Outreach & Service
Our Catholic faith calls us to look beyond ourselves and respond to the needs of others. At St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish, outreach and service are important expressions of our life as a parish family. Through acts of charity, compassion, fellowship, and service, we seek to put the Gospel into action and serve Christ in those around us.
Our Outreach & Service Ministries provide opportunities for parishioners to share their time, talents, resources, and compassion with others. Some of these ministries are operated directly through our parish, while others involve partnerships and collaboration with organizations in our local community.
As one parish with three churches, we are blessed with many opportunities to serve. From caring for those experiencing food insecurity to reaching out to people experiencing homelessness, our parish family seeks to respond to the needs of our neighbors and strengthen the wider community.
Faith in Action
Christian service is more than simply meeting a physical need. It is an opportunity to recognize the dignity of every person and to put the love of Christ into action.
Our outreach ministries and community partnerships provide many different ways for parishioners to serve. Some involve regular volunteer service, while others provide opportunities to give, encourage, visit, organize, or simply offer a helping hand when it is needed.
Together, these efforts allow our parish family to serve both within our parish and throughout the communities around us.
Cards of Care
Cards of Care provides an opportunity for parishioners to reach out to others through thoughtful messages of encouragement, support, and compassion.
A simple card can remind someone that they are remembered, valued, and cared for. Through this ministry, parishioners can use their time and creativity to bring a message of kindness and hope to others.
East Haven Food Pantry
St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish works collaboratively with the East Haven Food Pantry, supporting its efforts to assist individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in our local community.
The East Haven Food Pantry is a separate community organization and is not operated by St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish. The pantry serves the East Haven community by providing supplemental and emergency food assistance and relies heavily on community donations and volunteers.
Through our partnership with the pantry, our parish family has opportunities to support its work through donations, food drives, volunteer efforts, and other forms of assistance.
This collaboration allows St. Pio to extend its charitable outreach beyond the parish itself and work alongside a community organization serving our neighbors in need.
St. Bernadette Food Pantry
The St. Bernadette Food Pantry is an important part of the outreach of our parish, providing assistance to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
Through the generosity of parishioners and the service of volunteers, the pantry provides food and other assistance to those who come to the parish for help. The pantry has also benefited from parish donation drives and other community support.
The ministry reflects our commitment to serving others with generosity, dignity, and compassion and provides a practical way for parishioners to put their faith into action.
Midnight Run
Midnight Run is an outreach ministry through which members of our parish serve people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish sponsors Midnight Run as part of its wider commitment to serving the community. The parish’s current website describes the ministry as including regular trips to the New Haven Green and area shelters, where volunteers provide food, clothing, and assistance to people in need.
Midnight Run provides more than an opportunity to distribute needed supplies. It creates an opportunity for personal encounter, allowing volunteers to meet people with compassion, dignity, and respect.
Gardening Club
The Gardening Club provides an opportunity for parishioners to share their time and talents through gardening and the care and beautification of our parish grounds.
Through their work, members help maintain the places where our parish family gathers while also enjoying fellowship and community. The Gardening Club offers a practical way for those who enjoy working outdoors to contribute to the life and beauty of our parish.
A Call to Serve
There are many ways to answer Christ’s call to serve. Some parishioners may be called to volunteer regularly, while others may contribute through donations, food drives, special projects, prayer, or occasional service.
No act of service is too small when it is offered with love.
We encourage every member of our parish family to consider how their own gifts, talents, and resources can be used to help others. Through our parish ministries and community partnerships, we can continue to respond to the needs around us and be a visible expression of Christ’s love in our community.
Explore Our Outreach & Service Ministries
Each of our ministries and community partnerships serves others in its own unique way. Together, through generosity, compassion, and service, we strive to put our faith into action and care for others as members of one parish family.
Choose an area below to learn more about the work being done and how you can become involved.
