Service Projects
Donations of Time, Talent, & Treasure Throughout the Year
September
Children’s church envelopes. These are for the children to use during the collection. Please consider a note instead of money if your child does not get an allowance. These are not about the money.
As a reminder, parents give through the Faith Direct electronic payment or using Sunday envelopes that come in the mail.
Sandwich making for Help for the Hungry. Each grade in AMS takes a turn at supporting this lunch program by making sandwiches. This does not involve monetary donation but is an important donation of time.
Pancake Breakfast: Parents in the school support this monthly project, which is an important community builder (as well as making a bit of money) but requires tremendous people power. Your time spent with this monthly activity is valued.
October
PARISH FAIR! This is our major fundraiser for the parish, giving monies to the school, SRE and we tithe 20% for the needs of our sister parish and other projects. Parents are expected to work shifts, and the parish relies on us to buy Lucky 21 raffle tickets as well as fair tickets for use during the weekend. In addition, the silent and live auction are major fundraisers for our fair. Donate and buy!
Respect Life Ministry Baby Bottles. This is a parish project, so families pick these up after Mass. School and SRE do not collect this money, and while supported by their teachers, the bottles are returned to the church.
November
Stewardship Campaign. Sign up for your commitment at the parish level!
Family to Family Project: This is a parish sponsored event where families from St Lawrence of Brindisi Parish (Watts) sign up for holiday gifts. Families in our school and SRE may opt to participate, and frequently several families get together or an SRE class will adopt a family.
Thanksgiving the family receives a gift of grocery scrip. At Christmas, each member of the family receives gifts, and the family or families shop for these items then bring them to a parish drop off in December.
Advent
Holy Childhood Association. Boxes are given to each school and SRE child to collect coins for the children of the world living in dire poverty. This is a unique organization where children reach out to children, and the Archdiocese looks to every parish to contribute. HCA seeks to solicit from our young Catholics a sensitivity to praying for and seeking monetary support for our Catholic missionaries, who, in turn, minister to the hundreds of thousands of children with no families, homes, education, food health and a desperation we can’t even imagine. We participate in 2 of the 3 collections, Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter
Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall: The student council designates one dress add on day to collect funds for the inmates at this facility. Sister Theresa Doherty relies on the generosity of our students each year to buy gifts of personal items for the young people housed in this facility awaiting trial.
Parish Christmas Project. Each year on the second weekend of December American Martyrs Parish holds its parish Christmas Project. This project provides Christmas gifts to those needy families within our parish community as well as Downtown Womens Center and other charities we support. Unwrapped toys are wrapped during the weekend in ODonnell Hall and this is a great family event to provide service to those less needy. In addition, food items, scrip are accepted to round out the gift packages. School and SRE can participate by bringing their toy to the class if they will not be able to come over the weekend.
February
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent
Lenten Collection for Holy Childhood Association. Folders for collection of small change for the missions serving the children of the world. Each school and SRE student is given a folder, a reminder throughout Lent of our remembrance of the poor. Return after Easter break.
Loaves and Fishes. AMYM our youth ministry group sponsors this event throughout Lent. Each week AMS and SRE students are asked to bring a specific item to church or SRE class to support this food collection that is a supplement to our monthly food drive. All food goes to fill the food pantry at St Lawrence of Brindisi.
Operation Rice Bowl. This collection is sponsored by the Social Justice commission of the parish. The “bowls” are handed out after Mass, and should be returned to the Parish Center or the table outside of Mass during Holy Week. Yes, theoretically you could have two collections going on in your home, both going to worthy causes. Please feel free to pick one.
Easter Bunnies for Good Shepherd Center. Children in AMS and SRE bring a new stuffed bunny during the Lenten Season. They are brought to the classroom or the school office, SRE class or SRE office.They are delivered to the Good Shepherd Center for their annual Easter Party, where families escaping domestic abuse can gather and enjoy a time away from the burdens they carry.
Lenten Friday Dinners. Your family can join in a Parish Friday dinner, where a simple meal is eaten and the amount your family would spend on dinner out is donated to the parish outreach program. After 6 weeks in Lent, our parish collects close to $10,000 for the outreach programs we support.
All of these worthy collections are what make American Martyrs a light for those in darkness. As parents of school age children, we know you are the backbone of these programs that reach out to so many. This is in addition to all of the fundraising involved in the schools they attend!