Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
A Court Appointed Special Advocate's mission is to train and supervise a diverse group of volunteers to advocate for children who have been abused and/or neglected. The children are at risk of being removed, or have been removed, from their homes. Our goal is a safe, permanent home for children as soon as possible. CASA becomes involved with a case by appointment from a Family Court judge. If interested, please contact Margie Benza at 248-2427 x 244 or margie.benza@dor.org.
Elderberry Express
Elderberry Express is a senior (55 and older) citizens transportation service for Pittsford residents and residents at 81 Linden Knoll in Brighton. All our volunteer drivers handle any valid senior activity. Service is free, but donations are accepted. The service operates Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM. If interested in volunteering, please the Elderberry Express at 248-6237.
Family Promise of Greater Rochester (FPGROC)- Formerly known as Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network (RAIHN)
The FPGROC ministry provides a transition for families (parents with children) that have temporarily lost their housing. These are truly homeless, but not the stereotypical image that comes to mind. They have lost their homes due to fire, loss of livelihood, illness, new to the Rochester area … many of the crises that you or I might encounter. The families are referred to the program and are pre-screened for addictions, abuse, and mental illness. They just need a break to get their lives back on track.
Church of the Transfiguration actively supports the Shelter Program by providing volunteers to the host congregation, Mary Magdalene in East Rochester. These volunteers provide the families with dinner and overnight support 2 days a week, 4 weeks a year. For more information, click HERE.
There are many ways to support Family Promise of Greater Rochester as a volunteer or with donations. For more information on Family Promise of Greater Rochester: www.fpgroc.org/
For information on how you can volunteer with other Transfiguration members, please contact Barbara Balzano balzano623@gmail.com
Global Solidarity
Global Solidarity Ministry
Our Global Solidarity Ministry (GSM) has partnered with Food for the Poor for over 11 years, helping communities in Central America with various economic development projects. We have supported projects in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras, moving between the countries and projects as the political environment allows. This strong tradition of helping the least of our sisters and brothers beyond our borders is routed in Catholic social teachings. (Matthew 25). We are determined to commit our work to the common good. It is our goal to visit the communities we serve by immersing ourselves through annual service-learning mission trips generally held in February. For more information about this ministry and to discover how your time, talent and/or treasure can reach the families we serve, please contact Lauren Burruto at lburruto@gmail.com
Currently, the GSM at Transfiguration has partnered with Food for the Poor and their in-country partner FUSAL (Fundacion Salvadorena para la Salud y Desarrollo Humano) on a WASH (Water/Sanitation/ Hygiene) project for the communities in Jiquilisco, El Salvador. The residents of this municipality suffer from an extreme lack of adequate sanitation. This project will help ease the breeding of insects and parasites that carry many gastrointestinal diseases. Although people in the U.S. would never tolerate these living conditions, families in rural El Salvador are accustomed to living in extremely unhygienic surroundings. Over the past weeks, we have revised this project's scope to provide 52 families with biodigester sanitation systems instead of septic tanks. We increased the cost of expanding the pipeline system as well. With these new plans in place, we began designing the expanded pipeline system and biodigester sanitation systems.
Eight adult travelers visited the communities of Jiquilisco over the 2024 February School break. We were so grateful for the opportunity to meet our FUSAL and FFTP partners and spend four days in the community to better understand the beneficiaries’ daily struggles and concerns. We invite you to watch this video of our Service-Learning trip: Church of the Transfiguration visit - FUSAL FFTP.mp4 - Google Drive so you may get an understanding of our work in El Salvador. We invite any interested teens and adults who wish to travel with us on future trips to get in touch with Lauren Burruto at the phone number and/or email below.
Our Ministry is blessed to have such resounding support for our current sanitation and hygiene project in Jiquilisco, El Salvador. In March 2023, we initially agreed to fundraise for 26% of the project or $65,000. After successfully reaching and surpassing that goal, we agreed to continue and set a new goal of $125,000, or 50% of the total cost. The Holy Spirit continued to move hearts and we surpassed that goal. Since there are no other donors for this project and since several of us have seen firsthand the desperate need in the community to mitigate waterborne parasites and bacteria that cause severe gastrointestinal diseases we will continue fundraising towards the completion of this project. Please visit our website, under Serve/Serve Through Outreach/Global Solidarity for ways to donate. Thank you!
