St. Robert of Newminster Parish at 6477 Ada Drive, Ada, MI 49301 US - Service and Outreach
Christian Service
Stewardship Committee
The Stewardship Committee, through prayer and works of the Holy Spirit, aims towarm the hearts of all parishioners, thereby promoting an ‘‘Attitude of Gratitude’’ ineach of us. We hope toenhance theoverallsense of community in our parish, and encourage everyonein building their relationship with Christ.Our main goal is toincrease awareness thatChristianstewardship is a way of life. The Committee meets the first Saturday of every month, and is always looking for interested and energetic parishioners to help us on thisimportantmission.
Chair: Joe Szyperski 676.1410
Email: joe.szyperski@medbioinc.com
Members: Jason Balgavy, Julie Balgavy, Brian Lee,
Lisa Novosad, Chuck Smeester
Adopt-a-Family
This outreach program pairs a St. Robert’s family from the Grand Rapids area with a needy family from Grand Rapids for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. Parishioners supply the ingredients for a festive holiday meal and deliver before the holiday. Those who sign up for Christmas can choose to provide gifts or a meal or both for the family. A great family, neighborhood or workplace project.
When and Where: Thanksgiving, Christmas
Contact: Paula Benjamin 897.5832
Blood Drives
Blood Drives are held at the parish to help fill the need for blood at area hospitals. We hold a blood drive every 8 weeks to make donating blood more convenient.
Contact: Suzanne and Michael Lunn 682-0678
Email: sue@suelunn.com
Boy Scouts of America
- Cub Scout Pack 3290 is open to boys in grades 1 to 5. Includes service projects and fun outdoor activities. General e-mail: pack3290@gmail.com
- Recruitment night - September 17, 2012: Flyer HERE!
Contact: Vicki Burrows 780-8501
- Boy Scout Troop 290 is open to boys from grade 6 to age 18. This program teaches leadership skills and promotes duty to God and country.
Contact: Ron Gach 616-874-4042
Employment and Resource Network (formerly Career Transition Ministry)
The Employment and Resource Network meets to provide counseling and training to unemployed and people in career transition. The group meets every other week and presents a varied program.
Contact: Bill Weitzel 446-1873
Email: weitzelwj@aol.com
Caregivers’ Support Group
Caregivers for family members and friends are angels of mercy. Their loving ways sometimes often increases stress in their own lives. Come with your frustrations as well as life enhancing experiences to share with other caregivers and be healed.
Some questions addressed: How to get other members of the family to help? Where to find Professional resources to assist in the home? When to move the care recipient to a facility (Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing)? We meet every second Thursday of the month (except July and August) from 7:00 – 8:30 PM in Room # 6.
Contact: Kathy O’ Bee 862-9908
Email: kathrynobee@gmail.com
Dégagé Ministries
Often referred to as Heartside Community Center, this facility ministers to the needs of the poor and homeless in Grand Rapids’ inner city, offering food, friendship, and recreation, as well as emotional and spiritual support. Volunteers are needed to assist in cooking and serving a lunch hour meal once a month.
When and where: The 1st Friday of each month at the downtown Dégagé facility.
Contact: Beth Junewick 447.1679
Email: ejunewick@comcast.net
Detention Center Ministry
For Incarcerated Teens
This is a ministry to teens detained in the Kent County correctional facility. A monthly birthday party with cake, ice-cream, gifts and recreational activities is provided by St. Robert’s adult and teenage volunteers. There is a need for appropriate role-models and fellowship with age-mates.
When and where: 2nd Saturday of each month at the Youth Detention Center.
Contact: Robert & Annie Fields 940.0867
Food Drive (Weekly) (JoAn Ministries)
One box of pasta and you’ve helped! Help make a difference for our hungry in Grand Rapids. Weekly food donations supply The Other Way Ministries Food Pantry, Trinity Reformed, and Migrant Workers Outreach. Non-perishable food items can be placed in baskets at Church entrances. If each family would bring only one item when they come to Mass, we could supply 2000-plus items of food each week! Your small donation will multiply as did the loaves and fishes. Please drop your donation in the baskets in the Gathering Space whenever you come to church.
