign up to buy Thanksgiving groceries for needy families in our area. Project coordinators deliver the bags to the non-profit involved, as well as to McLean 6th grade families if there is extra food
• Union Gospel Mission - supported by the Monday Afternoon and Tuesday Morning Cell groups who serve lunch at their facility once a month; the Social Concerns Commission also holds sandwich making sessions on various Sundays throughout the year
• The Warm Place - supported by concerned parishioners who serve dinner and clean up afterward at their facility twice a month. Contact Mary Sheldon at 817-294-3763 to get involved.