The Christian Service Ministry is what you might call the giving arm of our parish. With the help of our parishioners, this ministry is able to help those in our local community via food collections, our annual Giving Tree at Christmas and Seasonal Sharing at Easter, clothing drives and so much more; while also helping those in the larger human community with outreach such as The Angel Haven Shoebox Project to help those in Appalachia. 

Please take a look at the upcoming opportunities to give back and participate in the many good works of our Christian Services Ministry and make sure to check back frequently for updates. Thank you in advance for your generosity. 

Once again, we will be sending Shoe Box Christmas gifts to struggling families in Vansant, Virginia. Please consider sharing a shoe box gift with a child, teen or adult this year. See the bulletin boards around the church for the whole story of why, when and how you can help. Last year a total of 937 boxes from participating local churches were sent to those in need. Thank you in advance for your generous support of this program!

To participate:
1. Choose a shoebox and wrap the top and bottom separately.
2. Fill the box with self-care products, warm clothes, and other lovely items.
3. Put a tag on the box indicating the intended age/sex of recipient.
4. Drop it off at the parish office or back of the church. 

All women are invited to join us for our annual Advent Tea on Sunday, December 3 from 2-5pm, organized by the St. Patrick Columbiettes. 

Please RSVP to Christian Service by November 24th by calling 248-698-3103.

Many people do not realize just what Christian Service does for the parish, neighborhood, community, and worldwide relief programs we support. We get calls for rides, to borrow crutches, to provide gas, help stop utility shutoffs. We suuprot the underserved, homeless, elderly, babies, and families in need for any variety of reasons. 

None of these programs would be possible without the fenerous support of our amazing parishioners. We are so grateful for the ability to help others in their time of need. 

Coffee and Donuts Mission Program
Please join us on Sundays after the 8am and 10am Masses.

Catholic Relief Services Annual Rice Bowl Collection
Christian Service manages the annual CRS Collection for our Parish. We order, distribute, and collect the monies raised and forward the proceeds to this world-wide cause. 

Angel Haven Shoe Box Project
St. Patrick Parish has been filling Christmas shoeboxes, hundreds of them, annually for many years now. Some of the poorest Americans living in the Appalachian Mountains in Vansant, Virginia are struggling to survive the damaging effects of coal mines ruining the ground water and the loss of livelihood in their poor area. We have many volunteers who work all year to procure items, wrap and pack the boxes filled with warm clothing, personal products, small toys, and a sweet treat for Christmas. We so appreciate the abilty to help this caring program.

Oakland Family Services and Atherton Schools
We support these two causes with back-to-school necessities and backpacks. Our parishioners also support providing Christmas for area families who would not otherwise have Christmas for their children. We help approximately 30 families each year. Our Knights of Columbus along with our parishioners are huge supporters of our Christmas Sharing program. 

Angel's Place Home
Angels' Place are adult group homes in our area. We are always looking for volunteers to help with special services the individuals in these facilities need. Learn more at their website.

Angels' Place are adult foster care group homes in our area. Recently a group of ten volunteers went to Joliat Home to help with outdoor clean up. They had a great time and provided needed service. See below if you are interested in joining our growing list of volunteers for drop in service opportunities. Christian Service Outreach is looking to build a small group of volunteers interested in doing various tasks in the community. Could be helping an elderly parishioner, cleanup at a retirement home, extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, Meals on Wheels, etc. We have different ways to help the community and would like to build a small group we could call on for various tasks. This will not be a weekly commitment, just "when you can help" type group. Email Kelly Brittingham at [email protected] for more information. 

Adult Foster Care Homes
Christian Service works with 4 adult foster care homes in our area. Lakeside Manor, and Teggerdine House are group homes for those who can do some work to make their lives meaningful. Briarwood and Sandyside have residents who are too ill or disabled to leave their residence. Many of these residents have no family or family who cannot take care of them. 

At Christmas and Easter, we ask for donations like gift cards or an Easter Basket to help share the JOY of the season. 

Our outreach of Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist program also delivers the Eucharist to the above homes on a prearranged schedule. Some also request a prayer service. 

Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing Centers and Homebound Residents
Christian Service supports Independence Village, Neighborhoods of White Lake, Westlake Health Campus and Our Senior Living home in White Lake.

Our Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist also deliver the Eucharist to Catholic residents, other volunteers do prayer services and the Stations of the Cross on a pre-arranged basis. We also take flowers at Christmas and Easter to share the joy of the holiday seasons. 

Pregnancy Centers
St. Patrick Christian Service supports Mary's Mantle, Mother and Unborn Baby Care, and Another Way Pregnancy Center. The agencies assist pregnant mothers with ultrasounds, maternity care, baby items, parenting classes for both parents and monetary support. Mary's Mantle also has live-in assistance for Mothers with no family support. We collect clothing, diapers and all baby necessities, gift cards for other needs during our Season Sharing programs.

The Open Door Outreach Center
We support the Open Door with back-to-school seasonal sharing items, Thanksgiving food collection, Christmas and Easter gift card requests. We will also partner with them for client support if they need money to help cover large requests for rent or utilities. 

Baldwin Center, Hope Warming Center, Matchan Nutrition Center
These are a combination of soup kitchen, warming center, where to take a shower and get necessary personal items for the homeless and underserved in the Pontiac area. We support them in various ways, financially, shower kits, laundry kits, socks, clean, warm clothing and bagged lunches.

Jail Outreach Ministry
Christian Service helps support tow Jail Ministries. Deacon Mike Chesley and his Jail Ministry requested clothing for those rehabilitated and returning to work. We helped collect an amazing amount of new and used clothing for this cause.

Oakland County Jail Outreach, headed up by Sister Peggy Devaney supports victims and the families of offenders dealing with lossof income and the trauma of changed lives due to crime. We supply gift cards, Easter baskets and clothing. 

