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Lenten Outreach 2024
About the Project
It was September 2022 when a Category 5 hurricane decimated St. Raphael’s Episcopal church and the coastal community of Ft. Myers Beach. Because of the extent of the devastation, it has taken until now – January 2024 – for St. Raphaels to overcome the insurance hurdles and secure the permits needed to rebuild. They are thrilled to report that work is finally underway! They have a new priest-in-charge to guide them, and they are starting with their Parish Hall, which will serve as a multi-purpose worship facility, community gathering place, and church office.
Last year we began our partnership with this tenacious community of faith. We brought them prayer books and hymnals and vestments, and began to collect funds for their restoration. This year we celebrate with them as they finally begin their rebuilding process, and we pledge our continuing support.
St. George Table
Thank you to everyone who made sandwiches, helped in preparing a hot meal, donated snacks and toiletries, and gave their time and financial support to help our neighbors who are hungry and in need of basic necessities.
St. George Table serves meals Monday through Friday during the hours of 11:30 am-12:30 pm at our temporary site at Victory City Church in Riviera Beach. So far in 2024, you have helped us serve 14,400 hot meals and 15,800 To Go Bags which total over 30,200 meals served in just 4 months. We hear of those who are hungry and need help and you are living that call. God bless you all!
Our Sandwich Teams prepare sandwiches for To Go Bags that are distributed daily at St. George Table. The sandwich ministry is being reorganized as we speak. We invite you to join this ministry if this is your calling.
Here at Good Shepherd, small teams meet twice a month to prepare and then transport a hot meal. Once at St. George Table, the meal is plated and served by volunteers.
During the summer months, our volunteer teams dwindle at St. George Table due to snowbirds and vacation time. This is a good opportunity to come see our organization, volunteer and personally serve our clients. We begin at 10 am and finish by 12 noon. Come join us and see what is happening at St. George Table.
For further information, please call, text or email Denise Preston (908-279-4809 or denisepreston@mac.com).
St. Raphael Outreach Partnership
Assisting the parish of St. Raphael in Ft. Meyers Beach, FL
JANUARY 2024 UPDATE ON ST. RAPHAEL'S
It was September 2022 when a Category 5 hurricane decimated St. Raphael’s Episcopal church and the coastal community of Ft. Myers Beach. Because of the extent of the devastation, it has taken until now – January 2024 – for St. Raphaels to overcome the insurance hurdles and secure the permits needed to rebuild. They are thrilled to report that work is finally underway! They have a new priest-in-charge to guide them, and they are starting with their Parish Hall, which will serve as a multi-purpose worship facility, community gathering place, and church office.
They have decided to renovate the Parish Hall first so they may hold services for themselves and other area parishes. They will also use it as a center for mental health services and a meeting place for support groups and a food pantry.
Last year we began our partnership with this tenacious community of faith. We brought them prayer books and hymnals and vestments, and began to collect funds for their restoration. This year we celebrate with them as they finally begin their rebuilding process, and we pledge our continuing support.
AUGUST 2023 UPDATE ON ST. RAPHAEL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, FT. MYERS BEACH, FLORIDA
Ft. Myers Beach, and St. Raphael’s, are both in recovery mode. In the town, stores and hotels
are reopening and there are vacationers on the beach. At. St. Raphael’s, all three buildings are under
roof and the interiors have been stripped. The next step is an engineering contract to reconfigure the
multi-purpose Parish Hall to house a large gathering space, church offices, and small meeting
rooms. The vicarage has been stripped to the studs and is ready for rebuilding. The church itself, with
its coquina floors, wooden rafters, and stained glass windows, will be the last of the three buildings to
be restored. And of course all three buildings are awaiting reconnection to electricity.
On Sunday, August 13th, Heather Graham and Marilyn Lawrence joined the members of St.
Raphael’s for worship service in a local hotel followed by lunch and a tour of the campus. On this trip
we were able to deliver a number of supplies, most of them acquired from the now-closed Holy Spirit
church in West Palm Beach. These included items which can be put to immediate use, such as hymnals,
prayer books, vestments and altar furnishings. The people of St. Raphael’s included in their worship
service a lovely litany of Dedication and Thanksgiving for the receipt of these items.
These photos show the exterior and interior of St. Raphael’s church, and members of the church
carrying some of the donated items into the sacristy. Our partnership continues. There will be more
deliveries as our new friends at St. Raphael’s continue to envision and grow into their new future and
mission on the island.
Lent and beyond...
