Outreach at St. George's

Mission Statement

St. George's parishioners are engaged with the world and find many ways in their daily lives to reach out to those in need. The Outreach Committee is made up of parishioners who look for ways for the parish as a whole to work on issues and projects that reflect our parish's commitment to help others in our communities and the world beyond. To accomplish those goals, the Outreach Committee:

  • Identifies volunteer opportunities and provides financial grants to local organizations especially in the areas of families affected by poverty and people confronting crisis and need.
  • Learns about, discusses and participates in events related to current local and global issues of suffering, poverty and social justice.
  • Provides relevant information on these issues to the congregation.

Outreach Grant Program

Each year, a portion of St. George's budget is allocated to Outreach grants to social service and other organizations in the local community, the Episcopal Church and beyond. We identify opportunities for parish-wide participation in organizations and projects that reflect our goals of helping families affected by poverty and people confronting crisis and need. We work with organizations in our local communities that need volunteers as well as financial assistance. Our grants generally range in size from $500 to $2,500. We also prefer to support direct service projects to increase the potential impact of our grants.

Please download the PDF Grant Request form (under "Forms & Resources" at right), complete it and return the completed form via mail or fax to: St. George's Church, ATTN: Outreach Grant Request. Address: 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, NJ 07040; fax number: 973-762-9213.

Note: Grant decisions will be made in March, June, September and December. Please submit an application by the last date of the preceding month to ensure that your application will be promptly considered.

Food Barrel Ministry

Every week throughout the year, the Outreach Committee welcomes contributions of non-perishable, non-breakable food items, which we give to local food pantries at St. Joseph's (Maplewood) and Turning Point Community Services (Irvington). Please place the food items in the barrels in the hallway outside the parish hall.

We also accept NEW infant items, formula and foods on behalf of North Porch Women and Infants' Center.  To find out their most current needs go to www.northporch.org.

Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)

St. George's is a long-time supporter of the Interfaith Hospitality Network program (IHN), which brings shelter, meals, and support services to families without homes. Several times a year St. George's hosts IHN families for a week, or assists Wyoming Presbyterian Church in Millburn in hosting families by providing volunteers to prepare meals or act as evening or overnight hosts.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

Several of the organizations supported by St. George's Outreach Grants also regularly seek volunteers to help them further their missions. If you would are looking for new ways to put your faith in action, or if you would like to learn more about the organizations we support, please contact a member of the Outreach Committee.