Our City & Beyond

Christ House Cooking Ministry

St. Alban’s ministry to Christ House, a 34-bed medical facility for homeless men who are ill, injured or in desperate need, involves preparing and serving two evening meals each month to residents and staff. Different teams carry out our mission. Each team task takes about two hours.

• Team 1 shops and prepares supper and dessert for 45 to 50 persons on the first and third Fridays of each month. Contact: Annie Bissell, assodes@bellatlantic.net
• Team 2 transports the food from St. Alban’s to Christ House, serves the meal and helps with clean-up. Contact: Rob Huddleston, 703-567-1568 (h), 301-655-0031 (c) or rthud@yahoo.com

Our ministry gives us an opportunity to serve the poor and those in need. Consider volunteering with your friends once a month.

Environmental Concerns Committee

The Environmental Concerns Committee seeks to explore how we as Christians can be good stewards of the environment. We seek to educate ourselves by exploring the roots of our faith in the Bible and early Christian texts; through writings of saints; and, from the works of contemporary theologians and scholars. We seek to identify current environmental challenges and to encourage appropriate responses as a body and as individual parishioners. Thie Committee serves as consultant to the Vestry and Clergy, and is happy to provide speakers to groups within the church. The Committee is liaison to the Diocesan Environment Committee and works within the context of environmental resolutions passed by the Episcopal Triennial General Conventions and the House of Deputies. Contact: Beverly Meeker, 202-966-8041 (h) or beverlymeeker@aol.com

Episcopal Campus Ministry at American University

AU ECM is sponsored by St. Alban’s and offers students a community on campus in which to worship, to explore the relevance of the Church and Scripture to their changing lives, and to use their talent and compassion helping others in their new home city. St. Alban’s clergy celebrate Eucharist in the Kay Spiritual Life Center and meet with students for occasional group discussions about faith, life direction, the Church, public policy and other topics of interest. A weekly Bible Study discussion group is led by Chaplain Carolyn Seaton. Chaplain Seaton also coordinates monthly outreach programs with chaplains from Georgetown and other area universities, as well as ecumenical and interfaith services and social programs with other chaplains at the AU Kay Center. The AU ECM welcomes your participation in our Tuesday evening services, held at 6:15 pm in Kay Chapel; your willingness to sign up for the Adopt-a-Student hospitality program; and your offers of meals or snacks for our campus activities or rides to St. Alban’s services.

To find out more about this rewarding and enjoyable ministry, contact Chaplain Carolyn Seaton, 301-585-2063 (h), 202-885-3329 (w), 301-602-6631 (c) or Cseaton1@starpower.net.

Episcopal Peace Fellowship

The Episcopal Peace Fellowship DC at St. Alban’s is the local chapter of the national Episcopal Peace Fellowship. EPF DC joins other national and local peace groups in opposition to war, torture, and in working toward a more just society based on Christian principles by study, lectures and training workshops on non-violent conflict resolution for individuals and societies. Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month in St. Albans rectory upstairs. All are welcome. Contacts: Helma Lanyi, 202-364-0546 or olivebranch@rcn.com; Andrew Ramsey-Moor, 443-538-1550, arm2k@earthlink.net.

Episcopal Senior Ministries (ESM)

ESM is a nonprofit corporation that acts as a clearing house and source of information on aging concerns for the Diocese of Washington. It is governed by a volunteer board of Episcopalians from all regions of the Diocese.

ESM works with parishes to develop programs that inform and support older adults, such as educational forums and parish senior groups. ESM operates Friendship Terrace in Tenleytown, an affordable retirement community for active seniors. It offers a geriatric assessment and care planning service that helps seniors come home from the hospital; finds care and support for those who need help to live alone; and, works with families to select appropriate housing when living alone is no longer viable. Contact: Anne Werner Richardson, former ESM board member, 202-364-4617 (h).

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Grate Patrol

In cooperation with the Salvation Army, this ministry provides meals for people in DC who are homeless. Volunteers shop, cook, make sandwiches and distribute meals to the homeless. You can sign up to do this on a one-time basis, or as you are interested. Help is needed for cooking, sandwich making and distribution. For now, Andy Purnell, with Jim Nix as back up, have the shopping under control:

• Shopping: Andy or Jim shop for the cooking ingredients and for the sandwich-makings, and deliver them to the church. Contact: Andy Purnell, 301-320-5069
• Cooking: Wednesdays before the second and fourth Fridays of the month, several cooks meet at the Satterlee Hall kitchen at 6 pm to prepare soup and muffins. Recipes are provided. Contact: Craig Morgan, 202-547-3295
• Sandwich Making: Every second and fourth Friday, our sandwich makers gather at 1 pm in the Satterlee Hall kitchen to make sandwiches and assemble bagged meals for delivery that evening. Contacts: Wendy Garner, 202-362-0411; Adrienne Stanley, 202-362-5579
• Delivery & Distribution: Every second and fourth Friday, the Salvation Army van arrives at St. Alban’s by 7 pm to pick up the prepared food and our 2–3 volunteers to destribute food at designated sites around the area near the Capitol. Contact: Susan Morris, 301-718-9379 (h)

