Community Outreach

 Living Our Mission

Responding to Jesus’s call in Matthew 25 to feed, clothe and care for those in need, our Community Outreach Ministry assists those who serve the most vulnerable in our community, our nation and the world. We do this through an annual grant-making program, by identifying ways parishioners can provide hands-on service and encouraging participation. Our outreach partners include:

Adopt-A-Family
Every Christmas, parishioners are invited to select a “family” from the angel tree and provide gifts for everyone in the family. The gifts are collected, tagged and delivered to the families a few days before Christmas.  Contact: Gail Werneburg 

Amistad Mission – Bolivia*
Amistad Mission provides loving, Christian homes in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where children can thrive and become the leaders of tomorrow. Casa San Francisco is sponsored by Christ Church and we continue to visit and develop relationships with the children there. Parishioners are also “prayer and card pen pals” with the children.
Contact: Pam Laco or Diane Downing 

Bakery Book Exchange
Parishioners and friends bring new and gently used books in exchange for fresh baked goods made by our youth. The books are distributed to enhance reading and literacy in the community.
Contact: Charlotte Peverley 

Beaches Dial-a-Ride
Dial-a-Ride promotes the health and social engagement of homebound senior and disabled persons in Jacksonville’s beach communities by providing personal, affordable transportation.
Contact: Deb Hardman 

Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry (BEAM)*
The mission of BEAM is to keep families in their homes and help them get the support needed to become self-sufficient. Volunteer opportunities include monthly food donation and sorting, delivering food, working in the pantry, garden, or thrift store.
Contact: Sarah Knowles or Deacon Leila Quinlan 

Beaches Habitat for Humanity*
Share in the ministry of building simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with God and families in need.
Contacts: Jack Hardman 
Doug Knowles

Betty Griffin Center
Protection, temporary shelter and counseling are provided for victims of domestic violence and their minor children. They provide outreach services, training, and education. Ways to be involved include volunteering in their thrift store or participating in the run for peace.
Contact: Kevin Davidsen 

Blessings in a Backpack*
During the school year we pack food bags for local students at risk of food insecurity at home. Packing usually takes place in the Westbury Hall dining room Thursdays 8:30 a.m.
Contacts: Sharon Kehoe  or Katharine Loeb 

Cuba Ministry
Church of the Good Shepherd, Güira, Cuba*
We support the mission of the Church in Cuba through our relationship with our sister parish in Güira, providing clean water for the town, education for children, laundry for seniors, and Christian affection for all through mission trips, prayers, and fellowship.
Contact: The Rev. Andreis Diaz

Council on Aging+
COA provides the opportunity for every person in St. Johns County to enjoy wellness, longevity, and quality of life choices within a strong, healthy community.
Contact: Sharon Carlson

Diaper Bank of Northeast FL*
The mission is to alleviate diaper need in the Northeast FL community by providing low-income families with an adequate supply of diapers in order to keep their babies clean, dry and healthy. Contact: Katharine Loeb 

Epic-Cure*
Epic-Cure rescues food from stores and restaurants that would be wasted and redistributes it to those in need. Since 2018 over 13 million pounds of food has been redistributed.
Contact: Katharine Loeb 

Episcopal Relief and Development*
ERD is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A.
Contacts: Bill and JoAnn Lee

Feeding Northeast Florida*
The largest food bank in Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam & St. Johns Counties, serving 85,000 people in need every day. Volunteers sort non-perishable food in their warehouse and provide groceries at mobile pantry sites.
Contact: Sarah Knowles 

Foster Closet*
A resource for children and families in the foster system, offering clothing, supplies and support. Volunteers sort clothes, help families find what they need and more.
Contact: Kathy Seabrook

Hart Felt Ministries*
Hart Felt Ministry assists seniors by helping them maintain independence in their own homes. Volunteers provide companionship, encouragement, and other support.
Contacts: Art Billingslea or Alan Tate

Home Again St. Johns*
Home Again St. Johns coordinates a multi-agency system to positively effect and alleviate homelessness in St. Johns County.
Contact: Kathie Seabrook  or Alan Tate 

I.C.A.R.E.
The Interfaith Coalition for Action, Reconciliation and Empowerment is a faith-based community organization that addresses neighborhood and community-wide justice issues in Jacksonville.
Contact:  The Rev. Amy Slater

JaxTHRIVE*
A student-led non-profit that provides services to refugee students who have come to this country under extraordinary circumstances. They provide a nurturing environment where tutoring, life skills, mentoring and friendship help them advance in the classroom and flourish in their new communities.  Contact: Kevin Davidsen 

Jericho Road Legal Service Ministry*
Jericho Road’s mission is to close the justice gap one neighbor at a time by providing access to justice through affordable legal help and Christian compassion.
Contact: Mike Roberts

Kairos Prison Ministry
Volunteer teams share the love of Christ through annual retreats and monthly visits to Baker County Correctional Facility to be with incarcerated individuals.
Contacts: Dave Bovee
Alan Moore 

Learn to Read St. Augustine+
Provides free literacy skills assessment and instruction to underserved people in St. Augustine and surrounding cities.
Contacts: Elaine Reagan or Mary Jane Dillon 

