Change Font Size:   A A A

Apr 14, 2015 | Jeanie Garrett

St. David's Day of Service To Benefit Austin Non-profits

 

Imagine a day when more than 100 people come together to systematically spread out across the city and give help where it is needed. For the third year, members of St. David’s will serve Austin non-profits by offering many hands for hours of free work on April 25. St. David’s Day of Service will include 10 service projects benefiting these non-profits:

 

Family Track and Field Day for Foundation Communities: A Field Day for families living in affordable housing at Trails at Vintage Creek in northeast Austin. St. David’s middle school and high school youth will help lead games and general merriment.  

 

Flower Gardening for El Buen Samaritano: Beautify El Buen Samaritano’s flower gardens. 

 

Sprucing up Trinity Center: Make shopping day more joyful and productive for our neighbors by doing some spring cleaning and organizing of the Trinity Center clothing closet. 

 

Being Green with Shoal Creek Nature Conservancy: Dig in to eradicate an invasive plant growing along the trail. 

 

Sorting and Selling at Next-to-New: Help sort items and assist customers at Next-to-New, 5435 Burnet Road. Many hands are needed to sort and price the donations the shop constantly receives from St. David’s members and others in the community.

 

Urban Roots: Gardening: Gardening at this sustainable food farm, which provides internships for teens and donates 40 percent of its bounty to soup kitchens.

 

Cooking at Posada Esperanza: Cooking brunch for new Latin American immigrants and international political asylum seekers sheltered at Posada Esperanza in East Austin.

 

Austin Housing Authority Lakeside Apartments: A morning of BINGO with the low-income, elderly residents of this Austin Housing Authority complex on the shores of Lady Bird Lake.  

 

Community First! Genesis Gardens: Plant perennial vines in Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ new 27-acre community for the chronically homeless.

 

Arbor Terrace Brunch: Get a taste of one of St. David’s longest running monthly service projects, which treats residents of an affordable housing project to a home-cooked brunch and companionship.

 

“These projects were created and structured to allow as many hands as possible to get involved and serve, from young children to our oldest members,” said Diana Dawson, Director of Community Engagement at St. David’s. “By supporting these organizations, we are supporting real people who depend on them while deepening our own sense of community.”

 

What: Day of Service

When: Saturday, April 25, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where: Meet on the front lawn of the Capitol at 8 a.m. (look for the tie-dye T-shirts!) To connect with service groups once they spread out at 9 a.m., contact Diana Dawson at (512) 909-2546.

 

St. David’s Episcopal Church was established in 1848. For more than 150 years, St. David’s has been a leader in the community by helping establish St. David’s Hospital, St. Stephen’s and St. Andrew’s Episcopal schools, and the Seminary of the Southwest. St. David’s continues to reach out and support the Austin community by serving homeless neighbors in downtown, providing grants to local non-profits, and organizing volunteers to support local projects like Habitat for Humanity and Wildfire Relief efforts. St. David’s has approximately 2,400 members and offers seven services each Sunday and prayer services during the week.