Help Committee
OLMC reaches out to those in need in our community through the HELP Committee.
HELP stands for He Extends His Love Perpetually (HELP). This committee works to find and meet the needs of OLMC parishioners and our county - Hamilton County, Indiana. As the parish and community have grown over the years, so have the needs of its people. What started from the basement of the church and people's garages has grown into the Matthew 25 Center and places beyond. We touch the lives of several hundred people every month and are the largest food pantry in the county.
The committee itself has been administered by Jayne and Bill Slaton for many years. Their vision and efforts as well as their ability to inspire others to help, have resulted in the HELP committee as it is today.
Anyone who is in need of assistance may call the parish office, come to the Matthew 25 Center during pantry or clinic hours, or email olmcHELP@olmc1.org. Let us know what your needs are, we are here to HELP.
HELP Committee Outreach
If you have items to donate, please call the parish office.
Car Donation
If you have a car that runs and does not need major mechanical work that you would like to donate to someone in need, or if you are in need of one yourself, contact us.
Clothing Donation
The HELP Committee has no space to distribute clothing items. We schedule a Good Will truck to be placed on our property two to three times per year. Please save your donations for us! When we turn the truck back in, Good Will counts the bags and give us Good Will Vouchers for families in need of clothing for free! Last May, we earned 1,300 in Good Will vouchers to serve the poor from one truck! The vouchers are only good for 6 months. Sometimes we run out before that! Please watch the bulletin for details. You can also volunteer to man the truck. Call Gachia Hoefer to volunteer at 846-3475.
Furniture & Appliances
We would be happy to pick up donations of furniture or working appliances and give them a good home. We often deliver the furniture to someone in the area the same day. Contact us to arrange a time for pickup; these times are often on a Saturday. Beds and bedrooms sets are in great demand, and we often have more couches than we can use. We have a storage unit that can hold a limited number of items until they are needed.
Handymen
We are often asked for help with small, one time tasks by parishioners or others who may be elderly, infirm or just all thumbs. If you have skills in the area of handyman that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you.
Sunshine Committee
The Sunshine Committee is dedicated to making the day brighter for parishioners who are having surgery, are ill or in sorrow. This committee sends hand written greeting cards to those on the church's prayer list. If you are good at writing notes that bring smiles to people's faces and are interested in helping with this committee, we hope to hear from you.
We are always looking for donations of new greeting cards, especially those expressing get well wishes or sorrow. Blank cards are also welcome. Bring them to the parish office or label them "Sunshine Committee" and drop them off with any usher.
Other Outreach
To minister to those outside our parish
- Cathedral Soup Kitchen - Serves brunch Monday-Friday and noon meal on Sundays (email olmcCathedralSoup@OLMC1.org).
- Gabriel Project - Helps women and families with crisis pregnacies (email olmcGabrielProject@OLMC1.org).
- O'Connor House - The O'Connor House mission is to help single, pregnant women choose life for themselves and their babies. They foster Christian love by assisting the mothers with their physical and emotional needs, providing guidance and support in maternal skills, offering adoption as an option, assisting with resources and services, promoting chastity and helping develop a deeper spiritual life through Christian prayer and meditation. For volunteer opportunities, contact (317) 844-9562 info@theoconnorhouse.org .
To minister to those within our parish
- Funeral Luncheons - Provide meals for funeral luncheons in our parish (email olmcFuneralDinners@OLMC1.org).
- Meals for Families in Crisis - Helps families who are going through a crisis, meal-making, transportation to appointments, etc. (contact information here).
- Meals for New Moms - Provides meals for new mothers (contact information here).