Parish Food Banks
       St. Mary's
       St. Rose
       St. Isaac Jogues

St. Mary's Clothing Bank

EH Interfaith Ministries
      Friendship Center
       Human Needs

Meals on Wheels

Birthright

Legislative Advocacy
      ICEJ

Other Catholic Social Action Links

Connecticut Catholic Conference

Office of Urban Affairs - Archdiocese of Hartford 

   
Social Action Ministry

"We cannot be called truly 'Catholic' unless we hear and heed the church's call to serve those in need and work for justice and peace."  (U.S. Catholic Bishops, Communities of Salt and Light).

Parish Food Banks Each of the three churches in the cluster maintains a food pantry to meet the emergency nutritional needs of hungry families and individuals in our community.  Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated core of volunteers, and the food and funds donated regularly by generous parishioners, we're able to provide food for three days of meals for some 80 families (more than 180 adults & children) each month.  Check the weekly bulletin for needed items.

Food bank volunteers in each parish organize and stock the shelves with donated food from parishioners, shop in local grocery stores and at Food Share for perishables and other items, and distribute provisions to individuals and families in need during scheduled hours when the food bank is open.  

St. Mary's Food Bank

Location:  Rectory/Office
Established:  
Contact:   Anita Morrison
Hours:     Open Monday-Friday - Scheduled hours each day may vary.
Needs:    Peanut butter, jelly, dry milk, instant potatoes, canned vegetables, cookies, eggs, margarine, and mayonnaise

St. Rose Food Bank

Location: Church Basement
Established:  
Contact:  Peggy Solimene
Hours:     Open Monday - Thursday (Hours vary)
Needs:    Peanut butter, jelly, tuna, sugar, & mayonnaise.   Also, additional volunteers to open food bank on Fridays.

St. Isaac Jogues Food Bank

Location: Parish Hall
Established:  
Contact:  Bill Knose
Hours:     Open Monday and Thursday mornings
Needs:    Instant potatoes, soup, baked beans, tuna, coffee, tea, and mayonnaise.  Additional volunteers to open food bank on more days.

Birthright Birthright International is a non-profit, non-denominational, apolitical organization whose mission is to help girls and women in their pregnancy.  Services include free pregnancy testing, 24-hour toll-free telephone support by trained volunteers, maternity and baby clothes, information on pregnancy, prenatal development, and childcare, and referrals to other social agencies.

Volunteers from our cluster parishes serve as counselors (one on one and by telephone), conduct fundraisers, collect 'gently used' baby and maternity clothes, and knit and crochet blankets.  Liasons from each parish are:

St. Isaac Jogues: Lenora Jordan

St. Rose:  Peggy Solimene

St. Mary's:  Phyllis Cassidy  

Friendship Center The Friendship Center was opened twenty years ago to provide nutritious meals to the less fortunate of our community in a spirit of good fellowship.  It has grown from a light soup and sandwich operation to providing full meals on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, and an afternoon meal on Sunday.  Located in Corning Hall, 12 Rector Street ( behind St. Johns Episcopal Church), it is a program of East Hartford Interfaith Ministry.

St. Isaac's volunteers gather in in Friendship Center kitchen with coordinator Pam Douglas.

Meals are prepared by volunteers from East Hartford congregations and other community organizations that donate time and talent once or twice a month at the center.  Total time involved with a meal, including preparation, serving, and cleanup, is generally less than four hours.  A paid part-time qualified food handler coordinates the work and insures proper handling and storage of the food.  From 40-50 people are typically served at each meal.

Volunteers from St. Isaac Jogues in our cluster assist in preparing and serving a hearty meal of pasta, meatballs, salad, and bread once a month at the center.  

Clothing Bank The St. Mary's Clothing Bank is open on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month from 9:00 a.m. till 11:30 a.m. to provide for the needs of  area residents.

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels is a nation-wide association of local food programs that deliver nutritious meals daily to men and women who are elderly, homebound, disabled, frail, or at risk in our communities.  For more than 30 years, volunteers from St. Mary's church have supported the program in East Hartford.  About seven volunteers from St. Marys church in our cluster currently handle two delivery routes in East Hartford every Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing some nn meals to nn clients.  More volunteers are urgently needed.

Coordinator:  Cathy Hartley