Contact: Joan Grealish 949-9172
God’s Kitchen
This is an on-going project that provides meals for God’s Kitchen monthly. Volunteers are needed for cooking and serving at God’s Kitchen, baking, donating food, and greeting those who come to God’s Kitchen for their meals. An opportunity to touch the lives and be touched by our brothers and sisters who struggle for subsistence. Many volunteers are needed.
When and where: The 4th Saturday of each month at God’s Kitchen
Contact one of the Co-Chairs:
Bob & Linda McElliott 940.3875
Email: lmcelliott@comcast.net
or
Jenni & Jim Keuvelaar 581-9848
Email: blosdog@gmail.com
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is an international organization that is committed to building decent, affordable, quality housing for families in need. St. Robert built its first Habitat for Humanity home in 1997. We build one house a year, helping financially and with efforts from our stewards. When we start construction we need volunteers of all skill levels and work areas, including people to help supply meals, clean-up people, and beginning and experienced builders. Working for Habitat for Humanity is a very rewarding ministry and the opportunity to help is right here in our backyard. These homes help change people’s lives and it is easy for YOU to get involved.
Contact: Rick Nichols 682.0009
Email: ada369@comcast.net
Haiti Outreach
We continue to maintain a Twinning relationship with Our Lady’s Nativity parish in Verrettes, Haiti where we assist in maintaining the church, fund school lunches for the students, assist in paying teacher salaries and participate in other projects as suggested by the pastor, Father Murat. Representatives from St. Robert’s go to Haiti every odd-numbered year where we take greetings on behalf of our parishioners, return with news of how the projects we sponsor are progressing and help direct our committee’s focus for the upcoming year. Additionally, Father Murat visits St. Robert’s every even-numbered year.
We also have a student sponsorship program where we help fund the educations of nearly 460 students who otherwise would be unable to attend school. If you would like to enable a student to attend school for a year, sponsorship is $150 for an elementary student and $300 for a secondary student.
The group meets as needed in the Adult Lounge.
Contact: Chris Kapral 616-915-2941
Email: chris.kapral@perrigo.com
Holy Name of Jesus
Sister Parish Relationship
Representatives from the parish are involved in building our new sister parish relationship via a steering committee with Holy Name of Jesus parish members.
St. Robert parishioners provide volunteers in the Holy Name of Jesus English asa Second Language Program (ESL) for immigrant parents wishing to improve their skills. Some St. Robert’s parishioners are involved in fund development with Holy Name of Jesus School. Each summer HNJ parish volunteers visit migrant camps in the area and have invited St. Robert parishioners to join them to provide a Catholic presence to the many migrant workers who pick fruit in our area. Aside from other periodic activities to support the School, such as the Second Best Sale collection and an annual
fundraiser here at St. Robert’s, our youth and music ministries have developed liaison with HNJ for specific activities. Elderly individuals from HNJ also attend the Senior Citizen Picnic here at St. Robert’s.
If you are interested in learning more about our sister parish relationship and how you might become involved, please contact us!
Contacts:
Kevin Ecclesine 616-450-2917
Daniel Villalobos 616-299-9288
Knights of Columbus
Bishop Kevin Britt Council 8117: With over 70,000 members in Michigan and 1.6 million worldwide the Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to various charities, the Catholic Church, the community, families, and young people.
When and where: The 3rd Tues of each month in Newminster Hall.
Contact: Sean Gibbons, Grand Knight 616-560-9569
Email: sean.gibbons@comcast.net
Operation Santa Claus
This is a community program providing food baskets, clothing, and toys to the Ada / Cascade area. Volunteers are needed to call on families in need, shop for clothes and toys, sort food, wrap gifts, and make deliveries. Most volunteers are needed during daytime hours. A collection is taken early in December to help finance the project.
When and where: October to January at Cascade Christian Church
Contact: Marie Russell 682.4989 or 262-0643
Email: pixieprincessm@aol.com
Respect Life
The Respect Life Committee (RLC) is a social service group that seeks to reinforce St. Robert's commitment to honor the sanctity of life from the moment of conception to natural death. RLC carries out this goal by various means, especially by educating our parishioners about pro-life issues and by following Bishop Hurley's directive to support our local Catholic crisis pregnancy center, H.E.L.P. Pregnancy Crisis Aid (H.E.L.P.).
