OUTREACH COMMISSION

FRIENDS OF ST. ANDREW

Mission To serve the poor and homeless of Aurora by providing daily meals, emergency food baskets, personal care items, funding for medical prescriptions on an emergency basis, assistance in obtaining identification, access to telephones, referral listings for additional assistance, and an address to receive personal mail; spiritual needs are served (upon request) with bibles, rosaries and Christian literature.

FROM THE FRIENDS OF ST. ANDREW PROGRAM DIRECTOR - To all of the parishioners here at Queen of Peace and the St. Mary’s Academy Lower School: I just wanted to say THANK YOU!  This has been a most blessed Christmas season here at the Center.  And that is due to your endless, boundless, abundant generosity!  From the Fall Food Drive to Thanksgiving Baskets to Christmas Stockings to Jam and Jelly for Jesus to the Knights of Columbus and Ladies Auxiliary donating funds, there has been no stopping your generosity of time, talent and treasure!  I am constantly amazed and awed by your giving spirit.  The QOP Youth, the QOP Religious Education classes, St. Mary's Academy Lower School and all of our wonderful parishioners have blessed us over and over in the last few months.  The volunteers and I hope that you had as blessed a holiday season as we have experienced due to your love and care for the poor.  Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and may the peace of Christ be with you all! FRIENDS OF ST. ANDREW HOSPITALITY CENTER IS ASKING FOR DONATIONS OF…Jelly, peanut butter, canned chili, spaghetti sauce (can, jar or dry packets), any canned soups, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes. If the Spirit moves you to donate, please drop the items in one of our donation boxes. There is one in the Gathering Space and another outside the church office. FRIENDS OF ST. ANDREW HOSPITALITY CENTER WISHES TO THANK THE FOLLOWING LOCAL BUSINESSES FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS of gift certificates and funds during the Christmas season:  Academy Roofing Inc.; Aurora Denver Cardiology Assoc.; Aurora Parks & Open Space Dept.; Brunswick Zone Heather Ridge; Citywide Banks; CiCi’s Pizza; Commerce Bank; Dozens (2180 S. Havana); Grand Design, Inc.; Sam’s No. 3; The Summit Steak House; and Wendy’s International, Inc.  These donations are the heart of our ministry to serve the poor and homeless of Aurora!  God bless and Happy New Year! DID YOU KNOW THAT AURORA WARMS the NIGHT (AWTN) is a collaborative effort of non-profit entities and local congregations (including Queen of Peace Catholic Church and Friends of St. Andrew Hospitality Center) who address the lack of shelter for Aurora’s homeless when the temperatures are low enough to threaten the lives and health of the men, women and children facing homelessness in Aurora?  We began serving Aurora’s homeless in 2006 by issuing vouchers in low-cost motels when the overnight temperatures are at or below 20 degrees.  Guests are also given referrals and access to supportive services, which allows them to stabilize their lives and move towards permanent solutions for homelessness.  If you’d like to know more or to donate funds/items to this life-saving effort, please visit our website at www.aurorawarmsthenight.org for more information. You can also contact our Executive Director, Ms. Mary Hupp, at 303 - 366-6806. More Information

History:

Friends of Saint Andrew began as the brainchild of a small group of Queen of Peace parishioners and the Pastor sometime during the fall of 1986.  Initially, this group saw the need for homeless persons to have a place to get in out of the elements, have a cup of coffee and a pastry and have access to newspapers for job hunting; they decided to lend a helping hand by creating our parish outreach ministry.After a few short years, this vision blossomed into much more than its humble beginnings.  We now serve the poor and homeless of Aurora by providing hot lunches (about 150 each day), food baskets, toiletries, prescription assistance, school supplies, infant layettes, small household items, Christmas stockings and gifts, Easter baskets, Thanksgiving meal baskets, and referrals to other agencies who can fill needs that we aren’t able to address.Come down any Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. and visit!  We know you’ll be impressed by the wonderful things your parish outreach mission can accomplish in the lives of those who are less fortunate!

All of the work we do at Saint Andrew’s draws its inspiration from the words of Jesus Christ: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…” (Mt. 25:35)