Food Pantry Partnerships
We alternate between bringing food to East End Cooperative Ministries and the food pantry at Allies for Health and Wellbeing (formerly Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force). Each month we'll have two suggested items for donation; we're glad to receive other shelf stable goods as well.
November items are canned vegetables and baking mixes for EECM.
Outreach
St. Andrew’s Outreach Ministries has established relationships with several community organizations. We support these ministry partners in various ways:
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Providing volunteers and supplies for activities sponsored by St. Andrew’s or the organization
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Providing volunteers on a continuing basis
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Collecting donations of products that they need
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Providing financial support
Our operating budget allots $7,000 per year for outreach efforts. A successful capital campaign in 2013 resulted in additional funding to support our outreach ministry (approximately $52,000 in long-term reserves). Donations to various outreach ministries of both financial and in-kind gifts are invited throughout the year.
The Neighborhood Academy, a faith-based, college preparatory academy established to provide excellence in education and character development for youth from 6th to 12th grades. Our Parish provides backpacks and school supplies for all students annually (in partnership with other congregations) and gift cards for the graduating seniors. We restock the in-school support pantry quarterly.
East End Cooperative Ministries (EECM) is a faith-based consortium that addresses the problems of poverty within the Pittsburgh community by offering food assistance to those who are experiencing food and housing insecurity and barriers to employment, as well as providing support to young people in dealing with the challenges of poverty. We hold regular food drives and a fall winter coat drive, and hope to return to direct service volunteering in the future.
Off The Floor Pittsburgh (now partnered within Light of Life Mission) provides new and gently used furniture and soft goods to individuals and families in housing crisis and transition, including the homeless and fire victims. The Parish conducts an annual donation campaign to collect bed linens, pillows, and related items for distribution to OTF clients. One parishioner has previously served as Chair of the OTF Board.
Treasure House Fashions provides new and gently used clothing and accessories to disadvantaged women in crisis to help prepare them for employment or re-employment. Parish women volunteer to serve as shopping helpers for the clients; last year, we joined Treasure House Fashions to help the Afghani women from Hello Neighbor "go shopping."
Five Talents International is a faith-based sponsor of microenterprise initiatives in the Global South that partners with local faith communities in some of the world's poorest countries to provide training in adult literacy, savings-led microfinance, business development, and trauma healing. We are renewing our relationship with a women's microenterprise project in Bolivia to provide funding and explore opportunities for direct collaboration.
Shepherd's Heart Fellowship Veterans' Ministry in their ministry of service to veterans experiencing homelessness through housing, support, and recovery groups, notably through our Veterans' Day Drive.
Episcopal Relief and Development, an international mission of the Episcopal Church, working to save lives and strengthen communities around the world through locally-led organizations to advance lasting change in communities impacted by injustice, poverty, disaster and climate change.
The Mustard Seed Babies' Home Project serves as a caring refuge for sixty children, hoping to expand to meet the ongoing orphan crisis in Uganda. The Babies' Home has been recognized as a model for other orphanages in the Region. During the past decade, the Parish has supported two children attending primary school under the auspices of Mustard Seed.
Allies for Health + Wellbeing (formerly Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force) is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that empowers individuals and communities by providing health care that supports both mind and body, with services free of stigma and discrimination to the LGBTQ+ community and all those living with or at risk of HIV and viral hepatitis. Every other month, the donations from our ongoing Sunday food drive will go to Allies' food pantry.
Click here to see our full calendar of outreach efforts from the 2024-25 program year!