At the beginning of Lent, we announced a goal of raising $15,000 to help our brothers and sisters at St. Raphael’s, a church and a community that was devastated by Hurricane Ian. Our goal hasn’t changed, but our timeline had to be extended. Eight months after the deadly storm struck, much of Ft. Myers Beach is still in the process of removing debris.
To donate please visit our secure giving page at the link below or send a check in any amount to Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 400 Seabrook Road, Tequesta, FL 33469.
Select LENTEN OUTREACH PROJECT from the drop-down menu.
Outreach Committee
Good Shepherd Outreach Committee meets regularly to plan and budget for many projects and events that support ministry in our parish, locally, regionally, and globally. Stewardship to those in need is a vital component of our ministry in this place of love and concern for others. Love God and each other greatly.
Outreach Ministries
These outreach ministries offer support in specific, often time-sensitive projects. There are hands-on opportunities for people of any age or ability to directly impact the life of another.
Food Pantry
The Food Pantry is open to the public on Tuesdays from 11 AM to 2 PM. This is a drive up service. An attendant will greet you at your car. Visit the Food Pantry page for more information.
Gleaning
Gleaning is a food recovery strategy that allows produce that is below market grade or unmarketable, but equally nutritious and beneficial, to be harvested and distributed to the food insecure of Palm Beach and Martin Counties instead of being plowed back into the soil. Good Shepherd works with CROS Ministries to help pick the food for distribution to people who need it through the Palm Beach County Food Bank and other agencies.
Good Shepherd has gleaning events where a group may go together, or you are always welcome to glean as an individual. CROS Ministries provides an information packet.
Hurricane Relief
Anyone who has lived in South Florida know the impact of hurricanes on safety, infrastructure, the economy, and individual lives. When a disaster strikes we often pull resources to help communities in need through parish coordination or at a diocesan or regional level. We have a restricted account that accepts donations toward support of hurricane victims.
Knitting for Seafarers
Good shepherd volunteers knit scarves and hats to be delivered in the fall to mariners -- men and women -- at Port Everglades and Port of Palm Beach before they head into colder climates. Yarn and instructions are available in the parish office. Knitted goods are blessed in church before they are delivered.
Check out the link below to access 23 acceptable knit or crochet patterns and suggestions on what materials to use. (you will need to scroll half way down the page)
Prayer Shawls Ministry
The members of this ministry team prayerfully knit or crochet shawls and lap robes for those among us who are ill, home-bound, or experiencing particularly difficult times. Knitted garments are brought to the church to be blessed before they are distributed. The act of knitting a prayer shawl not only benefits the receiver, but the person knitting is also blessed through generosity of time and talent. There's love in every stitch. Contact the office with a request for information about patterns and supplies and we will connect you with someone who can help.
Lenten Outreach Project
Each year for the six weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter, Good Shepherd takes on a Lenten Outreach project. Every year it is different based on current needs and what is happening in our world.
Manna Bag Ministry
Good Shepherd assembles small bags of non-perishable food items for distribution to people who may be homeless or in dire need of of food with no access to refrigeration. Bags are assembled at Good Shepherd and given out at St. George's in Riviera Beach, our main location during the pandemic. There has been interruption in the meal ministry there and these little bags of food have made a huge difference for many. If you would like to help to assemble items or provide needed contents of the bags, please contact the church office and we will get you in touch with the appropriate person.
Run 4 the Pies
Each year, on Thanksgiving Day, thousands of runners descend on the Village of Tequesta to run 4 miles in the Annual Run 4 the Pies! Good Shepherd assists Palm Beach Roadrunners, along with other community partners, to facilitate race-day activities and collect non-perishable food items for our Food Pantry.
It's that time of year when we are actively planning for the big day. Contact us to volunteer!
Warfield School School Supply Drive
We hold annual collections for school supplies or hygiene kits for students and families of the Warfield School in Indiantown. Each winter and each summer we collect a truckload of supplies for these hard-working and appreciative families.
Assistant Principal Angie Gilbride explains in this brief video what an impact Good Shepherd's support means to the school staff, families, and students. The video first published at our annual outreach fundraiser, Artie's Party. (1:29)
Committed Outreach
Good Shepherd reaches out with assistance to communities locally, regionally, and globally. We are committed to doing Christ's work every day through a range of ministries and partners. These are some of our Outreach partners that we commit to support each budget year:
- El Sol
- Episcopal Charities of Southeast Florida
- Episcopal Relief and Development
- Food For the Poor
- Guatemalan Tomorrow Fund
- The Lord's Place
- Our Little Roses
- Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS)
- South Florida Haiti Project
- St. George's Center
- St. George's Meal Ministry
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