CVAN

Contact Person: Theresa Isibor-Davis 704-794-6687  tnisibor@windstream.net

CVAN provides safety, shelter, and support for battered women and their children.  Volunteer opportunities include child care, court advocacy, fundraising, office work, resale store, transportation and house/yard maintenance (training available for volunteers) Their needs are anything you use at home (e.g. paper products, cleaning supplies, personal care, linens, etc.)

 

Night Shelter

Contact Person: Gregory and Michelle Forsey  704-795-5210  mgmforsey@aol.com

The Night Shelter provides safe lodging, hot meals, case management and life skills training to homeless men, women, and children.  Volunteer opportunities each evening include check in guests and supervision of guests, or provide guests with a meal prepared at home.  A suggested menu is provided for volunteers, and guests provide clean-up and a suggested menu is provided. Opportunities to volunteer occur for one week each quarter.   Look for notices in the Bulletin and for the sign-up board in the vestibule of the church.

 

Habitat for Humanity

Contact Person: Debbie O'Connor  704-938-9287   Debbieo11@aol.com

Habitat for Humanity serves Christ through nurturing families and building affordable homes to create community.  Volunteer opportunities are available year round and include answering phones, administrative support, home construction (during the week and Saturdays, skilled and unskilled), clerks and stockers for Home Store Resale Shop, Christmas wrap in mall (fundraiser), bird house build (fundraiser), and prayer support for our mission and volunteers.  In-kind gifts, donation of housing materials and gently used appliances/furniture/etc. for the resale store and financial support are always welcome.

 

Community Free Clinic

Contact Person: Venetia Skahen   704-782-0650 Ext 226    VenetiaSkahen@CFClinic.org

CFC provides health and pharmacy services by professional and other volunteer staff to those in need.  Volunteer opportunities include: greeting patients and patient administrative services, fundraising, pharmacy support (will train), doctors, nurses, lab techs, pharmacists, and Spanish interpreters (day & evening).  Needs are office supplies, clinic supplies, medications or diabetic supplies, food, drinks, or supplies for volunteers, lawn service, and financial support.  Each year they sponsor two fundraising events, the Ducktona Dash in the Spring and a luncheon in the Fall.

 

CCM Pantry

Contact Person: Guerin Bernardin  704-782-6763   gbernardin@carolina.rr.com

CCM Pantry provides emergency assistance to people in crisis and to empower them to make positive life changes.  Volunteer opportunities include office administration, greeting clients & answering phones, staffing food pantries, warehouse helpers, drivers, interviewers, and meal service in the soup kitchen.  Needs are financial support, non-perishable foods, personal care products, paper products, detergent, etc.  Pantry needs are listed in the church bulletin weekly.  You can leave your donations in the vestibule of the church, if you are unable to deliver them to the CCM Pantry on Country Club Drive personally.  CCM hours are typically 9:00 am to 4:00 pm M, T, Th, F and 9:00 am to noon on Wednesday.

 

Life Pregnancy Center

Contact Person: Nancy Policastro 704-960-4121   nejp2002@hotmail.com

LPC ministers spiritually, materially and emotionally to the needs of women and their families in Cabarrus/Rowan counties who are facing crisis pregnancy situations.  Volunteer opportunities include in-house peer counselors (training available), answer hot lines, child care, office work and prayer.  Needs are financial support, new and slightly used maternity and baby items and office supplies.

 

Crop Walk Coordinator, participant (Oct)

Contact Person: Ann Borsuk 704-720-0600X27   antbnc9@aol.com

The Crop Walk is an international fundraiser for the poor and needy.  In Cabarrus County and Kannapolis the event is organized by the Cooperative Christian Ministry.  Twenty five percent of the proceeds help the needy in our local area.  The remaining funds are used internationally.  Individuals, groups and church communities obtain pledges and walk together on a pre-designated route on a Sunday afternoon in October.  The route alternates each year between Concord and Kannapolis. The walker chooses the distance of their route 1 or 5 miles.  Children (with supervision) and adults of all ages can participate. Meeting people from other churches who believe in the same cause is a great perk too. A volunteer to coordinate the St. James participation is needed for this outreach ministry.

