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Outreach in Action

There's a lot of activity happening at St. Michael's...we welcome your involvement! In general, the Outreach & Justice Council meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Parish Hall. Please check the calendar to confirm. All are welcome to join us to express your interests and concerns. Contact Bev Hoeffer to be put on the agenda.

St Michael's Co-Hosts Integrity Picnic

Integrity is a diocesan program working to meet the pastoral needs of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender persons in the Episcopal Church. St Michael's, as an open and affirming congregation, is co-hosting this picnic and invites all friends, family and allies of LGBT folks, churched and unchurched, to join us at noon July 31 in Section A of Laurelhurst Park. Bring your utensils and drinks, and a dish to share. Spend the afternoon with friends old and new. Contact Bev Hoeffer at hoefferb@msn.com for more information.

School Supplies for Foster Children

St. Michael's is partnering with DHS to provide much-needed school supplies and backpacks to children presently in the foster care system. A 'Big Red Schoolhouse' box is on the piano in the Gallery to hold whatever supplies we gather, and a packing party will be held on August 29 at 10:10 to assemble the supplies for distribution by to the children before school starts. You will find a take-along list of suggested supplies for your use on the piano as well.

ESL Tutor Training

Although ESL classes are on hiatus for the summer, we're looking for more tutors to help out in the Fall Term! In our English as a Second Language (ESL) program, volunteer tutors assist students from other countries gain the confidence they need for speaking English in everyday situations. We ask for a commitment of eight Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, although we also welcome tutors who can “drop in” to serve as substitutes. Tutoring resumes September 7, and ESL Tutor Training will be held Tuesday evenings, August 24 and 31, 7:00-9:00 pm, and September 18 from 10:00 am to noon. If you're interested, contact Cathy Searls at 503-884-0067 or SearlsC@comcast.net.

Looking for Prison Ministry Volunteers

We are looking into starting a new outreach ministry with the Oregon Columbia River Correctional Facility in Northeast Portland. Two areas where the facility is expressing volunteer needs are for Religious Service Volunteers (we would be trained to come into the facility and conduct or be a part of religious activities such as Bible studies; classes; discussions; worship services, etc.) and Home for Good in Oregon program volunteers. We are looking for a group of people who would be interested in meeting with prison staff to determine next steps. If you're interested, please contact Ron Geason.