News - June 2022

Every month, members of our St. Vincent de Paul Conference help our neighbors in need in a variety of ways, including delivering food to their homes. With so many people struggling to make ends meet these days, our pantry shelves are getting low. Please consider donating needed items at Mass or the Pastoral Center: cleaning supplies (laundry detergent, paper towel, sponges), hygiene items (tp, soap, deodorant, etc.), and non-perishable food (pb, jelly, mac & cheese, canned food, pasta, rice, oatmeal, coffee, etc.). Thank you for your continued support! Click above to learn more.

Chicken Soup Brigade helps our homebound, aged, and chronically ill neighbors get groceries and nutritious meals.  OLG is in need of 1-2 volunteers to join our team by September.  Volunteers pick up the food and deliver it to people in need in the West Seattle/White Center area.  Drivers commit to doing deliveries one Thursday afternoon a month on the approximately 2-hr route.  Working in a team provides great flexibility and a chance to build community with others.   Volunteers also receive training and support. Click above to learn more.

This month, OLG screened "Just Mercy" as part of our Summer Film Series.  The movie follows Bryan Stevenson who, after graduating from Harvard, heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, a black man who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism, and legal and political maneuverings in a flawed justice system as he tirelessly fights for McMillian's life.  And the struggle continues today.  Black people wrongly convicted of murder spend an average of three more years in prison than white people- four if they are on death row. Innocent black people spend an average of 16 years on death row before they are exonerated.  Our HEART (Healing, Equity, and Anti-Racism Team) has been learning about Mass incarceration in the U.S and will be launching a One Parish, One Prisoner ministry in the fall.  To learn more about our work and get involved, click above.

The Welcome Table serves lunch to neighbors in need in White Center every Saturday at The Body of Christ Church (1320 SW 102nd St). In addition to the meal, food and supplies are handed out. With the increased cost of living these days, many are turning to food banks and meal programs to supplement their budgets. If you are able, please consider supporting this effort by dropping off donations between 11-11:45am. Needed items include: seasonal men’s work clothes, kids’ clothes, shoes, new socks, underwear, bras, shampoo, deodorant, razors, soap, women’s hygiene pads, laundry pods, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper. Volunteers are also welcome every Saturday from 11-2.

Mary’s Place, a local shelter for women and children, is looking for volunteers to help put on two events for their families. The first is a School’s Out party on June 17th from 4-7pm. Help serve food and assist with a graduation ceremony. The second is a Back-to-School event on August 26 from 4-7pm. Help serve food and assist with various activities. Volunteers must be 16+ or come with a parent/guardian. To volunteer, click above.