Social Ministry

Social Ministry seeks to transform human hearts and social structures by heightening awareness through prayer, education, action, and by practicing social justice in accordance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Catholic Social Teachings.

If you are interested in any of the following ministries, please contact Virginia Mollner to sign up or for more information at vamollner@staroftheseaparish.com.

Parish Pantry

Open: Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30-11:30am for lunch and for assistance call and leave a message. Please clearly leave your full name, phone number, and your need for assistance.

Phone Number: 428-1244

The pantry offers a bag lunch, drink, and dessert to all who come. Fruits, vegetables, bread, and desserts donated by area grocery stores are shut off notice on utilities. Volunteers make sandwiches, prepare fruits and vegetables, interview and pack groceries. Volunteers can work one day a week or one day a month. All volunteers must be VIRTUS certified.

Volunteers from Star of the Sea welcomed and mentored staff from Westminster Canterbury who made delivered and served chicken soup and bag lunches. Each client had a choice of either ham, turkey, or beef sandwich with their soup. Thank you to Westminster Canterbury for reaching out into the community helping those in need.

Thank you to our neighboring parish, St. John the Apostle, for their generous and annual donation of non-perishable food to our pantry. St. John’s donated enough food to again fill our shelves and more. We are ever grateful to all who continue to donate non-perishable food to our parish pantry. Together, Star of the Sea and St. John’s share in the gospel’s call to feed the hungry in our neighborhoods.

Drivers

Volunteer drivers to pick up food from grocery stores are needed on different days of the week, usually the morning hours. Most are one or two hour commitments.

Soup Kitchen

Volunteers cook and serve meals at the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center in 3 teams. Each team prepares two or three dinners a year, time is 2-7pm.

Meals on Wheels

Volunteers deliver meals Monday through Friday the first week of each month using their own vehicles to deliver to assigned areas in Virginia Beach. Delivery time is about two and a half hours during the working day and all in the oceanfront area.

Thanksgiving Food Baskets

Through the generosity of Star of the Sea parishioners, volunteers collect, purchase, package and distribute Thanksgiving Baskets during the daytime for those in need in the local area.

Christmas Giving Tree

Working with local agencies, some local families, and the homeless, to help fulfill the wishes of children and adults who would otherwise not have a Christmas. Gift tags are placed on the parish Christmas Giving Tree, the tags are taken by parishioners, filled and returned to Church for distribution. Volunteers sort the gifts for delivery or pick up.

Migrant Ministry

This ministry collects needed items for migrant workers on the Eastern Shore in conjunction with St. Charles Parish, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. One evening a week, beginning at the end of June through Labor Day, volunteers visit the camps to distribute needed items, respond to questions, share stories, and befriend the migrants for the summer months. Some Spanish-speaking volunteers are needed to help with communication.

Respect Life Representative

The representative meets with local area leaders who respond to respect life issues, i.e.. Birthright, Elder Care, Right to Life, suicide, euthanasia.

Death Penalty

Volunteers support efforts to abolish the death penalty by writing to elected officials and holding a vigil at church on the evening that a person is scheduled to be executed by the Commonwealth.

Virginia Catholic Conference

The Virginia Catholic Conference has creates an email advocacy network for parishioners interested in legislative advocacy based on Catholic Teachings. Visit www.vacatholic.org click on, “Join the Network.”