Purchase gift cards from Big Y, Hannaford, Shaw’s, Stop & Shop, Dunkin’ Donuts, Panera, and CVS in various denominations after masses.
You have the full value of the card purchased and in turn, the retailer donates 5% to help alleviate homelessness.
Help people in Worcester County stay in their homes.                                            

From the Faith In Action & Respect Life Committees: Visitation House, on Vernon Hill in Worcester, is a Catholic home for homeless women with crisis pregnancies. These women are supported in a safe environment. During this time and after the birth of their child, trained staff work with the mothers teaching life skills and how to take better care of themselves and their baby. Mothers are assisted in finding housing, exploring education and pursuing job opportunities.

Please support Visitation House by taking a baby bottle, keeping it for four weeks and filling it with your spare change. Baby bottles will be distributed at the end of each Mass on the weekend of January 27- 28th. Baby bottles will be collected the weekend of February 24-25th. Wicker baskets, with the baby bottles, will be found near each entrance of the church. May God bless you for your generosity in supporting this life giving ministry. Thank you.

Stop by our church hall after Mass and buy a Hope for Housing caring card. You receive the full face value of the card in the amount you choose. The stores - CVS, Panera Bread, Dunkin Donuts and local grocery stores - donate up to 5% of that amount to “Hope For Housing” to assist the most vulnerable; children with families in crisis. Since Matt passed away in November of 2016 we have sold $17,410 worth of “caring cards” here at St. George. That means that in less than three months $870.50 has been donated to Hope for Housing to help prevent homelessness. At this rate, our parish is on track to donate more than $2,500 this year! If several more St. George families begin to use “caring cards” to buy their weekly groceries, we might be able to help even more families to move from a shelter to a new home.
At the IHN shelter we have seen the faces of the children in these families and we know the stress that life in a shelter puts on parents and the little ones. Please pray for them and continue to be as generous as you always are. See Sue or Dave Genereux after Mass or contact them at 508-829-5776 or emailWaysideATQ@aol.com for more information or download a flyer here.  

Matthew Ryan - November 2, 2016 

The purpose of the Faith in Action Ministry is to promote a heighted awareness and support for Catholic Church teachings as related to social justice, non-violence, dignity of life and caring for creation issues within our parish, our community and beyond. 
 
What We Do:
 * Annual St. Francis of Assisi Celebration: Blessing of Animals and Prayers for Peace gathering at St. Francis of Assisi Peace Pole.
 * Homeless Prevention: Promoting the use of Hope for Housing "Caring Cards" as a no-cost way for parishioners to prevent family homelessness in our community. Available in church hall following all weekend Masses. 
 * Annual Flower Sale for Homeless and Violence Prevention.
 * Confronting Violence Panel Sessions: Annually bringing together community leaders to inform and support community efforts to address violence consistent with the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops Pastoral Letter, "Confronting a Culture of Violence."
 * Caring for Creation: Environmental activities to heighten awareness of our faith-based responsibility to care for the home God has created for us.
 * World Day of Peace Message: Contribute to awareness of annual message of hope for peace delivered now by Pope Francis and predecessors since 1968.
 * Support Catholic Relief Services efforts to help the victims of natural disasters and poverty in one hundred countries while assisting small farmers via the sale of organic Fair Trade coffee and chocolate in church hall.
 
What You Can Do:
 * Join the Faith in Action Ministry and make a real difference to those living in poverty, victims of violence and the condition of our environment. We need your help so that together we can help others in need ... only a few meetings per year.
 * Identify issues and speakers for future programs that advocate for change consistent with Catholic Social Teaching and Corporal Works of Mercy.
 * Use Hope for Housing "Caring Cards" when you shop.
 * Support FIA sponsored programs and events.

HARD TIMES GENERATION: HOMELESS KIDS

FAIR TRADE RESOURCE NETWORK   (World Fair Trade Video)

The following links are those of some of the organizations represented
at the recent panel discussion  at St. George's on "Confronting a Culture of Violence"

Catholic Worker House
http://www.catholicfreepress.org/lead-story-1/2012/08/02/keeping-the-catholic-worker-house-a-home-for-25-years/

Center for Nonviolent Solutions
http://www.nonviolentsolutions.org/

Hope for Housing
http://www.cmhaonline.org/