Mercy & Social Justice

Starr King TK-8 is our community’s local elementary school. Over 65% of the children come from immigrant and refugee families. This creates an educational environment filled with challenges and opportunities. The parishioners of St. Michael’s strongly believe in the power of education. This belief is at our core and is why we are so passionate about our relationship with Starr King.

Our relationship with Starr King involves several annual outreach activities. These activities provide an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of both the students and staff.

Our Starr King TK-8 outreach includes:

– A summertime backpack and donation drive. This provides students with new backpacks to begin the school year. The school also recieves a donation of supplies.

– A springtime hygiene kit drive. At the conclusion of the 5th grade hygiene studies, we deliver hygiene products to be given to each 5th grade student.

– For students with an interest in performing arts we offer scholarships to St. Michael’s annual theater camp.

– Volunteers provide support in the printing of documents and tutoring of students.

Taking care of the teachers and staff at Starr King TK-8 is also very important to St. Michael’s. We recognize their dedication and contributions by honoring them with a luncheon each season.

St. Michael’s continues an ongoing and expanded relationship with Habitat for Humanity. This relationship initially began in February 2016, when Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento hosted its inaugural Build for Unity event, doing so in correlation with the United Nations declaring the first week in February World Interfaith Harmony Week. St. Michael’s was one of those faith groups who joined hands with other faith groups that first year to build homes for low-income families, and we have continued to participate in this interfaith event every year since. Over the years St. Michael’s volunteers have worked side by side with various Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh, and other faith communites to fund and build Habitat homes. Since its beginnings in Sacramento, Habitat for Humanity organizations in other cities across the nation have started their own Build for Unity events.

It was St. Michael’s desire to support interfaith harmony and the recognition of a growing need for afforable quality housing that first led the church to sponsor volunteers to work for Habitat for Humanity. In the last few years St. Michael’s has expanded its sponsorship to include volunteer teams working on Habitat for Humanity’s Rock the Block events. Rock the Block events do not build new homes. Instead, the focus is on performing repairs to homes owned by low-income families, the elderly, and veterans; doing the home repairs they cannot afford or cannot physically do themselves. The primary goal in providing this assistance is to enable these homeowners to continue to safely live in their own homes.

Annual calender for Habitat for Humanity events sponsored by St. Michael’s:

First week in February – Build for Unity

A Friday & Saturday in May – Rock the Block Oak Park

A Friday & Saturday in October – Rock the Block Bryte Broderick

For individual volunteer opportunities check out Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento’s website: http://habitatgreatersac.org

For information on Build for Unity: https://habitatgreatersac.org/get-involved/buildforunity/

Last year, River City Food Bank fed 90,000 more people than they did the year before. Because of this, they need more volunteers than ever. It would be so appreciated if you can prep at the early shift or be on a team to distribute.

• Prep at Midtown 8:30 to 10:30 Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10am – 1pm Mondays.
• Distribution at Midtown 10:30am to 1:30pm Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Prep at The Center at St. Matthew’s Tuesdays & Thursdays 9am to 12pm, 12pm to 3pm, Wednesdays & Fridays 8:30 to 10:30am, 10am to 2pm.
• Distribution at The Center at St. Matthew’s (Arden) 10:30am to 1:30pm Wednesdays and Fridays.

Interested in getting involved? Sign up here.

If you have problems signing up, you can call the church office 916.488.3550 for assistance with the volunteer sign up.

As longtime community partners with River City Food Bank, St. Michael’s people actively support their operations with monthly donations of money, our home grown produce, and volunteering at the RCFB site at the Center at St. Matthew’s. If those days don’t work for you, RCFB has other opportunities to serve at their midtown site as well.

Rise Against Hunger enables churches and organizations to gather large (or small) groups people to pack meals that are then shipped out to hungry people around the globe. Their mission focus is to send meals to schools who serve hungry children so they can better focus on learning.

St. Michael’s Church is proud to sponsor this event with community organizations and with individuals each spring. Contact the office if you are interested in participating.

This is an opportunity to reach out globally to those in need. We believe all humans are interconnected because God created all of us, therefore making us all children of God. Even though the majority of our outreach work is done locally, we offer this specific opportunity once a year to help those who are hungry around the world.

(ERD) is an Episcopal organization that was created from the Presiding Bishop’s fund years ago to offer aid in disaster around the world and help developing countries care for their people. ERD works in places that they are assured our aid will not be diverted from its intent.

ERD has the channels to assist the humanitarian effort throughout the world. Please give what you can to relief efforts.

Support Episcopal Relief & Development in providing humanitarian aid in response to the crisis in Ukraine. By donating to the Ukraine Crisis Response Fund, you will help meet critical needs for people fleeing the violence including food, cash, blankets and hygiene supplies.

PDF for mailing checks attached HERE.

Here are additional links and sites for providing assistance and/or getting involved to help those in Ukraine:

@RazomForUkraine and Center for International Disaster Information.

Carmichael HART is a coalition of faith communities, non-profits, businesses, agencies, and individuals, who are committed to finding solutions to homelessness in our local communities.

Here are available opportunities to get engaged in this work:

Thursday Meal Prep/Delivery  – Every Thursday volunteers are needed to make and/or deliver lunches to the unhoused neighbors.

Saturday Shower Ministry – Every Saturday people are needed from 9am – 1pm as Shower Attendants.

Carmichael Hart Programs have great opportunities for members to get involved locally, especially with homeless issues in Carmichael. Contact the office with questions. 

You are invited to volunteer at God’s Helping Hands Laundry Days – 3rd Saturdays of every month. Volunteers assist people with their laundry. Helping Hands provide the soap and quarters, along with any help if needed. Coffee and treats are also provided. For more information, and to donate or volunteer, please contact the office.

Arden Arcade Carmichael Faith Communities is a consortium of volunteers from more than a dozen local churches who meet monthly to plan shared efforts. To get involved, contact info@aacfc.us or visit their Facebook page.