Social Concerns
If you are interested in the following activities
or would like more information, please contact the St. Edward Parish
Center at 233-8060.
Social Concerns Committee
The Social Concerns Committee meets monthly to: coordinate
the services provided to the parish, the community and worldwide;
determine allocation of parish funds provided to the committee
through the Parish Council; determine new or existing programs that
merit volunteer and/or financial support of the committee and
parish.
Services to the Parish
Social Justice/Respect for Life
A sub-committee of the Social Concerns Committee providing Catholic
Social Justice education and information to the parish on important
issues facing parishioners. The sub-committee works closely with the
Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Metro parishes and the
Metro Social Concerns committee.
80+ Birthday Club
Volunteers bake, visit and deliver cakes to all
parishioners celebrating 80 years or more.
Drivers for Sunday Liturgy
Volunteers provide transportation (approximately once per
month) for parishioners unable to drive themselves to the Sunday
liturgy. Parishioners utilizing this service must be independent or
need only minimal assistance.
Lenten Soup Nights
Each Wednesday during Lent (with the exception of Holy
Week), various parish organizations prepare and serve a soup supper
for parishioners following evening mass. Volunteers are needed to
contact parish organizations prior to Lent and assist with setting
up before and cleaning up after the meals.
Services to the Parish and Community
Adopt-A-Family Christmas Project
Photos
The Social Concerns Committee and local human service
agencies identify and screen eligible families. Volunteers are
needed to assist with writing out Christmas tree tags, organizing
gifts and food baskets and delivering gifts and food baskets to
participating families.
Community Meals
St. Edward sponsors a community meal on the fourth Tuesday
of January, March, May, July, September and November at the Queen of
Peach church hall. Volunteers are needed to provide desserts, assist
with meal preparation, serve meals and clean up after the meals.
Approximately 200 meals are served at no cost to the recipient.
The Catholic Worker House in Waterloo provides evening meals several
times per week, volunteers are also needed to assist with meal
preparation, serving meals and cleaning up after the meals.
Birthright
Volunteers assist with answering phones, filing and having
direct contact with women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy.
Volunteers are provided with training and education.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with people in
need of adequate shelter by providing safe, simple, affordable
housing. Volunteers are needed to provide construction, clean up,
and/or a noon lunch on the second Saturday of the month April
through October.
Meals on Wheels
Volunteers deliver noon meals, prepared by the Hawkeye Valley Area
Agency on Aging, to homebound elders one day of each month.
Volunteers work in pairs by one volunteer driving while the other
walks the meal to the home/apartment. Volunteers must provide their
own transportation.
St. Vincent DePaul Society
The St. Vincent DePaul Society helps those who are in need of
assistance of basic or emergent needs. Volunteers organize and
implement the annual November food collection within the parish and
assist at the local St. Vincent DePaul sites as needed.
Services Provided Outside of Community
Sister Parish(s) Advocacy
St. Therese in Grison-Garde-Haiti
Photos
St. Therese in Grison-Garde, Haiti is a sister parish to St. Edward.
The Haiti Twinning committee (a sub-committee of Social Concerns)
coordinates our parish's effort in supporting the religious,
educational, medical, and economic development of the St. Therese
parish community. In addition, this committee maintains ongoing
communication with parish staff in Grison-Garde and other concerned
individuals and coordinates the semi-annual mission trip to Haiti.
St. Therese in Okolona, Mississippi
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St. Therese in Okolona, Mississippi is also a sister parish to St.
Edward. The Okolona sub-committee coordinates two mission trips per
year, one in the fall and the other in June. The "Construction"
mission trip in the fall focuses on improving the physical
structures and environmental settings in Okolona. Building
rehabilitation, basic carpentry, painting, plumbing and electrical
improvements are provided by the volunteers from St. Edward. Each
June, a separate set of volunteers provide direct assistance with a
one-week summer school program operated by the EXCEL program in
Okolona. Volunteers provide hands-on tutoring and mentoring to
Okolona public school students.