OUTREACH ministry
This Ministry provides financial and volunteer support, on behalf of St. Dominic Mission, to organizations in need and establishes criteria for recommending organizations for the parish to support.
Special Notices for Outreach Ministry
Andre House Volunteers
Currently, Volunteers are not going to Andre House.
Andre House Donations
Financial Donations: André House, P.O. Box 2014, Phoenix, AZ 85001
Who we serve
San Alfonso Mission
Fr. Stan Martinka, now deceased, founded San Alfonso Mission in Juarez, Mexico. He devoted his life to the poor; especially poor children who needed an education. He begged for money and donated his retired U.S. Army Chaplin's salary so he could build the Augustin Pro High School at the mission. The school is managed by nuns and has a dedicated Board of Directors. Steve Gorham, treasurer, welcomes your questions and phone calls at (303) 646-3487 or (303) 809-5868. It was Fr. Stan's hope that the students would stay and find good work in Mexico. Our almsgiving is "a sign of our care for those in need and an expression of our gratitude for all God has given to us." Please consider your alms giving donation to San Alfonso Mission. Your contribution is tax-exempt and can be sent to: San Alfonso Mission, P.O. Box 745876, Arvada, CO 80006
NPH
Formerly Friends of the Orphans. NPH USA supports Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), Spanish for "Our Little Brothers and Sisters", which is raising more than 3,200 orphaned, abandoned, and disadvantaged boys and girls in Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. An additional 2,300 children who live outside the homes receive scholarships, meals and healthcare.
As a sponsor/Godparent, you are essential in the life of your Godchild. Your ongoing financial support provides food, clothing, healthcare, education and a home. You are also a part of your Godchild’s extended family, offering critical emotional support. Your letters give security, encouragement and a sense that the child is important to someone outside the world of their NPH home. This relationship helps him or her build a strong foundation of self-esteem and confidence that can be sorely lacking.
For more information about NPH go to https://www.nphusa.org/
André House
André House, located in downtown Phoenix, is a house of hospitality serving the homeless and those in need, providing food, clothing, showers, blankets and limited shelter. On November 29, 1984, the first guest was welcomed, beginning a long tenure of hospitality. André House has been in operation 34 years, headed by the Holy Cross fathers from Notre Dame and named for Brother Andre Bessette who was canonized St. André on October 17, 2010.
Fr. Dan Ponisciak is the Director, assisted by two full time Holy Cross associates and a “core group” which are young volunteers who commit to spending a year in this ministry. They are augmented by a group of “regulars” who come on the same day each week and head up the meal. Another group of 20 to 25 volunteers aids them and this includes St. Dominic Mission. St. Dominic Mission sends five volunteers twice a month (the first Tuesday and third Wednesday of each month) to help prepare and serve the meal and clean up afterwards. Six days a week 500 to 700 meals are served each evening at 5:30 p.m. and breakfast is served Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. We car pool from the back church parking lot at 2:30 p.m. and are home by around 8:00 p.m. At the end of the day, both guests and workers are saying “thank-you” and “God bless you” to one another. The consensus among volunteers is “we get more than we give!” Come join us! Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board in the narthex.
During 2018, there were 44 St. Dominic parishioners who served once and many of them more than once to fulfill our commitment of serving the first Tuesday and third Wednesday of each month at Andre House. St. Dominic Mission parishioners have been volunteering for 15 years.
VOLUNTEERS
On the first Tuesday & third Wednesday of each month, our parish is part of a group serving dinner to the less fortunate at André House in downtown Phoenix. This is a very worthwhile opportunity to help those in need.
DONATIONS
For item donations to André House, please bring to the back church parking lot (near the Memorial Garden) on any first Tuesday or third Wednesday of each month, at 2:30 p.m. and give to the volunteers who are going to André House that day. Please do not leave items at the church.
For financial donations: André House, P.O. Box 2014, Phoenix, AZ 85001.
For more information about André House visit https://andrehouse.org/.
St. Vincent de paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix has a long history of being a trusted and caring friend to communities in central and northern Arizona since its beginning in 1946. For those in need, they offer solutions – a free meal for a hungry family, or perhaps a job referral for a single mother or necessary dental care to the child whose working parents are without dental insurance.
The Church of the Ascension conference is one of 87 parish-based conferences which provide person-to-person services for those in need. Whether it is to deliver a food box to individuals in their homes or provide other assistance, they are there to reach out in time of crisis.
St. Vincent de Paul prepares more than 3,500 meals daily. Each day, truckloads of food arrive at St. Vincent de Paul, donated by grocery stores and community food drives. All items are sorted and measured against strict quality control standards before they are sent to the kitchens or divided into food boxes for hungry families.
In the continuing ministry to the homeless and with the help of skilled and caring volunteers, St. Vincent de Paul serves more than 100 homeless individuals each day, providing showers, clothing and haircuts. Job leads and case management do inspire many homeless to make real changes in their lives.
The Virginia G. Piper Medical and Dental Clinic provide needed health care for the forgotten. With the help of more than 160 physicians and dentists the clinic ensures that low-income, working families who cannot afford insurance coverage have access to basic health care.
Perhaps the most important service St. Vincent de Paul offers our community is a place where people can make a difference. Through this Society, people who care can give of themselves, serve others and share important experiences with their families. With the help of thousands of donors and volunteers each year, St. Vincent de Paul is able to reach out and improve our communities-one life at a time. If you would like to help, the Society invites you to support St. Vincent with your time or donations. It may be the easiest and most satisfying way to make our world better.
How can you help? Whatever you give, whether it is time, money or a used item, it is priceless to those who receive it. Your gift can make a difference in someone’s life.
For more information about St. Vincent de Paul, please go to https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/.
Unlimited Potential
Unlimited Potential is a grassroots agency in south Phoenix dedicated to family literacy and education. Over 95% of Hispanic children under the age of 5 are U.S. citizens. Most of their parents have little more than a 6th grade education. This is where UP steps in to educate both parents and children.
Adults attend English classes where they can improve their conversation, reading and writing skills in both English and Spanish. In the meantime, their children attend pre-school classes where they learn the skills they will need to begin kindergarten. The goal at UP is to give everyone an opportunity to live up to their potential and be productive citizens in their community. In addition to its regular curriculum, UP also sponsors evening parenting skills workshops, GED classes, community outreach and family enrichment programs. UP is a 501(c) 3 agency that relies 100% on donations and grants to serve the working poor community. The need is great - they have over 300 people on their waiting list; some people have waited up to three years to enroll in UP programs. UP welcomes all.
For more information about Unlimited Potential go to http://unlimitedpotentialaz.org/public_html/
MAGGIE’S PLACE
Maggie’s Place provides for the immediate physical and emotional needs of expectant moms including shelter, food, clothing, and a supportive community. In addition, Maggie’s Place connects them to the appropriate agencies and resources including prenatal care, health insurance, low-cost housing, and education programs. Women can join the Maggie’s Place community at any point in their pregnancy and stay until the child is six months old (and sometimes longer depending on circumstance).
For more information about Maggie’s Place visit https://www.maggiesplace.org.