The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse Youth Community is an affirming, nonreligious gathering open to LGBTQIA+ middle and high school students and their families in Jacksonville and the Beaches area, including people of all faiths and no faith. There is a separate meeting for parents. Both spaces are for friendship and resource sharing, rooted in the church’s baptismal covenant to respect the dignity of every human being.
Contact: Catherine Montgomery 

Mede Nio*
Father Tom and his wife DeeAnn helped found this ministry for orphans in Uganda.
Contacts: The Rev. Tom Reeder  
Deb Hardman  

Mission House*
Christ Church is a founding member and primary supporter of Mission House, whose goal is to assist with material, physical and spiritual needs through service to those in need. Groups prepare and serve food monthly.
Contact:  Diane Downing

Operation New Hope*
Provides everything needed to build a new future after involvement with the criminal justice system: training, job placement, financial benefits, support services housing and transportation assistance.   
Contact: Mike Roberts 

Pie in the Sky Community Alliance*+
Volunteers provide hope by serving with dignity and respect to alleviate hunger and social isolation through the home delivery of healthy fresh produce to low-income senior citizens.
Contact: Loretta McMaster 

Rhoda Martin Early Learning Center
A Head Start preschool in Jacksonville Beach founded by Christ Church. Volunteers read to the children and help support their development through art, music and love of learning.
Contact: Joy Hardaker

South Woods Elementary+
Creating a secure community that will instill in all students a desire for academic excellence. Volunteers tutor students and assist as needed.
Contact: Margo Cleary  

St. Francis Housing Crisis Center / Port in the Storm*+
Engaging those experiencing homelessness to achieve stability, self-sufficiency, and a viable plan for their future by providing a safe, stable environment, access to essential services, and supportive connections.
Contact: Jack Tull  

St. Gerard’s Campus+
Providing hope and compassion to teen parents and young mothers. promoting empowerment through education. Volunteers provide childcare and administrative support.
Contacts: Paula Allmen   
Stan Sundermeyer 

St. Mary’s Mission
Christ Church provides monthly supplies of food and volunteers to run the food pantry each Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning.
Contact: Deacon Leila Quinlan

St. Nicholas Toy Drive
Christ Church parishioners are invited to donate toys which are collected and distributed to children in need. The first Friday in December is dedicated to sorting and delivering toys to local agencies.
Contact: The Rev. Laura Magevney 

Sulzbacher Beaches Adult Health Center*
Medical and dental professionals can volunteer time and skills for the clinic which provides comprehensive healthcare to those in need in the Beaches area. Parishioners also collect hygiene products for home insecure persons and assist with maintenance projects. Other volunteer opportunities exist at the agency’s downtown facilities.
Contact: Susan Schantz  

The ARC Project - Surf Camp*
The ARC Project provides free surf and water safety camps for at-risk youth who don’t have the opportunity to learn lifesaving water safety skills while hearing about the hope of Christ.
Contact: Brooks Slater 

Outreach Grants

The Community Outreach Committee oversees our grant program. In addition to small grants (typically $10,000 or less) for such work, we provide funds to organizations with local, national or international Episcopal affiliation, especially those founded by Christ Church or impacted by significant parishioner participation. Recipients are selected in an annual process, with guidance from the clergy. 

The application process for 2024 will begin mid-September, with a deadline of December 15 2023.

2024 Outreach Grant Application

The Community Outreach Committee of Christ Church is accepting applications for grants to nonprofit programs that provide basic needs to the most vulnerable of our neighbors. In addition to small grants (typically $10,000 or less) for such work, the Community Outreach ministry provides funds to organizations with local, national or international Episcopal affiliation, especially those founded by Christ Church or impacted by significant parishioner participation. Recipients are selected in an annual process by a committee of parishioners, with guidance from the clergy. Please complete and submit the information in this form to be considered for an outreach grant in 2024. You may save your work and continue at a later date if needed. Applications are due by December 15, 2023.

"*" indicates required fields

MM slash DD slash YYYY
Address
Contact Person*
Is your organization tax-exempt under IRS Code 501c(3)?*

You may submit additional pages if needed to answer the following questions or to provide the financial information requested. Please upload PDFs here or email Outreach Committee Chair Kevin Davidsen, [email protected], and indicate "CC Grant" in the subject line.
Drop files here or
Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 25 MB, Max. files: 6.
    Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 25 MB, Max. files: 6.
      Please upload (PDFs) with the following information if available: Profit and Loss statement for the most recent fiscal year, a copy of your most recently filed IRS form 990, Balance sheet for the most recent fiscal year, Copy of your annual budget, Long-range plan. Additional information may be requested, depending on the specific request.
      Please furnish any additional information about your organization that will be helpful to the Outreach Committee in responding to your grant request.

      Please Note

      Having received funds from Christ Church in the past is no guarantee that future grant requests will be approved. We encourage all of our grantees to seek funding from diverse sources. We do not wish to create a relationship of dependency with any of our grantees. We will schedule a site visit sometime during the grant period. Please be prepared to tell us specifically how the grant was used and with what results. Questions should be directed to our Community Outreach Committee Chair Kevin Davidsen, [email protected]. Indicate “CC Grant” in your email subject line.
      Max. file size: 50 MB.
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