Iona Senior Services

Iona Senior Services is a nonprofit organization, based in Northwest Washington, dedicated to helping senior citizens live independently. Iona offers support services to meet individual needs, involves the community in meeting those needs, and acts as an advocate for senior concerns. Volunteers help in every area of the organization, and are especially needed to visit with homebound seniors, grocery shop, and transport seniors to and from doctor appointments. There are weekend, evening, daytime and one-time opportunities to help. Contact: Iona Senior Services, 202-895-9448

Iona Senior Services Weekend Meal Deliveries

In coordination with the Iona Senior Services, this ministry is the weekend delivery of food for the poor and disabled. Volunteers deliver meals on the first Saturday of each month and commit to 2–3 hours on a Saturday morning, 3–4 times per year. Contact: Jake Kelsey, 301-913-0156 (h), 301-827-2068 (w) or kelsey@fda.hhs.gov

Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington (SMGW)

Samaritan Ministry is a community partnership bringing together the homeless and needy with volunteers from over 40 Episcopal and other churches, in a joint effort to improve the lives of all. Samaritan Ministry pursues this goal by:

• Promoting awareness of community needs
• Fostering partnership at all levels
• Breaking down barriers imposed by poverty
• Developing participants’ abilities to help themselves to better their lives

Samaritan Ministry offers the Next Step Program, a unique self-help program that promotes change, dignity and independence for people who are in need. Caseworkers provide one-on-one support in the areas of social service and employment, while program participants take next steps toward their goals. This support takes place at three non-residential sites and two transitional housing facilities—Partner Arms I and II. HIV/AIDS services were added to the program in 2000. These include Spiritual Retreats, Bereavement Counseling, Support Groups and Burial Assistance Funds. Samaritan Ministry depends heavily on volunteers to provide these services through the Next Step Program. Volunteer jobs include Front Office Coordinator, Resume Writer, Employment Workshop Leader, Caseworker, Food Collector, and Committee Member, as well as helping with special events such as the Help the Homeless Walkathon and the Annual Spring Gala. Contact: Diana Dykstra, 703-971-5795 or d2b2dc@msn.com

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So Others Might Eat (SOME)

St. Alban’s parish and SOME have a relationship that spans over 20 years. SOME serves more than 315,000 meals annually—over 800 meals each day. In addition, SOME provides the following services to the city’s homeless population: medical and dental assistance, individual and group counseling, case management and aftercare, free clothing, hot showers, laundry service, job preparedness training, job counseling and training, permanent and transitional housing and temporary shelter, and programs for people with addictions.

St. Alban’s parishioners prepare 25–50 SOME Casseroles each month. On the 2nd Sunday of the month, casserole tins and recipes are picked up in the lobby area next to the narthex. On the 3rd Sunday of the month, parishoners return prepared casseroles, fresh or canned fruits and juices, vegetables, coffee, and peanut butter or powdered milk to the Satterlee Hall kitchen. Pick-up takes place between 10:30 and 11 am; donations are then transported to SOME for distribution the following Monday.

Recipes (also available in the narthex) will get you started. Contact: Marty Kerns, 202-362-4992 (h), 202-898-5773 (w) or quatre@starpower.net

Transitional Housing Corporation (THC)

Transitional Housing Corporation operates two apartment buildings in Washington, Partner Arms I and Partner Arms II, for formerly homeless families.  For 15 years, THC has provided training and other assustance to support families in a two-year program to achieve their employment goals and to work toward economic independence. Volunteers and donations of furniture, small appliances and housewares are needed to furnish St. Alban’s adopted apartment when it needs to be readied for a new tenant at two-year intervals. Volunteers are also needed to work with reading clubs, to help with special events, and to mentor families. For more information, visit the web site at www.thcdc.org. Contact: Tom Mahaffey, 202-537-0728 or tmaha@opic.gov

Twelve-step Programs

St. Alban’s provides meeting space for a variety of twelve-step programs for persons dealing with addictions and for families affected by addictions. St. Alban’s is the country’s longest-serving host—over 50 years—to an Alcoholics Anonymous group. Contact: Washington Area Group Association, aa-dc@starpower.net, 202-966-9115, TDD 202-966-9782. View schedule »

Washington Interfaith Network (WIN)

WIN is a grassroots interfaith organization that seeks to improve the quality of life on a broad scale in this city. It is one of the most socio-economically and racially diverse organizations in the city, allowing people of faith from over 50 congregations to join one another in common cause, whether that be affordable “Nehemiah” housing, the development of after-school programs, increasing citizen cooperation, neighborhood economic revitalization and coordination with the police, or the creation of employment opportunities. St. Alban’s participates in WIN through a core “action” team of parishioners, as well as in larger groups, through periodic rallies and other activites. Contacts: Clem Dinsmore, 202-244-6214 (h), 202-364-1611 (w) or clem.dinsmore@agedwards.com; Helma Lanyi 202-364-0546 or olivebranch@rcn.com

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St. Alban’s Episcopal Church
ph 202-363-8286 · fx 202-363-6828 ·
3001 Wisconsin Avenue NW · Washington, DC  20016