Respect LIFE
Christian Service also has fundraising events throughout the year for two local right to life agencies. 

For Right to Life/LIFESPAN we have our Luminary Candle kits available for Sancitity of Life Sunday in mid-January, we sell Christmas Cards, Mother's Day carnation event, all supporting LIFESPAN's Education efforts and their annual bus trip for the March in Washington. Respect Life-Luminary donations go to LARTL on Sanctity of Life Sunday in January.  For Right to Life /Lifespan or annual baby shower benefits RTF/Lifespan

For Lakes Area Right to Life we support them with two fundraisers, our Baby Bottle Drive, and our Father's Day Chocolate Tools. We also participate with the LIFE Chain event in October for Respect Life Sunday. 

Meals on Wheels
We have a dedicated group of people scheduled to deliver food from the Meals on Wheels local program, our delivery is schedule is every 4th week. In the fall a large group of volunteers deliver the blizzard boxes, intended to sustain their recipients during times of inclement winter weather when deliveries may be disrupted. 

These volunteers build relationships with their recipients and for many the volunteers are the only faces they see on a regular basis. They also check on their health and wellbeing when they see them during deliveries. 

Last year we had a collection for pet food, it was a tremendous success, now the pets can eat their food and the owners can eat their Meals on Wheels delivered food instead of sharing. 

Utility Assistance
Every year during our Seasonal Sharing Drives we ask for monetary donations so we may avoid utility shut-offs for at-risk families. 

Rent and Mortgage Assistance
We routinely recieve calls for eviction help and past due mortgage payments. We help where we can, if the need is too great, many agencies work together to keep the roof over the heads of a family in need. 

 "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." ~Saint Mother Teresa

Stewardship involves all aspects of our lives. As Catholics, we are called by God to serve His people with a grateful heart by using the time,  unique talents and treasures He has bestowed upon us. At St. Patrick Catholic Church, we have opportunities to serve and give in so many ways regardless of your current circumstances or financial situation. No amount of giving is too small to make a significant difference to those around you and your generosity makes a direct impact on others in our parish, community and beyond. 

Please fill out the volunteer form below to be added to our volunteer database in order to be matched with the service opportunities that are most aligned with your skills, interests and availability. You can also learn more about the many opportunities currently available to give and serve in our parish below. Thank you for your willingness to create so many positive ripples in the world!

Volunteer Interest Form

Service at Our Parish
There are so many ways to serve within our parish; everything from assisting during Mass to teaching our children about the Catholic faith to helping with our gardens depends on the willingness of parishioners like you to operate smoothly. No matter what your skill set, interests or availability we have a job that could use your time and attention. 

Limited on Time? That's okay, we have opportunties for you to serve during the Mass you are already attending. We are always looking for volunteers during Mass as:

• Greeters
• Lectors 
• Eucharistic ministers
• Altar servers
• Music ministry
• Offetory families
• Ushers
• Sacristans
• Livestream volunteers. 

Not ready to come back in-person for service or events? That's okay, we have opportunites for you to serve others in our parish directly from home. We are seeking volunteers to:

• Welcome new parishioners
• Call the homebound
• Create small group Bible studies
• Making get-well and sympathy cards
• Putting together grief materials or other resources for those in need. 

We offer many other opportunities to serve for those interested in giving more of their time on a regular basis. It is with the help of volunteers that we are able to spread the Good News of Jesus to the children in our parish and those in the community at large. We hope that you consider joining in one of these important ministries and committees. 

• Religious Education Catechists
• Adult Faith Formation Leaders
• Worship Commission
• Hospitality
• Circle of Care (Christian Service Commision)
• Community Affairs
• Nursery and Babysitting Services
• Finance Council
• Pastoral Council
• Stewardship Commission
• Parish Fair Committee
• Evanangelization Commission

• Hospital Communion Visitation
• Calls, Visits and Eucharistic Ministry to the Homebound
• Transportation Services
• Meals on Wheels Delivery
• Food for Sharing
• Seasonal Sharing (Christmas and Easter)
• Blood Drives
• Support for Respect Life/Right to Life

Recently, the requests for help with rent, utilities and food has increased greatly as you would expect with so many out of work. Please remember, St. Vincent de Paul has been helping families throughout the COVID-19 crisis. If you are able, please consider a donation to enable them to continue to help those in need. The best way to get funds to St. Vincent de Paul is to write a check (Attn: St. Vincent de Paul) and place it in a donation envelope then place it in the boxes at the back of the church. Thank you for your generous support!

Kroger Rewards
The St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Patrick in White Lake is recieving Kroger Community Rewards dollars. This money is used to help clients in need of food, rent and utility assistance. If you link your Kroger Plus card to our St. Vincent de Paul Conference, we could help even more families in need. 

All you need to do is go to kroger.com, sign into your Kroger rewards account and choose 'community rewards' from the top banner. In the search box, enter 83173 to find our SVdP conference. This will link your rewards card to the St. Patrick SVdP, and a percentage of your purchases will go to the poor we serve. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Christian Service office at 248-698-3100 ext. 216 or email Bonnie Degen at [email protected] and we will help you set up your account. This program does NOT affect your reward points.  

• Advent Tea Team
• Circle of Care
• Community Affairs
• Respect for Life/Right to Life
• Peace & Justice
• Garden Angels
• St. Vincent de Paul Society
• Health Care
• Hospitality Team (funerals, receptions, etc.)
• Red Cross Blood Drive
• Communion Visitors
• Homebound Visitors
• Greeting Cards
• Transportation
• Meals on Wheels
• Care Facilities
• Food for Sharing
• Seasonal Sharing
• Coffee & Donuts
• Parish Nurse