These are among the charities and initiatives that
St. Gregory’s Outreach ministry supports through parishioners who volunteer. Contact Rhonda Packer or Susanne Burton for more information on volunteer opportunities.

Backpacks and Binders for the Homeless

Several hundred homeless children in Athens-Clarke County begin the new school without adequate supplies. Through this outreach ministry, parishioners donate backpacks, binders, and other school supplies for elementary, middle, and high school students. Contact: Rhonda Packer

Blue Bag Drive

The Blue Bag Drive provides migrant, undocumented, and homeless families across Athens bags of nonperishable food items along with new and gently used blankets, towels, and sheets. Parishioners donate to the Blue Bag Drive during the winter months.

Emergency Food Bank of Athens

The Athens Area Emergency Food Bank serves Clarke County residents who have immediate food needs. St. Gregory supports the AAEFBA through monthly volunteers. Also, parishioners are asked to help fill the Little Red Wagon each week with food and consumable supplies that are donated to the Athens Food Bank. The wagon is located in the narthex. Contact: Karen Radde (volunteers) or Karen Kassinger (Little Red Wagon).

FEAST(Feeding Eastside)

The FEAST is a food distribution program supported by St. Gregory’s, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Milledge Avenue Baptist Church, and Green Acres Baptist Church. The Feast occurs six times throughout each year and the distribution site is Covenant Presbyterian Church. Volunteers assist with Feast set up and take down; register clients; and distribute food to clients. Contact: Carol Cason 

Family Promise of Athens

Family Promise of Athens (formerly Interfaith Hospitality Network of Athens) is a nonprofit organization that provides temporary housing and comprehensive services to families with children who are experiencing homelessness. They enable a community response through a coalition of faith-based congregations who use their facilities and their organized volunteers to provide shelter, transportation, food, and intensive support for our families. This year St. Gregory serves as a host congregation, partnering with Oconee Street United Methodist Church and Princeton Methodist Church to provide support to IHN families at the IHN Day House.  Volunteers prepare dinner meals; drive vans to school/daycare in the mornings and afternoons; set up/take down for family arrival and departure; serve as a dinner host; and serve as onsite overnight hosts. Contact: Rhonda Packer

Karen Project

St. Gregory and Jubilee Partners of Comer, GA partner to provide tutoring to Myanmar refugees who have limited English speaking skills. The Karen Project occurs throughout the year with volunteers determining their volunteer dates and times with participating families. Contact: Cheryl Copeland

In addition, St. Gregory’s Outreach Committee provides support via disbursements charities and service organizations, including:

ARK
Provides help, hope, understanding, and advocacy for those in financial crisis, helping them move toward self-sufficiency. Assists in: workforce development, elderly needs, transportation, food bank, emergency rent and utility, banking access.

Athens Banner Herald Empty Stocking Fund
Provides money to families who have been unable to secure adequate financial aid through other organizations. The annual holiday fundraising campaign provides money to families who need fiscal help related to rent, utilities, or medical.

Athens Community Council on Aging
Aims to maintain and enrich the lives of older persons in 27 counties of Northeast Georgia through providing meals, health and wellness programs, and caregiver support.

Barnett Shoals Elementary
Educates PreKindergarten through grade 5 students in the St. Gregory neighborhood.

Bethlehem Ministry
Provides resources to support the educational, health, agricultural, and environmental needs of Haiti’s poor.

Casa de Amistad
Identifies and addresses the needs of the Latino and Hispanic population in the Northeast Georgia area with social services, referrals, translation, education and advocacy.

Community Christmas of Oglethorpe County
Provides money to help families during the Christmas season.

Episcopal Relief and Development
Provides funds targeted for Puerto Rican hurricane relief.

Family Promise of Athens
Provides resources for homeless families in their transition to independent and sustained living.

Jubilee Partners
Offers hospitality to refugees who have recently arrived in the United States.

Live Forward
Provides resources to build healthier communities through stable housing, improved health management, strong community outreach and widespread prevention services.

Nancy Travis Childcare Project
Provides scholarships for children who are underserved to attend quality early learning programs.

Oasis
Sponsors an after-school tutoring program for Latino children from PreKindergarten through grade 3 in the Pinewood community.
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U-Lead
​Provides tools and resources to students are current high school student and recent graduates from the Athens area who have varying immigration statuses.