Since St. Chrysostom’s founding in 1893, parishioners have responded to God’s call for service by organizing outreach efforts throughout the Chicago community and beyond. Using their gifts of time, talent and resources, volunteers work to serve the community embrace through the church’s feeding programs, partnering with neighboring nonprofits to serve the elderly, the homeless and refugees of the city. Fill out this form or contact the church office at info@saintc.org to get involved in any of St. Chrysostom’s outreach ministries.
Wednesday Lunch Program: Parish volunteers and St. Chrysostom’s neighbors provide weekly sack lunches to those in need throughout the city. Bag lunches are dropped off at the parish from 7:30 am to 9:00 am every Wednesday morning and delivered directly to church partner organizations for distribution. With the faithful and generous support of the community, St.Chrysostom’s has provided more than 15,000 meals each year of the program.
On the third Tuesday of every month, parish volunteers gather to cook and serve a hot meal to those in need from 4:30 pm until 6:00 pm on the church campus. Dedicated parishioners have served thousands of meals throughout the many years of this longstanding ministry. On the third Wednesday of each month, volunteers provide meals for Deborah’s Place residents, helping to support Chicago’s chronically homeless women.
Parishioners collect plastic grocery bags that can be recycled and braided into sleeping mats for the city’s homeless, bringing some comfort to those in need. Bags are sorted and cut to form a yarn or “plarn” and then crocheted into bedrolls that are sent to Chicago charities for distribution to the homeless. Bags may be dropped off at St. Chrysostom’s on Wednesday mornings between 7:30 am and 9:00 am, along with Wednesday lunches.
Supported by the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, St. Leonard’s Ministries provides interim housing and supportive services for the formerly incarcerated returning to the community from Illinois prisons. Over several years, St. Chrysostom’s parishioners have supported St. Leonard’s and its residents by hosting Recognition Thursday, a monthly onsite recognition program that provides personal support and encouragement for the milestones they have reached since their release from prison. Accomplishments may mark a year of sobriety, getting a GED or high school diploma or perhaps making it through a tough patch in their lives with grace.
St. Chrysostom’s Rector, Rev. Dr. Ian Burch serves on St. Leonard’s Board of Directors and provides spiritual support for the organization and its resident, while the church also assists with fundraising efforts. Participants in St. Chrysostom’s Youth Confirmation program pitch in by cooking and serving meals at St. Leonard’s.
Further information about St. Leonard’s Ministries may be found at slministries.org. Contact St. Chrysostom’s church office at info@saintc.org forinformation on how to get involved by volunteering.
Founded more than 25 years ago by St. Chrysostom’s, parishioners continue to participate in the Chiapas Project, a coalition of Episcopal parishes working together to support the Chicago Diocese companion relationship with the Diocese of Southeast Mexico. Members of the coalition make annual visits to two missions in Chiapas - San Benito in San Cristóbal and San Mateoat Yochib in the Mayan Highlands. Projects have included funding a biweekly food pantry for 45 families in San Cristóbal, scholarships for the children and a weekly healthcare worker who visits Yochib each Saturday.
Created as an outreach to the wider community more that 25 years ago, the Good Samaritan Committee manages support for a variety of local and international efforts where St. Chrysostom’s volunteers are devoting their hard work and knowledge of that community. Projects may include providing coats or gloves for St. Chrys Closet, a food pantry in Chiapas or St. Leonard’s Ministries Career Transitions Center.
Each year, in celebration of the Easter season, the Good Samaritan Committee conducts a Fifty Days of Easter Campaign, seeking financial donations or gifts in kind for St. Chrysostom’s local ministries. Parishioners, day school families and community members all contribute to this annual project.
St. Chrysostom’s annually supports the Christmas Basket Program of ReVive, an Episcopal charity working to end homelessness in Chicago for more than 100 years. ReVive identifies the needs of its families, singles and seniors and requests needed items such as household basics, warm clothes or toys. Over several years, St. Chrysostom’s parishioners have responded to the need by providing hundreds of gift baskets for the homeless during the holiday season.
