St. Andrews Urban Suburban Partnership

St. Andrew invites members of Transfiguration to Celebrate Eucharist on the first Sunday of each month with their parish community. What better way to begin this ministry than to gather together around the Eucharist and enjoy fellowship after Mass.

St. Andrew, an urban parish, and Transfiguration wish to bond together in solidarity with one another and work together for the common good.  We wish to do this by emulating Catholic Social Teaching on Solidarity—by developing relationships with one another, by praying together, by sharing our gifts with one another and by living in true solidarity with one another. Further, there is a desire, shared by both parishes, to develop relationships with the poor in the city, remembering Jesus’ message to spread the good news and witness to God’s love and mercy, peace and justice.  We believe the Holy Spirit will guide our efforts and help us define programs and ministries which will serve the common good. 

This process will lead to growing relationships with the people and with the leaders of both communities.  From this dynamic will flow the establishment of committees, the development of initiatives and the eventual enhancement of the common good.

 Update

Since joint venture with St. Andrew, a number of Transfiguration people have participated in a variety of ministries at St. Andrews including St. Vincent de Paul, the Food Pantry, and St. Andrews School through June 2008. In addition, a small group from Transfiguration joins the St. Andrews community on the lst Sunday of the month for their 9:30am Eucharist. There is a small planning group working with Fr. Mike Mayer, pastor of St. Andrews, on long term collaborative ministries. At the request of Fr. Mayer, a neighborhood census of the area  surrounding St. Andrews was completed

Members from Transfiguration continue to participate in activities sponsored by St. Vincent dePaul  Society including garage sales, bed donations, and helping people who are being evicted from their homes

St. Andrew’s Mentoring Program

We know that one crucial ingredient for escaping poverty is access to a mentor. In our partnership with St. Andrew’s Church, we are now looking for mentors for children in the St. Andrew neighborhood. 29 % of kids in poverty have some person missing at home for at least part of any given year. Nearly 70 % of kids live in a single parent family. This means that you can directly impact a child in real need by simply being a voice of reason in that child’s life.

The only requirements for the mentor are that he or she be 18 years of age, have access to a car, and commit to one year of meeting with the child for two hours a week. We have entered a partnership with Big Brother/ Big Sister of Rochester to handle screening, interviewing, training, and background checks for mentors. This can be accomplished in about a three week period, with some facets done right here at Transfiguration.

The kids are between the ages of 6 and 16. Big brothers are matched with boys, and Big Sisters are matched with girls. BB/BSr can help with scary questions about what to do, how to get started, where to meet, and information like that. It might be as easy as meeting your “Little” for a couple of hours at the St. Andrew drop-in center, which runs from 3:30 to 6:30 Friday evenings. Your own creativity will determine what you and your “Little” do. Getting started is the big hurdle. Consider making the leap!

Often, being a Big Brother or Big Sister of a child of poverty from the St. Andrew neighborhood means just having fun together. Take feeding the fish at Powder Mill Park. In the quiet afternoon sunlight, tossing pellets to the trout, a Little might say, “My dad is really rich. He has a mansion. We never run out of food.”

In those quiet moments, when nothing much of anything seems to be accomplished, the fish jump and so does the heart of a Big Buddy. It doesn’t seem fair sometimes, that the Big takes away so many gifts. The graces come well disguised.

Meanwhile we know that the benefits for the Littles are measurable. For instance, Little Brothers and Sisters are…

• 52% less likely to skip school

• 46% less likely to use drugs

• 33% less likely to hit someone

• 27% less likely to use alcohol

If you might be interested or want to know more the Transfiguration contact is John Strazzabosco (383-8524), or call Big Brother/ Big Sister directly (442-2332 X 108) for Andrea Brown, the senior match coordinator, and mention the St. Andrew program

St. Andrews Teen Drop-In Center

Adult mentors and students from sixth grade and higher are encouraged to participate in this new imitative to support a youth drop in center at St. Andrews. The parish will invite members of the community ages 8-16 to join them Fridays from 3:30-6:30 pm in St. Andrews rectory basement for an evening of games, food, fun, and getting to know each other. Volunteers from Transfiguration would be responsible for general youth supervision including door monitoring, food distribution, game instruction, and musical performances.  This is an excellent opportunity for families looking for activities to share with their middle and high school agechildren.  If you are looking for a way to make a difference in the life our youth, please contact Karen Nowlan 248-2427.

St. Vincent de Paul Society @ St Andrew’s
Neighbors in need!

Are you spring cleaning? Donations of used furniture, household goods, and clothing are needed. St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Andrews will pick up donations at your home. Contact Peter Schaad at 338-2330 or pschaad@rochester.rr.com.