Loving Neighbor
What started with a small group of people, Laundry Love has grown to include multiple churches from Casa Grande. Every month, Outreach gathers together at a local laundry facility, to wash the clothes of the homeless and those who need a little help to get on their feet. This program also offers new clothes to those it helps as well as any spiritual guidance they may need, which sometimes may just mean someone to talk to. The ministry sponsors the costs for the laundry for the people they seek to serve and share God's love.
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St. Peter's is blessed to help children of Saguaro and Toltin in Casa Grande. The ministry addresses the urgent needs for shoes, clothes, and school supplies. For the start of the 2019/2020 school year, St. Peter's gladly donated over 70 backpacks along with school supplies. We also donated underwear, diapers and t-shirts. Outreach has awarded prizes to students with perfect attendance. At the beginning of the school year and then again after winter break, the church donates supplies to help the children, families, and teachers learn and thrive.
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St. Peter's Outreach works with other Casa Grande faith leaders supporting CGHelps. Hundreds of hygiene kits are made each year though generous donations. These are assembled by our parishioners and distributed thoughout the community. We organize and participate in a monthly card-writing program to children that attend Camp Genesis. This camp occurs each year at the Chapel Rock Church Camp in Prescott and is supported by St. Peter's.
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What's behind all this Laundry Love?
I know you hear a lot about Laundry Love from announcements in church; however, I'm not sure everyone really understands the scope of love that this ministry entails. So it is with pictures, along with a story that I share our laundry love ministry of St. Peter's church.
Step one for us is getting the funding for the event. A few weeks ahead of the event the outreach ministry submits a request for funds to the treasurer, who in return, releases a check to the committee. This begins field trip #1 to a bank, where a volunteer committee member cashes the check for money that we convert into coins at the laundromat.
Beyond funding the loads of laundry, some additional priorities of the St. Peter's Outreach Committee for Laundry Love, include feeding any of the clients that come in. Typically, on the Monday of Laundry Love week, a committee member makes field trip #2 to the market to buy the supplies needed to make sandwiches. On the Tuesday before the event, we meet in the parish hall to make sandwiches. Nothing fancy, ham and turkey on a bun. We also buy bottled water and clementines to round out the snack.
While some of us make sandwiches, some of us are in the storage shed, culling through bins of clothes and underwear you have donated, deciding what o bring with us. Laundry Love runs from 3-7 pm and with that in mind, the committee breaks down into 2 shifts. In preparation for the next day, we load our first shift vehicles with folding table(s), the bins of clothes, and laundry detergent.
On the Wednesday of Laundry Love week, someone from the first shift goes on field trip #3 to buy ice for the ice chests to keep the sandwiches cold. A stop at church to pick up the sandwiches we made kept in the fridge, and finally on to the laundromat. Once on shift, we register the clients bringing in their vouchers, assist them with the wash, give a listen ear, hand out food. We receive so many hugs and thank you's in return. When we finish for the evening any clothing left over, water, tables, get returned to the storage unit at church by someone on shift 2 before calling it a night.
 Time is spent checking in and assisting clients with their laundary, offering sandwiches, water, fruit, hygiene bags, clothes.
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 The Outreach Committee wearing their Laundry Love shirts. Sue Goodwin, Karen Perkinson, Geri Bartleson, Deb Conley, Beth Landrum, Betty Shults, Jo Jensen, Maryan Gosselin, Mari Cicola, Bill Cicola. Not pictured: John Perkinson, Larry Shultz
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You don't have to look far to realize the great need for God's love in our community, state, country, and world. Jesus calls each of us to reach out and help those in need. At St. Peter's, we are committed to being people of God, and offer a helping hand to the people of Casa Grande. St. Peter's Outreach Ministry has several programs running that help those struggling on the margins.
We have more programs currently in the works to help fulfill Jesus's call to us, to love our neighbor. With the help of community, we share God's love with more and more people. There is much need, but with God's help, we will continue to make a difference.
Fundraisers are held throughout the year to ensure that is vital ministry may continue God's work in Casa Grande.
If you wish to help in any way, please contact the office, or Karen Perkinson, who leads the Outreach MInistry.
We have more programs currently in the works to help fulfill Jesus's call to us, to love our neighbor. With the help of community, we share God's love with more and more people. There is much need, but with God's help, we will continue to make a difference.
Fundraisers are held throughout the year to ensure that is vital ministry may continue God's work in Casa Grande.
If you wish to help in any way, please contact the office, or Karen Perkinson, who leads the Outreach MInistry.
