reaching out to the community

“St. James’ forces me to demonstrate my values, 
and tests my conviction in my discomfort."

Sundries from the Avenue
St. James’ has responded to our neighbors who are in need of basic self-care products such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste and tooth brushes, lotion, laundry soap and combs.  St James’ has undertaken a gathering of these items.  Parishioners are reminded to purchase these items when they shop or to bring them home from hotel stays.  We have had donations from corporations, such as Roundy’s, Inc., through grants, and from participants at Diocesan Convention.  Sundries are distributed in one of two ways.  On the fourth Saturday of each month a group from St. James’ goes to The Gathering to distribute sundries to guests after Saturday lunch.  Another Sundry distribution happens through the Central City Churches’ Outreach Ministry.

Red Door Clothes
The mission of Red Door Clothes is “Clothing and Caring for God’s People.”  This joint ministry with Trinity Episcopal Church in Wauwatosa attracts volunteers from across the city, and is directed by a joint board from the two churches.  It has been open since October 2007.  The “store” is located on the third floor of St. James’ and is open the first and third Saturdays of every month.  Our volunteers gather for prayer, and then our guests, men, women and children, can choose from an assortment of shirts, jeans, coats, dresses, shoes, socks, underwear and other types of clothing offered every open store day.  Donations of clothing come from many sources: companies, such as Jockey International; student donations, from area schools and universities; other parishes, who bring donations to our Diocesan Convention; and from parishioners and their friends and colleagues.  Grants have also been written to fund purchases of backpacks, new socks and underwear, children’s clothing and shelving. 

Indigent Burials
In 2009, St. James’ began to offer the service of Committal from the Book of Common Prayer for those individuals in Milwaukee County who are indigent, who die unclaimed by anyone, and whose deaths would otherwise go unnoticed. Peace of Mind Funeral Services notifies us when an unclaimed person has died and a group of parishioners from St. James’, as well as members from Trinity Episcopal Church in Wauwatosa, are notified.  These faithful Christians accompany the deceased to the cemetery and are there to offer prayers and a burial that reflects love, fellowship and dignity.  Because no grave markers are available to the indigent, the St. James’ chapter of The Daughters of the King sponsors a plaque bearing the names of all who have been buried.  This plaque hangs on the west wall of the church within our worship space.

The Gathering
St. James’ is one of three Milwaukee area sites that house The Gathering, an interfaith meal ministry that serves over 100,000 meals a year to the poor and homeless of the city.  The Gathering was begun in 1981 with St. James’ as the original site of this mission.  In addition to making kitchen and dining facilities available to The Gathering, our parish members participate regularly in cooking and serving meals, distributing sundries, and planning times of shared music and fellowship in our sanctuary.  Our close-knit ongoing relationship with this outreach ministry can perhaps be seen as the seed from which our present passion for outreach grew.