OUTREACH

Outreach is vital to our parish. Saint David’s is a parish that cares, and we heed God’s call to care for those whom God brings to us, as well as to those in the wider world.  In both our Mission Statement and in our actions, we proclaim our faith through deeds of love by commitment of time, energy, gifts, prayer, and financial support to make Christ known within our church, community, country and the world. We strive to become the people God has called us to be in several different ways.

Financial Donations

In response to our mission of caring, in 2009 we raised funds through a capital campaign to expand our facilities, creating much needed space for classrooms and music, as well as modernizing and expanding our kitchen to Commercial Grade. These improvements have enabled Saint David’s to use our facilities to better serve God’s people; both in our parish worship community and to the local community outside of Saint David’s.

At the close of every service at Saint David’s, we are exhorted to “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.” This is a call to which we have responded generously, as individuals and as a parish, as an expression of our Christian witness, e.g. Christmas Feast, Homeless Hospitality Center and Start Fresh, a local group that welcomes and supports refugee families as they resettle in the area.

Giving Trees

We use "giving trees" two times each year to collect material goods from our generous parishioners to benefit several local agencies.  Some of the items collected are food gift cards for refugee families, clothing for people experiencing homelessness, and Christmas gifts to support the St Vincent de Paul Place Christmas party.

Community Service Opportunities

On the last Tuesday of every month we provide and serve dinner at the New London Community Meal Center.

We host an annual Christmas party at Norwich’s St. Vincent de Paul Place, for the children whose parents use the food pantry. Our parishioners fulfill an extensive list of toy and clothing wishes of the children.

Each year for more than two decades we have hosted our Christmas Feast, to which all people in the New London area are invited. We provide transportation to and from the church and offer Christmas meals on wheels to those who are housebound. We also collect coats, warm clothing and toys for anyone in need of them. In recent yearly feasts we have prepared, served and/or delivered over 1,200 meals on a Christmas day.

In 2017, Saint David’s applied for, and received, a grant from the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut’s Sustainable Development Fund, to partner with Start Fresh, a local chapter of IRIS (Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, a non-profit organization). The purpose of the grant is to provide an avenue for refugees in our local area to achieve sustainable income for their families by leveraging the considerable food skills they already have.

Parishioner Outreach

Once a year we hold the African Team Ministries Craft & Jewelry Sale, with proceeds returning to the African villages where the goods are made.

Our Good Friday Offering is donated to the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.

We participate in the local CROP Hunger Walk.

Parishioners also assist in providing Pastoral Care for Saint David’s community; such as rides for the injured and non-ambulatory, meals on wheels for the homebound, home visits to the sick, and hospital visits to in-patients.