Outreach at All Saints
“…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Matthew 25: 35-36
The Outreach Committee at All Saints has a simple calling — to serve by doing good in our community and the world.
The recently-retired Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Right Rev. Michael B. Curry, was fond of saying that Episcopalians "punch above their weight", and All Saints has demonstrated that attribute for decades through its outreach programs. Here are our most recent campaigns:
Winter Coat Drive: All Saints organizes a drive to collect coats, boots, hats, scarves, and gloves each Fall. Over the years, this winter outerwear has been distributed to various direct service organizations. In 2024, we were able to provide warm clothing to Off the Street Club which has been serving west Garfield Park youth since 1900 and which has been a partner with the All Saints community for 28 years.
Click to learn more about this organization: Off the Street Club
Click to learn more about this organization: Off the Street Club
Exodus World Services - Welcome to America Packs and more
All Saints has supported the ministry of Exodus World Services, which works to settle refugees by various means, for over 10 years. All Saints just delivered its latest "Welcome to America" pack, a collection of bed and bath linens, kitchen equipment, cutlery, dishes, food, even tooth brushes! To learn more about Exodus World Services, click here: Exodus World Service
And that’s not all! A group of All Saints parishioners who have been trained by Exodus have started weekly visits with 2 refugee families as part of their New Neighbor Program.. The New Neighbor Program connects volunteers with refugee family members who want to practice English, who need help with schoolwork or who need tutoring as they study to pass the exam for citizenship. We are excited about this opportunity to assist our new neighbors. If you are interested in participating in this program please contact Susan Cherco: [email protected].
All Saints has supported the ministry of Exodus World Services, which works to settle refugees by various means, for over 10 years. All Saints just delivered its latest "Welcome to America" pack, a collection of bed and bath linens, kitchen equipment, cutlery, dishes, food, even tooth brushes! To learn more about Exodus World Services, click here: Exodus World Service
And that’s not all! A group of All Saints parishioners who have been trained by Exodus have started weekly visits with 2 refugee families as part of their New Neighbor Program.. The New Neighbor Program connects volunteers with refugee family members who want to practice English, who need help with schoolwork or who need tutoring as they study to pass the exam for citizenship. We are excited about this opportunity to assist our new neighbors. If you are interested in participating in this program please contact Susan Cherco: [email protected].
Monthly Food Drive: All Saints accepts non-perishable food donations throughout the year. On the last Sunday of each month, all items collected during the month are blessed and later delivered to the Westchester Food Pantry. Both La Grange Park and Western Springs are part of the Westchester Food Pantry’s service area. In 2023, the pantry provided food for 290 families in La Grange Park and 41 families in Western Springs. To learn more about Westchester Food Pantry click here: WFP
Welcoming our Neighbors: Sometimes we serve by inviting our neighbors to use our space for their needs. All Saints founded and has hosted Boy Scout Troop 33 since 1993, with over 60 Eagle Scouts to date. Currently, two recovery groups, Sisters in Sobriety, a women’s Alcoholics Anonymous Group, and Al-Anon and AlaTeen meet at All Saints weekly. We have also hosted local school District 101’s Kindergarten screening for many years.
Support for At-Risk Youth: All Saints has been collecting goods and raising money for camp scholarships for the Off The Street Club since the 1990s. Off The Street Club is Chicago’s oldest club for boys and girls in West Garfield Park/Chicago. They serve over 3,000 kids in a neighborhood known for gangs, drugs, and violence. We continue to help to fill their camp closet with an annual drive to support Camp Mathieu. To learn more about Off The Street Club click here: OTSC
Random Acts of Kindness: We always encourage one-time projects, particularly those that engage the younger members of our church family. In the recent past, we have written postcards to hospitalized children and adults, filled individual toiletry bags for the Share Food, Share Love Food Pantry in Brookfield, and delivered flowers and cards to residents of The Birches Retirement Community. This March we are collecting pet food and supplies for Gypsy Cats NFP and Magnificent Mutts Rescue.
Over the years, All Saints has partnered with numerous organizations that assist those in need, both locally and throughout the world. If you or someone you know is aware of a need that we can fill, please call the church office at 708-246-0030. We are always looking for our next opportunity to serve our community and beyond.
All Saints' Kindness Rock Garden is now open! Visit and collect a rock to pay kindness forward by leaving it for someone else to find. Let’s sprinkle positivity throughout the community!
All Saints' Kindness Rock Garden is now open! Visit and collect a rock to pay kindness forward by leaving it for someone else to find. Let’s sprinkle positivity throughout the community!