As I mentioned a week or two ago, we are in need of a few people who would like to build a team to run and oversee our parish’s Street Sandwich Ministry (SSM). I have one person who would like to be  involved with a few others to make this ministry continue. If people are uninterested, perhaps then the ministry has run its course? What is involved?

• The SSM takes place once a month, the third weekend of the month, and provides sandwiches to multi ple homeless shelters in the greater Hartford area. 
• All sandwiches are made by parishioners in the homes and are dropped off at the church kitchen on Saturday and Sunday between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and on Monday morning until 10 a.m. 
• The SSM leaders divide the sandwiches by shelter on the kitchen counter. 
• The SSM leaders post the collection dates and times in the bulletin for the weekend we collect them, schedules a Constant Contact to the parish, and creates the sign-up genius for people to register so that we know how many sandwiches we have. 
• Volunteers then collect the sandwiches at 10 a.m. Monday and deliver the sandwiches to assigned shel ters based on need. 
• We repeat the process once-a-month, 12 times per year.

This ministry is important as many shelters close during the day—even in the winter—requiring the homeless to go out onto the streets until nighttime. Our sandwiches are provided to the homeless for lunch as they are on the streets. In the summer months, shelters actually see a large increase in children in need, especially in urban areas, when public schools no longer provide free lunches to the poor.

If you are interested in being part of this ministry, please speak to me after Mass, call the parish office, are stop in to meet with me. 860 658 1643, thank you.