Trinity News

May 03, 2007

What is Outreach?

Outreach as a noun is defined as the act or process of reaching out. Webster’s gets a bit more specific defining outreach as a systemic attempt to provide services beyond conventional limits, as to particular segments of a community. As a verb, outreach is defined: to be more or greater than; exceed; to surpass in reach. Taken in combination, it is the ability of one community to work beyond its boundaries in unexpected ways to provide for another community in need.

TRINITY PARISH SOCIAL MINISTRIES
Through its Social Ministries Commission, Trinity Parish supports a variety of programs whose main focus is to provide food and shelter to those in need, support youth activities and education. This year the focus will be Helping Others Help Themselves.

We have five ongoing programs supported by groups of volunteers. If you’d like more information on these volunteer opportunities call the coordinator listed on the back inside page of this newsletter, or contact Lucy Strandberg, co-chair of Social Ministries.

o Clara-Mateo Alliance: Sunday Dinners
o Urban Ministry: Fifth Saturday Lunches (at Covenant Presbyterian in Palo Alto)
o Shelter Network: Sunday Dinners
o Haven House: Thanksgiving Dinners
o Ecumenical Hunger Program: ongoing food collection

The Social Ministries Commission is in the process of finalizing the Outreach Projects which will be the focus of our 2007 outreach efforts.

Each month we will place focus on one of the projects, to further acquaint you with their programs and how we can make a difference. This month we are featuring the Lillian Vallely School, a Native American school started by Bishop John Thornton of Idaho. Bishop Thornton and his wife Jan will be at Holy Trinity on the weekend of May 12-13 and will make a presentation to us about the Lillian Vallely School.