ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH
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Social Outreach [Call 276-0360] Samaritan Ministry St. Michael Parish, through its Samaritan Ministry (a volunteer service organization), provides the following services to assist Cranford residents in need: Transportation to area (Cranford and surrounding towns in Union County) doctors, hospitals, and grocery stores. Food shopping assistance. HOW IT WORKS: Any Cranford resident in need should call the Saint Michael Parish Center. The phone number is 276-0360. If an individual in the Parish Center is reached, ask to be connected to the Samaritan Ministry mailbox. If a recorded message is received, follow the instructions to be connected to the Samaritan mailbox (by pressing 3). Leave a message including your name, telephone number, service requested, and date service will be needed. (Calling as early as possible before your needed service allows a better chance your request can be filled.) The Samaritan Ministry has volunteers who check for messages on the mailbox each day. A volunteer will call you back to verify the service needed. The volunteer will then try to arrange for the needed service by contacting Samaritan members who have volunteered to provide transportation or food shopping services. You will be notified when a volunteer has been found who is available the day of your request. Sandwiches for St. Joseph's Shelter For details, see this week'sSANDWICH PROGRAM in our Church Bulletin >> Will you consider making a loaf of sandwiches today? Simply take a loaf of bread, make as many sandwiches as you can (usually 8-10 per loaf), wrap them individually and return them to the bag. Assorted lunch meats, salads, or peanut butter & jelly sandwiches are welcome. It takes little time, and means so much to the men, women and children who wait in line to receive them. Drop them off at one of the sites listed in this week's bulletin (see SAMARITAN MINISTRYon page 3)and we do the rest! Our goal is to deliver 50 loaves to Saint Joseph's on Monday morning. The people at Saint Joseph are truly thankful for your generosity; their need is so real and so sad. God has blessed us. It is important that we continue to share our blessings. Saint John's Soup Kitchen For details, see this week's MONTHLY FOOD COLLECTION in our Church Bulletin >> Would you please consider making a meatloaf to donate to the Soup Kitchen? St. Michael's volunteers provide meals to the kitchen on the third Saturday every month. Our goal is to collect 50-60 meatloaves (2-3 lbs. each) which may be made ahead and frozen, but need to be defrosted before delivery. Hundreds of people look forward to the meatloaf dinner provided by the parishioners of St. Michael’s once a month. A cooler is placed in the foyer of the Parish Center that morning so you can drop off your donations before 10:30 a.m. when we leave for Newark. In addition, the soup kitchen could use supplies such as canned vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, chili, stuffing and seasonings (sugar, salt, garlic powder, chili powder and black pepper) to stock the pantry shelves. You can drop these items off at the Parish Center next to the cooler. Please contact the Parish Center or consult the Bulletin for further details.   Cranford Family Care For details, see this week'sMONTHLY FOOD COLLECTION in our Church Bulletin >> Would you like to help a family get through some tough times, make a donation to Cranford Family Care! Wondering how to remember a special friend/loved one this Christmas? Make a donation to Cranford Family Care and they will send out a card to them for the donation made in their honor. Cranford Family Care is a non-profit, non-sectarian agency that was founded by Cranford residents in 1936. It is a social service agency that helps Cranford residents in times of emergency. We have a food pantry, used clothes and we assist residents who have shut-off notices on their utilities, along with many other needs. What greater gift of love is there than to help a family in trouble? You can also give direct through United Way by designating Cranford Family Care. Further information: call Kathy Willis at 276-3530. Transportation Assistance Program Are you unable to drive to doctors appointments or therapy? Some of your thoughtful fellow parishioners and neighbors are available to drive you within a limited area, i. e., Cranford and local towns. To make use of this limited service, call the number above (276-0360) and ask for the SAMARITAN MAILBOX where you can leave your name, home phone number, and the date and time of your appointment. With sufficient time, normally three or four days, someone will get back to you to coordinate. Give the Gift of Friendship In our community there are many homebound persons struggling to continue an independent and dignified life. A simple visit over a cup of tea or perhaps a little help with grocery shopping can greatly enhance the quality of life for homebound persons. By volunteering one or two hours a week you can bring a little sunshine into an otherwise lonely life. For more information call INTERFAITH HOPE GIVERS (a program of The Center for Hope Hospice) – Peter Roderick (908-587-2138). Raphael's Lifehouse St. Michael's Respect Life Committee is collecting NEW linens for Raphael's Life House. Twin-size bed linens, bath towels, hand towels and washcloths are needed. If you are interested in donating any of the above items, please call 908-272-1943. Hospital Visits We would like to visit our parishioners who are homebound, in the hospital or other health care facility. Because of patient confidentiality laws, however, the only way we can know is if someone informs us. Call the Parish Center (276-0360 – leaving your name and number so we may return your call), or you may give the information to the person at the Parish Desk on Sunday mornings. NOTE: Recent changes in laws and regulations governing hospitals have made it necessary for hospitals to tighten the access of outside visitors, including clergy, to information about hospital patients. This means that patient lists which were previously available to clergy and visitors from our congregation will no longer be available, unless patients agree to release that info. New policies now in effect require that patients must request that clergy from the patient’s faith community be contacted and allowed to visit. Patients may make this request upon admission to the hospital or at any point during their stay. Clergy will not be allowed to visit unless this request is made. Patients may also call their faith community directly and request a visit. If you or a loved one is hospitalized, please call the Church to let us know, or contact the chaplain in your hospital so that we may visit you.