Parish Outreach

Parish Outreach deals primarily in direct services. The outreach works for peace and justice and community involvement in community issues. It functions as a contact to agencies which help provide job training, legal and immigrant services as well as rent, money and food. It is a participant in the Public Policy Education network as a liaison between state, local, and federal officials in obtaining aid for the needy.

Parish Outreach Coordinator: Rosemary Scarangella
208 Broadway Bethpage, NY 11714
516-931-7332
scaranr@verizon.net

Food Pantry
The mission of St. Martin of Tours Parish Outreach Food Pantry is to provide food and other support, in a significant non-denominational way, to those in need in the local community. This outreach helps clients to function as viable members of the community as they struggle through crises of physical/ mental illness, employment or under employment, separation or divorce or incarceration.

The Food Pantry, which is located at 208 Broadway on the corner of Central Avenue and Broadway, first opened in the early nineties, recognizing a need within the Bethpage community. It began on a small scale and was founded by the pastor at the time. Over the past 21 years, the pantry has grown as a client choice pantry located in a free standing house in the heart of the village, convenient to bus and train stations. Food is provided via individual donations, local organizations and schools, and hunger relief agencies. The pantry is open on Mondays from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm and on Thursdays from 2 pm - 7 pm. There is one paid coordinator and is staffed by volunteers who are members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Each family may come one day per week and select one bag of food for each member of the family.

We are grateful to all who contribute so generously to the Food Pantry. As a result of your consistent generosity, we are able to meet the needs of those who come to our office for assistance

Bereavement
The Bereavement Ministry offers guidance, prayers and support to family and friends of the deceased members of our parish community.

We offer Bereavement Support Groups twice a year (normally once in the spring and once in the fall) for all persons grieving the painful loss of a loved one. Our facilitator, Mary Vitti, invites all those that are grief-stricken to join this group so that they may find ways to take care of themselves once again.

To find out when the next session is scheduled, please visit our web site or church bulletin. In the interim, if you have any questions, please contact the Rectory and leave a message for Mary Vitti.

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4

Pastoral Care of the Sick Ministry (Homebound/Hospitalized)

Patron Saint: Saint John of God

Purpose: Provide Communion to the sick in a hospital, nursing home, or homebound.

Training/Skills: Attend the Diocese training program which consists of two Saturdays for the homebound including 3 hours during this training for the hospital ministry at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Time Needed: For the hospital you would spend ½ hour per week and the homebound you would spend about 15-30 minutes per homebound.

Tasks/Responsibilities: Provide a brief prayer service for the administration of Communion. Follow the hospital rules if going to the hospital.

Length of Service: No set timeframe. Member’s discretion.

Meetings: Periodic hospital meetings & occasional meetings with the Pastor.

Annual Retreat: All members are encouraged to attend the annual Redemptorist Lay Associates Retreat held at San Alfonso Retreat Center (late August/early September).

Coordinator: Howard W. Cragg - 516-579-8147

St. Vincent de Paul Society Ministry

Patron Saint: St. Vincent de Paul

Purpose: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international lay organization of Catholic men and women who seek in a spirit of justice and charity to help the poor, the needy and the disadvantaged through practical works of charity.

Training/Skills: Spirituality and prayer sustains the Vincentians who often encounter troubling situations; prayer provides inspiration to the Vincentians in bringing hope to people who are very much in need. Knowledge of the poor and needy is gained visiting them at home, sitting by the bedside of the dying, feeling the cold they feel and learning from their lips the causes of their woes

Time Needed: You can spend as many hours as you want or as few hours as you want. There are 2 meetings per month (1st Monday at 7:30 pm and 3rd Saturday 8:00). Our meetings usually last for 1 hour.

Tasks/Responsibilities: When people ask the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for assistance, two Vincentians make a home visit. There, in the intimacy of the home, problems are discussed. The Vincentians bring with them the resources of the Society – food, clothing, financial assistance, emotional assistance, or spiritual comfort – whatever is necessary and available.

Length of Service: This ministry can be a lifetime commitment or a short term commitment, depending on how you choose to participate. We offer an associate membership, which entails volunteering at your convenience for special activities such as food distribution during holidays; the giving tree; picking up food, etc from our benefactors and fund raisers.

Training/Development: There is a training class for home visits offered by our main office on Broadway. There are several classes offered each year at our Annual Ozanam/Roslie Rendu Day.

Annual Retreat: All members are encouraged to attend the annual Redemptorist Lay Associates Retreat held at San Alfonso Retreat Center (late August/early September).

Coordinator: Florence Schiff 718-687-8854

Knowledge of the poor and needy is not gained by pouring over books or in discussions with politicians, but by visiting the slums where they live, sitting by the bedside of the dying, feeling the cold they feel and learning from their lips the causes of their woes.
Blessed Frederic Ozanam, 1845