Service for others is at the heart of the Christian mission of this parish.
Ministry rooted in faith
Parishioners sort donated food to fill Thanksgiving baskets.
Outreach is a major focus at St. Thomas à Becket. Feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, sheltering the homeless, caring for the sick and suffering, and educating the young — all are acts of obedience to God’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves. Outreach is an expression of our gratitude to God.
We respond to Christ’s commands by using our gifts to serve and care for those beyond our church walls. Our parishioners contribute goods to ongoing and seasonal collections that benefit people in our community. We support local organizations and ministries with our time - by sending groups to help with hunger- and housing-related concerns -as well as with our money. Our annual budget includes generous provision for Outreach, and we have funds that enable us to respond to emergency needs and disasters. We further encourage individual parishioners to serve and give wherever they are called.
In recent years, we have supported the Highland Educational Project in McDowell County, a ministry of the Diocese of West Virginia, and funded the overseas work of Episcopal Relief and Development.
Outreach Ministries Projects
Baby Supplies
We have an ongoing collection of diapers, Pull-Ups, wipes, ointment, Ivory Snow detergent, etc. for local baby pantries.
Empty Bowls Monongalia
Many St. Thomas à Becket parishioners help organize and volunteer for Empty Bowls fundraisers including the Soup and Bread Luncheon in February. The money raised goes to more than 20 local organizations that work to relieve hunger and food insecurity.
Thanksgiving Baskets
Each November, parishioners donate, sort, and pack more than 35 totes of food and gift cards to provide Thanksgiving dinner for local families.
Backpack Feeding Program
During the school year, parishioners volunteer on second and fifth Wednesdays at Scott’s Run Settlement House to fill bags of food for children to take home for the weekend.
Milan Puskar Health Right
We have an ongoing collection for items such as shower gel, shaving cream, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and other hygiene items the shower program at Health Right. We also support Health Right financially for providing medical and dental services and help for people suffering from addiction.
Towel & Sheet Collection
During the warmer months, we collect new and gently-used towels and sheets to be used in homeless shelters and for people moving into housing.
Christmas Family
Each year parishioners shop for Christmas gifts for the children and adults in a needy local household, through Scotts Run Settlement House.
Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity
In addition to contributing financially for building new houses in a three-county area, we occasionally organize a luncheon for volunteers and, if there’s interest, we can organize a team of volunteer builders.
Warm Clothes from Warm Hearts
During the winter, we collect clean, gently used or new coats and other warm clothing in our church narthex to donate to Christian Help, who distributes them free to people in need.
Community Kitchen
Many of our folks work with this ministry that offers a daily free meal at Trinity Episcopal Church downtown Monday-Friday, shopping for food, preparing and serving meals, cleaning up, packing and distributing weekend bags, writing grants, and keeping the kitchen organized. Volunteers contribute several hours one or more days weekly.
Rock Forge Food Pantry
Volunteers from our church pick up bread donated by Panera on Monday mornings and deliver it to the Rock Forge Presbyterian Food Pantry. On third Sundays, we collect cans of tomato and chicken noodle soup to go with the bread. Monthly we also donate laundry detergent, dish soap, and toilet paper for the pantry’s clients.
The Highland Educational Project, an outreach ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, started after World War II to help GIs returning to Southern West Virginia readjust and train for civilian jobs. Over ensuing decades the project has adapted and changed. Now housed in a repurposed FEMA shelter outside Welch, WV in McDowell County, HEP is focused on providing reading lessons and books for local children and hosting mission teams who come to help local residents with home repairs and improvements and to assist with other ministries in the area.
Folks at St Thomas have sent several loads of children’s books for the giving library at HEP. In 2024 a small group from our church visited HEP, stayed at the HEP building for five days, and toured the area to see work that has been done by other volunteers, and visited local ministries in Welch and also Bluefield, the seat of Mercer County. We made improvements to the HEP library and the small on-site chapel. With a group of clergy spouses headed by Melissa Cowden, Bishop Matthew’s wife, we hosted a lunch for neighborhood children and their caregivers and distributed backpacks and school supplies.