If you would like to donate to our current project in Jiquilisco, El Salvador, we have several ways to do so. Bring your bottles and cans eligible for deposit in New York to Upstate Bottle Return where we have an account set up. They have several locations in our area. If you choose to go, simply tell them you would like your donation to be credited to the Church of Transfiguration’s account. You can write a check directly to Food for the Poor and write Transfiguration SC154009 in the memo line. Whether you are writing a check or sending one through an IRA or Charitable Giving Fund, please include this Source Code and Church of the Transfiguration on the check. Place that donation check in an envelope and mail it to:
Food for the Poor
ATTN: Kitty Soriano
Major Giving Dept. - Inside
6401 Lyons Road
Coconut Creek, FL 33073
You may use a credit card by going to the Church of the Transfiguration’s Champion Page on the Food for the Poor website. The link is: https://foodforthepoor.org/transfiguration
Thank you from the depths of our hearts for supporting the "Increasing Access to Water and Improved Sanitation in Jiquilisco" project. Your generosity is bringing life-changing hope and health to these children of God.
Please contact Lauren Burruto at (585) 259-4553, or email her at: lburruto@gmail.com with any questions.
Highlands Ministry
Twice per month a team of volunteers brings Communion to individuals at the Highlands of Pittsford. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Margie Benza in the parish office.
Hope for the Homeless
This is a ministry in collaboration with St. Mary's Church downtown to provide food, toiletries and basic health screening to chronically homeless men and women in and around downtown Rochester. Please contact Deacon Eric Bessette 264-1796 or via the Contact Us page of this website.
Kentucky Men's Retreat
This is an annual week long retreat in Boonville, Kentucky where we work with the poorest of the poor, praying with each other, getting to know and supporting each other. It is a powerful part of Men's Fellowship. The retreat is usually held in September and has resumed in 2023, after being paused due to COVID. If you are interested in learning more about this, or becoming a leader of a future retreat, please contact Rob Kozarits at rob.kozarits@gmail.com.
Kentucky Women's Retreat
A powerful week-long retreat in Boonville, Kentucky, where we serve the poorest of the poor while being spiritually renewed through prayer, communion and support of one another. This retreat is usually held at the end of April each year. Please contact Meg Kastner at the parish office if you are interested in learning more or participating in a future retreat.
Saint's Place
"Saint's Place is a volunteer organization based on Christian values, that provides household goods, clothing and education to legal refugees of all races and creeds who settle in the Rochester area to escape violence, discrimination and poverty". Located at 46 South Main Street, next to St. Louis Church, Saint's Place accepts donations (in good condition) of furniture, household items for kitchen, bath, bedroom and living rooms. Volunteers are needed to pick up and deliver donations, organize and sort household goods and clothing, and provide tutoring to newly arrived refugee children. Bulletin announcements inform our parishioners of the current needs of Saint's Place. Clothing in good condition can be donated at the Clothing Closet located at St. John of Rochester. If interested, please contact Rosemarie Burke (662-5569) burkem@aol.com
St. Andrew's Food Pantry
St. Andrew's Food Pantry is looking for some birds, hams and a few good volunteers. Volunteers can work during the Pantry hours of operation, 9:30-11:30 AM, Tuesday- Friday. More volunteers are needed during the Christmas season. Call Margaret Oberst at 338-1764 if you would like to learn more. Donations are always accepted, especially frozen turkeys, canned hams, other canned foods, and cash donations. St. Andrew's Food Pantry is located at 890 Portland Avenue, Rochester NY.
School #39 Tutoring - (Note - suspended during COVID)
With the poverty rate in the City of Rochester one of the worst in the nation, the affect can be seen most profoundly in children. Volunteers from Transfiguration visit once or twice a week during school hours, and partner with teachers to tutor elementary students in Math and Reading. The individual attention and extra assistance makes a world of difference for our young friends. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Rose Hartman @ cot.school39partnership@gmail.com