Contacts:
Jean Stojak 676-2031
or
Jane Krug 954-2166
Senior Citizen Picnic
An annual party for needy senior citizens from local nursing homes, and senior centers from the Grand Rapids area and from St. Ann’ Parish in Baldwin Mi. Guests are invited on the basis of need. We offer a luncheon, entertainment, games and prizes. Volunteers are needed for decorations, food preparation, serving, set-up, clean-up, pushing wheel chairs, socializing. Gifts and raffle prizes may be donated throughout the year. If you can help, please call the number below.
When and where: 1st Saturday of August in Newminster Hall
Contact: Cindy Ritter 676.1948
Email: critter614@comcast.net
or
Rose Ennis 897.5897
Email: rosennis@aol.com
Transportation (to Mass) Ministry
This group provides rides to Weekend Mass for those elderly who are not able to drive themselves.
Contact: Sue Perry 940.1868
Email: RPerry123@att.net
Turkeys for God’s Kitchen
Each year at Thanksgiving, St. Robert Parish supplies the turkeys for God’s Kitchen Thanksgiving Dinner for the needy. Sign up in the gathering space during November and bring pies or cooked, deboned turkeys to Newminster Hall Kitchen on the appointed day. Watch the bulletin for details. When and where: Thanksgiving Time in Newminster Hall
Contact: Jeannine Howell 676-8742 Email: jean9h@comcast.net
Pastoral Service
Bereavement Ministry
Our goal is to assist families at the time of the death of a family member. There are different levels of involvement in this most rewarding ministry: at the Funeral Liturgy - usher, greeter, reader, Eucharistic Minister. We also provide: follow-up cards and calls during the year following the death
When and Where:
September 15, 2011: Intro meeting 9:45 AM Adult Lounge
October 20, 2011, 10:30 AM In-service - Newminster Hall
November 2, 2011, 7:00 PM Bereavement Mass - Church
March 15 & May 17, 2012, 9:45 AM Ministry Meetings in Adult Lounge
Contact: Sr. Ann Michael 676.9111 (Ext. 13)
Email: annmichl@strobertchurch.org
Communion to Our Homebound
Our goal is to be sure that our homebound parish members and those that may be temporarily homebound following a hospital stay are brought communion and visited weekly.
Contact: Sr. Ann Michael 676.9111 (Ext.13)
Email: annmichl@strobertchurch.org
Emergency Meals
During times of particular need we provide assistance to families. The parish has such services as emergency meals to help families through short-term crises times (a child hospitalized, for example).
Contact: Sue Monterusso 942.6760
Funeral Luncheons
Mission Statement: “To comfort families of our parish in their time of need by providing a luncheon for their guests after a funeral or memorial Mass.” The Hour of Need ministry is a great way to get involved in church without having to spend too much of your precious time. This ministry runs on volunteers. We ask that you sign up to work a luncheon or drop off a salad or dessert when called upon. In order to contact you, we need your e-mail address. For those who may not have e-mail, call me so I may contact you by phone.
Contact: Julie Dykhouse 676.9111 (Ext. 21)
Email: julie@strobertchurch.org
Hospital Ministry
Our goal is to make sure our parish members are visited while they are hospitalized. Sr. Ann Michael will follow up with communion at home if needed. Volunteers are assigned on a weekly basis.
Contact: Sr. Ann Michael 676.9111 (Ext.13)
Email: annmichl@strobertchurch.org
Health & Wellness Ministry
Our goal is to promote health and wholeness of body, mind, and spirit to the parishioners of St. Robert’s. We would like to offer programs and activities according to the health needs of the parish to empower individuals to pursue health and promote understanding of the relationship between health and faith.
Contact the Parish Office, 676-9111
Retirement & Nursing Home Ministry
Our goal is to make sure the spiritual needs of the Catholics in the ten facilities that we provide Catholic Chaplaincy for are met. This includes weekly communion, and anointing (by the priest) as needed. You would either conduct a communion service on your scheduled week, or visit the rooms of the patients / residents with communion.
Contact: Sr. Ann Michael 676.9111 (Ext. 13)
Email: annmichl@strobertchurch.org
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