 

Am Cancer Soc. Relay for Life-Angel  Brigade participant (May)

Contact Person: Lynne Parette  704-782-9187   lparette@gmail.com

Teams come from businesses, industries, churches, schools, neighborhoods, and other organizations.  The St. James team is named the Angel Brigade.  The Cabarrus county event takes place in May, although fundraising efforts for the team can take place year round.  Teams camp around the Cabarrus Arena track and participate in a variety of activities and fundraisers while taking turns walking around the  track.  This is a non-competitive, team-building event and you can attend as long as your schedule allows.  All ages are welcome to join the team.  Children under the age of 18 would need to have a parent present.

 

Samaritan’s Purse– Operation Christmas Child (box-up, deliver)

Contact Person: Charlotte Schomberg 704-720-0600   stjamescatholicbookstore@hotmail.com

OCC is an annual project of Samaritan’s Purse. It is the world’s largest Christmas project. “Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God's love.” This program provides an opportunity for our Faith Formation children and people of all ages to be involved in simple, hands-on missions’ project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas-Jesus Christ. For the past years with great support from the Knight of Columbus, St. James faith formation and RCIA for Youth has used OCC as one of their service projects. For St. James parish, packing gift-filled shoe boxes is a hands-on mission project and a great way to bring people together. In our classrooms, Operation Christmas Child provides an opportunity to study other cultures and current events while responding to suffering with the love of Jesus Christ. This ministry is open to all parishioners and our community to share your Time, Talent, and Treasure with children all over the world.  Volunteers are needed to help box up donations and deliver to the central location.

 

Missions participant

Contact Persons: Theresa Isibor-Davis 704-794-6687   tnisibor@windstream.net

Kathleen Harrison  704-786-8799   matt.kat.harrison@gmail.com

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mat 28:19-20-NAB. Our response to His call is reflected in work with other organizations providing free medical and health services to needy regions internationally. Our parish members volunteer as doctors, nurses, translators, and health educators, etc. to Dominican Republic, Ghana, and Guatemala, etc. Medical and Health mission trip to the Dominican Republic conducted by Intercultural Nursing, Inc. provides healthcare and health prevention programs in poor rural areas in the western part of the Dominican Republic near the Haitian border. Clinics are setup in local schools or churches in the Las Matas and Elias Pina Campos. Volunteers visit Mother Teresa Missionaries of Charity to assist with public health issues, nutrition and bringing love to children at the center. Those who cannot go can support others financially, morally and with their prayers.

 

Christmas Giving Tree (Set-Up, Delivering  mid-Dec.)

Contact Person: Ann Borsuk  704-720-0600 X27   antbnc9@aol.com

Each year near Thanksgiving as the Christmas season is about to start, St. James sets up a Christmas tree in the vestibule of the church.  The tree is full of multicolored paper ornaments bearing the wish lists of many needy persons in Cabarrus County.  St. James works with many organizations such as the night shelter, CVAN, Crisis Pregnancy Center, the Cooperative Christian Ministry Pantry and Fuel Fund to bring Christmas to those that otherwise would have nothing.  Volunteers are needed to prepare paper ornaments, sort gifts, and transport the gifts to each of the organizations before the holiday.

 

Father’s Feast

Contact Person: Eddie McEachern      980-621-3000   JEMcEachern@aol.com

New ministry: Father's Feast provides a church based garden site to grow nutritious vegetables and accept donations of produce from parish gardeners as a food supplement to those in need in the parish and the community.   The garden is conveniently located behind Gill Hall and will be irrigated from the well located in front of the hall with an automatic irrigation system.  A garden is planned for cold and warm crops.  Volunteer opportunities may  include garden planting, feeding and watering and other maintenance to yield a bountiful harvest.  Gifts of time may vary, depending on the individual's preference and availability.  Anyone may make donations to Father's Feast including supplies, produce from their own garden or make a monetary donation to support the garden.