Outreach

The people of St. Andrew's are convinced that God's desire is for all people to experience the promise and possibility of an abundant, vibrant, and hope-filled life, and that we have the responsibility to help make this desire become a reality for members of our community. It is how we are called to be in the world as Christians, and we do this in a number of ways through financial and volunteer support of many ministries. Read on to learn about some of our outreach ministries.

Shelter Lunches

St. Andrew's provides lunches on the second Saturday of each month to four Richmond-area shelters. Sign up to shop for perishable supplies, assemble lunches, and/or deliver lunches at tinyurl.com/ShelterLunchSignUp. You can pick and choose how and when you want to help. The full cost to provide the lunches is $250 per Saturday. Contributions of any amount are welcome and needed! Go to tinyurl.com/GiveToStA (choose Shelter Lunches in the dropdown menu) or write a check to St. Andrew's with "Shelter Lunches" in the memo section.

laundry ministry

After a long hiatus due to COVID, the Laundry Ministry is up and running again. We’ve started back slowly, with two sessions per month. As before, the Rev. Jennifer Turner, our friend and director of the Oregon Hill Baptist Center outreach program, refers clients to us. It has been so wonderful to see so many of our previous clients and meet new ones. Over the many years of offering the Laundry Ministry, we've found it is especially rewarding to see how having clean clothes can make a difference to these folks in need. If you would like to become part of this ministry or just come by and meet the folks involved, email the parish office. We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the laundromat next to the BP Station on the corner of Cary and Meadow Streets.

blessings fence             

What started out as a one-time project for the season of Epiphany has now become a continuous ministry, to which our neighbors in Oregon Hill also contribute. During the winter months, we hang hats, scarves, and other small but warm articles of clothing on the iron fence in front of the sanctuary. Folks passing by are invited to take what they need. We then transition to hanging more seasonly appropriate items during the warmer months. In the summer months, you'll even find small bags of fresh produce, cards, small bags of gum or snacks, and other little items to help those in need.

The Twelve days of Christmas

Every Christmastide St. Andrew's spearheads a major food drive. On each of the twelve days we encourage parishioners to set aside a non-perishable food item and say a prayer for the person or family that will eventually receive that item. We gather our donations on the Sunday after the Epiphany and then deliver them to the Oregon Hill Baptist Center Food Pantry at Pine Street Baptist Church. 

st. andrew's school

We continue to maintain a relationship with our neighbors at St. Andrew's School that dates back to 1894 when Grace Arents founded it. It is our largest grant recipient, and assistance is given to children and families throughout the year in various ways. Our Priest serves as chaplain of the school and sits on the School's Board of Directors along with one parishioner.