Serving in the Community
At Church of the Servant, we consider Outreach to be the primary purpose, giving of our freshest energy to live out God's promise. The outreach efforts of our church are vital components of a Christian life fully lived. We have a strong belief that we are called to help. Some projects have an impact in just a short time while others fulfill an ongoing need in our community. Read below about the projects we continuously support. We also provide facilities for local support and recovery groups to meet regularly. See the Calendar to learn when these groups meet.
2SHARE Furniture Ministry
The 2SHARE furniture ministry is an all-volunteer endeavor that began through Church of the Servant in 2018. It has now surpassed 400 deliveries of furniture to people in need. Too many children and adults in our community do not have beds to sleep on, chairs to sit in or tables at which to eat. Donations of furniture in good condition is critical to filling this never-ending need. The 2Share Ministry can also use additional volunteer help. Client referrals come from local non-profits, social workers, and faith communities and the 2Share Ministry is part of the New Hanover County Disaster Coalition. To learn more, visit their website: http://www.2shareinc.org/
College Park Elementary
The beginning of each school year offers an opportunity for Church of the Servant to collect and deliver school supplies, snacks for students, and other assistance to our neighbors at College Park Elementary School. We also provide a luncheon for teachers and staff annually. We are actively working to re-start a tutoring partnership between Church of the Servant and College Park Elementary that was suspended during the COVID pandemic.
Episcopal Farmworker Ministry
The Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry started in 1982 with a single outreach worker who provided transportation to service agencies, English classes, and recreational activities to mostly Haitian migrant workers. Today, headquartered in Dunn, NC, this ministry serves agricultural workers as well as immigrant families in Eastern rural NC. Its more than twelve services and programs provide for the spiritual, educational, and cultural aspects of this community while offering leadership development and advocacy for farmworker and immigrant rights. Church of the Servant collects sun shirts and hats plus financial donations to help in ways requested by the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry. To learn more, visit their website: https://episcopalfarmworkerministry.org/
Good Shepherd Center
The Good Shepherd Center (GSC) in Wilmington feeds the hungry, shelters those experiencing homelessness and helps transition those in crisis to independence in the community. Church of the Servant has been supporting the GSC mission by preparing and serving in-person dinners on the first Friday of each month. If you would like to volunteer with this ministry, please check out the online signup platform here. Donations of chili ingredients, including canned prepared chili, tomatoes (crushed or diced), and beans (kidney, black, or chili) are appreciated and may be placed in our RED WAGON in the Narthex.
If you are interested in helping in other ways, please visit the Good Shepherd Center website for upcoming events, initiatives, or to volunteer.Gun Violence Initiative
Social justice efforts within our parish focus our energies and talents on fulfilling our baptismal call through education, advocacy, and action. Click here to read the Gun Violence Statement issued by the Church Vestry, November 2014.
Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard (MHC)
Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard (MHC) serves those who are hungry in the Wilmington area through the distribution of emergency food. Parishioners can donate non-perishable food and toiletries by bringing items to Church. Volunteers distribute food to MHC clients, help stock shelves at MHC and participate in a bi-annual food drive at a local grocery store. Click to learn more: www.motherhubbardsnc.com
NourishNC
The motto of NourishNC is “Feeding Children, Fueling the Future." Church of the Servant participates in a variety of projects with this community partner, from financially supporting NourishNC to hosting a Farmer’s “MarKID” for local children. Volunteers from COS have participated in food packing events at the NourishNC warehouse and organized food drives. All proceeds of COS’s annual Christmas wreath sales are donated to NourishNC and we periodically host other NourishNC-related events, such as Breakfast Buddies. We are ever-mindful of the crisis of having nutritionally-insecure children in our community. The Big Red Bucket is always in the COS Narthex for contributions of non-perishable foods. More information about NourishNC and its missions can be found on their web-site www.NourishNC.org
