At Saint John Fisher Roman Catholic Church, our commitment to Christian outreach is manifested through a variety of programs and initiatives that aim to support and uplift our community. Here's an overview of our recent and ongoing outreach efforts:
Drive-Thru Café
In March, Saint John Fisher hosted a monthly Sunday meal for patrons of the Marlborough Food Bank, distributed at the Congregational Church. Managed by Melissa Jordan, this initiative is part of our Drive-Thru Café, where we provide meals for three months each year. Our next and final meal for 2024 is scheduled for June 30th, marking the end of this year's efforts in this program.
Monthly Sandwich Making and Collection
Every last Thursday of the month, our parishioners gather to prepare sandwiches for St. Vincent dePaul in Middletown. After the morning Mass, volunteers, led by Jen O'Neill and funded by the Knights of Columbus, make sandwiches which are then collected by Doug Meyer in the evening. Doug delivers all the sandwiches to St. Vincent dePaul the following morning, ensuring that those in need receive fresh and nutritious meals.
Weekly Food Drive
To make donations more convenient, we moved our food and household collection to each weekend. Despite this change, the amount of donations has not significantly increased. We are considering placing a collection basket in the vestibule for single cans to make it easier for donors, though space constraints are a concern. John Noel, who manages these donations, continues to support the food bank both as a volunteer and board member.
Journey Home - Filling an Easter "Basket"
During Lent, parishioners had the opportunity to fill an Easter "basket" with household cleaning or laundry supplies for Journey Home patrons. This initiative, spearheaded by Donna Sawan, was a great success and received praise from Journey Home as a meaningful Lenten service offering.
St. Vincent dePaul Sunday Supper
On April 21st, our parish prepared, delivered, and served a Sunday meal to over 80 patrons at St. Vincent dePaul. Managed initially by Paulette and now by Nancy Gianetti, this large project involves many parishioners. Nancy is creating an operational binder to facilitate future efforts. Our next Sunday Supper will be on September 29th.
Caring Families - Baby Shower & Hosted Speaker
We are currently hosting a baby shower to support young mothers associated with Caring Families, a faith-based pregnancy support organization. Recently, Pieter Nijssen from Caring Families spoke to our parishioners about the organization's mission and how we can help. This initiative includes collecting and delivering items to support young mothers and their babies.
Upcoming Initiatives
Before our next meeting in September, we plan to:
- Complete the baby shower and deliver the items to Caring Families.
- Participate in the June Drive-Thru Café.
- Coordinate a donation drive for backpacks and school supplies in July.
- Organize a Journey Home collection for household goods, linens, and furniture in August.
We are always welcoming new members. No amount of participation is too small. Call our Parish office at 860-295-0001 or email
