Outreach has always been a vital ministry of Saint Paul’s Church.
Numerous members of the congregation participate in a variety of outreach
efforts. In addition to financial assistance, many parishioners also
contribute their time and talents. We provide funding for several local,
national and international ministries. As downtown Norfolk has changed,
we have changed our ministries with it. We provide assistance to the
homeless through Ghent Area Ministries. The following are our major
outreach ministries:
Park Place Methodist Soup Kitchen - At present, approximately
30 parishioners provide Saturday morning staffing at Park Place Methodist
Church Soup Kitchen. Working in teams of four Saint Paul parishioners
provide sustenance to the disadvantaged and homeless. Newcomers are
always welcomed.
Our Sandwich Ministry prepares about 150 sandwiches
every other Sunday for the homeless in downtown Norfolk. Volunteers
of all ages meet in the Parish House kitchen between the 8:00 and 10:30
am services to assemble these sandwiches.
Tidewater Park School is the local elementary school.
Through a diocesan Seeds of Hope grant we are sponsoring a book give
away for the children to promote literacy. Several parishioners volunteer
as reading mentors in the school.
Backpacks and School Supplies is a parish-wide program
to provide backpacks, fully stocked with school supplies, to children
served by local homeless shelters and at Tidewater Park Elementary School.
Baskets and Blessings is our Food Baskets ministry
to families in need. These baskets are assembled before Thanksgiving,
Christmas and Easter and involve many volunteers in the shopping, assembling,
and delivering of these baskets to ForKids and local outreach ministries.
Adult Literacy is a new initiative at St. Paul’s
as members tutor adults in reading.
Plumbline Ministry is a joint venture between St.
Paul’s and Grace Episcopal Churches to provide affordable homes
for low-income families in the Brambleton neighborhood of Norfolk. In
1988 a non-profit [501(c)(3)] corporation was formed between these two
churches in order to accomplish this mission and to date have built
and sold 59 homes. Representatives from these two churches and from
the neighborhood sit on the corporation’s Board of Directors.
In 2004 Plumbline Ministry was designated a Jubilee Ministry Site.
