Community Service

Identifying the community and its needs.
Serving the hungry, the homeless, the naked, the imprisoned - locally, internationally.
Visiting the sick, the shut-ins.


Reaching Out: Prison Ministry In The Parish

Volume III - 2006

“I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,

And will hold Your hand;

I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,

As a light to the Gentiles,

To open blind eyes,

To bring out prisoners…

The Poor - Our Masters

Volume III - 2004

St. John the Compassionate Mission, 155 Broadview Ave., Toronto, Canada

In January 1987, with no first and last rent money; no down payment to turn on the water or electricity; one old table and a few chairs; an icon,…

St. Michael’s Food Distribution Program

Volume III - 2003

Elevation of the Holy Cross Parish, Sacramento, CA

For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink: I was a stranger and you took Me in: (Matthew 25:17)

This is a love story, not only…

Offering Hope Through A Literacy Program

Volume III - 2002

Wheaton, Illinois is a Civil War-era city that today serves as a the capital of DuPage County, home to Chicago’s sprawling far-western exburbs. When Saint Joseph Orthodox Christian Church was established in…

Raphael House of San Francisco

Volume III - 2002

A Shelter for Homeless Families

More than 30 years ago, long before homelessness was a national issue, Raphael House began serving women and children who were temporarily homeless. In 1977, we expanded our…

Ministering To Residents Of An Adult Foster Care Home

Volume III - 2001

Good Samaritan Ministry

Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church in Livonia, MI was founded in 1988. As a new parish of the OCA, we knew that our task was to “bring the Kingdom of God to all people.” In our…

Providing Disaster Relief With Gift Of The Heart Kits

Volume III - 2001

Revised 2014 Gift of the Heart Kits assembly line at St. Luke-McLean, VA

In March of 2000, the Orthodox Church in America Office of Humanitarian Aid invited parishes and individuals to participate in an outreach…

St. Matthew House

Volume III - 2000

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me”—Matthew 25:35

The story of St. Matthew House, Columbia, Maryland

On a bright, sunlit Sunday, April 25, 1999, His Beatitude, the Most Blessed THEODOSIUS, Archbishop of…