MOA Muses #22 – St. Stephen’s Table – Making Food for the Homeless

Please join the Maids of Athena Muses Chapter #22 at the St. Stephen’s Table at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Washington, DC.

To save your spot use the Sign-Up Genius for April 13.

The name of this initiative is inspired by St. Stephen, who was the first martyr (protomartyr) and a deacon in Jerusalem, appointed by the Apostles during the life of Christ to provide food to the Hellenized (Greek-speaking) Jewish widows in Jerusalem, who were receiving insufficient food rations.  Just as St. Stephen fed the hungry, so do we.

Our service events, which occur EVERY 2nd SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, allow Saint Sophia volunteers of ALL AGES to work together to serve Christ by serving those in need.

We prepare 60 bagged meals and 60 hygiene kits and will meet at Saint Sophia’s Kitchen (2815 36th St NW, Washington, DC 20007) from 11am-1pm and then leave (carpool) from 1-3pm to serve those bagged meals and hygiene kits at the Downtown Day Services Center. Note, all ages are welcome for the meal preparation but you must be over 18 to visit Downtown Day Services. The intention behind this initiative is:

1. to strengthen our community by bringing together different age groups to work side-by-side to prepare food for the hungry,
2. to offer those, who will prepare the meals, the opportunity to serve those in need, and
3. to offer those, who will serve the meals, the opportunity to encounter Christ by coming into direct contact with those in need.

Donate

Each month we prepare and serve 60 meal bags, each of which includes: spaghetti, bolognese sauce, a banana, a bread roll, a granola bar, and a water bottle.

Please consider helping to cover the food costs by donating on Faith Direct here (https://membership.faithdirect.net/givenow/DC408/51536).  Any amount would be much appreciated!  Thank you!

Each month we also assemble and serve 60 hygiene kits, which include shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, and other essentials, plus we hope to soon provide shaving kits and menstrual kits.  Please help by donating at the Faith Direct link above or buying some items off our Amazon wishlist (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/358DEZZ7UDSC0?ref_=wl_share)!

You can also donate by:

1.  Mailing or dropping off a check at the church office (please make you check our to “Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral” and add “St. Stephen’s Table” in the memo line), or

2.  Dropping off any of the following food items at the church office:

• spaghetti boxes,
• fresh or frozen ground beef,
• canned or jarred marinara sauce or tomato sauce,
• boxes of wrapped granola bars, and
• packs of water bottles.

You can track all the incurred expenses, donations, and reimbursements on a Google Sheet here.

Matthew 25:35-40

“For I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.” Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit You? And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me.’

Downtown Day Services Center

The Downtown Day Services Center (DDSC) is a daytime-only (no beds) homeless shelter operated by the D.C. government and located in the basement of the historic New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, just 3 blocks from the White House.  The DDSC offers shelter, laundry, showers, meals, and disability/legal/healthcare benefits counseling to the homeless.

Contact

This initiative is sponsored by Saint Sophia Cathedral’s Young Adult League (YAL).

Please direct any questions or comments to Joseph Galiano (jkgaliano@gmail.com).

Thank you for joining us!