The Parish Outreach Committee is committed to strengthen and nurture our parish community by expanding our understanding of the Gospel responsibility of service and assistance to all God’s people. This is accomplished through encouraging parish organizations and parishioners to reach outside the parish community to lend assistance wherever needed and by coordinating requests from agencies and individuals. This committee is involved in planning and implementing recurring, one-time, and new projects. New projects are added as individuals offer ideas and parishioners are recruited to implement them. Time required: one meeting per month, first Monday of the month. Additional time required for the annual and recurring projects are listed below.
Chairperson................................. Steve Jones................ 643-0403
Advent Tree Prepare agency and individual requests for items, deliver gifts, and ensure that all needs are filled. Time required is four meetings over a three-month period, October, November, and December.
Contact................................. Anna Maria Trier................ 339-1839
Blood Drive To donate blood you have to be 17 years or older. A Red Cross Bloodmobile is held once a year at Our Lady of Lourdes and at a St. Matthews area church every eight weeks. It takes approximately 45 minutes to donate.
Contact............................................. Pam Hall.......... 731-514-0141
Community Outreach Yard Sale Hosted by the Parish Outreach Committee. This ministry is held on a Saturday in July. Parishioners are encouraged to support this “community” outreach event through the donation of material goods, personal time, or monetary gifting. All monetary proceeds from the sale benefit outside charitable organizations. Previous recipients include Neighborhood House Kid’s Café in Portland and the St. Francis Mission on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. All goods remaining after the sale are donated to the Rosebud Indian Mission Collection. Time required is 4 - 8 hours during the week prior to the sale and 2 - 6 hours the day of the sale.
Contact.................................... Donna Bowling................ 895-2332
........................................ Anna Maria Trier................ 339-1839
Dressed in Love This ministry combines talent, passion, and resources to provide clothing and school uniforms to children in need across the world. We are always in need of anyone who can sew and there is much to do that does not require sewing. If you can measure, cut, iron package, or count – you can help!Contact................................. Anna Maria Trier................ 339-1839
....................................... Jennifer Greulich................ 649-7674
Hand in Hand Ministries This Louisville-based, international, social service organization provides life’s essentials to the poorest of the poor. Food, clothing, educational offerings, and other essentials are provided for the people of Appalachia. During immersion trips, volunteers repair homes in Appalachia and build homes in Belize and Nicaragua. Through their Supplies Over Seas (SOS) program, in a cooperative effort with the Greater Louisville Medical Society Foundation, volunteers collect and ship lifesaving medical supplies to more than 85 countries. Locally, volunteers are also needed for data entry, clerical duties, sorting donated goods and medical supplies, driving, handyman and electrical repairs, and loading trucks. Time required varies from a few occasional hours to a few hours weekly, to weekends in Appalachia, or week long immersion trips to Nicaragua or Belize.
Contact..................................... Debbie Parker................ 721-6091
Legislative Network Add your name to an Archdiocesan mailing list and write or call your state and federal senators and representatives regarding upcoming bills. Time required is two hours per month.
Contact........................................... Nub Miller................ 239-1007
Lenten Project Prepare agency request for items, deliver gifts and ensure that all requests are filled. Time required is two meetings in February.
Contact....................................... Katie Furlong................ 895-4755
“Little Sisters of the Poor” Thanksgiving Turkey Collection This ministry supports the work of the “Little Sisters of the Poor” which is a religious order that was founded in 1839 and later established their Louisville ministry in 1869. Over the years they have served thousands of our community’s elderly population at their nursing care facility located at 15 Audubon Plaza Drive. Turkeys are collected in the church parking lot the weekend prior to Thanksgiving at four Masses (Saturday evening and all three Sunday Masses) and are used to feed their many residents. Time required is 2 hours.
Contact........................................ Steve Jones................ 643-0403
Nativity Academy Backpack Collection Nativity Academy at Saint Boniface - governed by the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville and the Xaverian Brothers - opened in August 2003 as a preparatory middle school serving Louisville’s inner city children. Each August backpacks and school supplies are collected to help support the ministry of this catholic, faith-based school. Time required is 2 hours.
Contact............................... Nicole Wesselman................ 894-0505
Needy Fund ‘Call Takers’ Assistance is offered to individuals with financial needs. Families working through one of the area ministerial associations are given partial assistance with rent and utility expenses. Time required varies.
Contact........................................... Nub Miller................ 239-1007
Neighborhood House Kid’s Café & Craft Night Established in Portland in 1896 as Kentucky’s first Settlement House, Neighborhood House now serves as a community center for the surrounding area with Kid’s Café providing hot meals for children who live at or below the poverty level. This is a wonderful opportunity to work together in service to our “neighbors in need.” Volunteers prepare and serve meals on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday and Thursday of each month. During the school year, a craft activity is held immediately following the evening meal. Time required is approximately 3 hours one evening per month.
Contact.................................... David Harpring................ 896-2799
Rosebud Indian Mission Collection This ministry is conducted annually in June or July. Parishioners are asked to donate monetary gifts in addition to gently used goods such as clothing, furniture, and house wares along with canned goods and personal hygiene items. These goods are then organized, boxed and loaded onto a truck for delivery to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Time required is 4 - 8 hours during the week of collection.
Contact.................................... Donna Bowling................ 896-4744 or 895-8223
St. MAM Representative Three individuals are needed to serve on the St. Matthews Area Ministries Board of Directors as liaison between the St. Matthews community of churches and Our Lady of Lourdes. Representatives are requested to serve on one of St. MAM’s standing committees. They also host an annual “food pantry” drive currently held during the month of April. Additional collections are scheduled on an “as needed” basis. Minimum time requirement is approximately four hours per month for meetings.
Representatives............................ Mark Berger................ 897-0113
................................................. Jane Buys................ 893-6152
............................................. Doris Esterle................ 897-5488
............................................. Sonya Wolter................ 896-1114
(Panera Food Pick up)............. Ken Lanham................ 894-0037
Soup Kitchen Individuals serve meals to homeless at St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen.
Contact........................................ Marie Pierce................ 893-9022
Thanksgiving Day Collection Each year at Thanksgiving, the Worship Committee sponsors a collection for one of our local charities. Previous recipients have included St. Vincent DePaul and Wayside Christian Mission. After consulting with the chosen charity, the collection is then targeted to their specific needs at that time. Parishioners are then asked to bring their contributions to the Thanksgiving Day liturgy, bring them forward during the offertory and place them in baskets on the steps to the sanctuary.
Contact..................................... Mary Ann Holl................ 895-3790
Threads of Love A sewing ministry supporting the neonatal intensive care unit of the children’s hospital. We provide for premature and sick infants; in addition when a parent is faced with the loss of an infant, we reach out to them through our sewing skills. All sewing, crocheting and knitting is done at your own home, in your own time. There is a monthly meeting on the first Thursday of the month for one hour.
Contact................................. Anna Maria Trier................ 339-1839