St. Luke’s Parish Adult Bible study group is starting a new virtual bible study series on the Gospel of Matthew and invites anyone interested to join via Skype every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 7 p.m. https://join.skype.com/J3ghE63B6zvo. Please contact Paschal at (616)264-0903 for more information.
Category: News & Events
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13 Resources for Church Members:
The Best Ways to Support Seniors in Our Community
Our changing needs mean that many of us start to experience mobility limitations, physical impairments and cognitive changes. Additional needs arise in the midst of global pandemic. Because not all of the seniors in our community have family nearby to assist with their needs, the church community can step up in a big, impactful way.
Below is a great list of resources on plugging in to help seniors in need:
Assisting with Aging-in-Place Needs:
For those seniors aging in place, you can pitch in to ensure their home is free from hazards.
4 Questions You Should Ask About Senior Safety At Home
The Most Common In-Home Injuries for Seniors and How to Prevent Them
11 Low-Cost Aging in Place Modifications You Can Do Yourself
Assisting with Daily Living Needs:
The activities of daily living—such as eating, bathing, and dressing—can become challenging without assistance.
5 Tasks Seniors Need Help With the Most
Transportation: What Caregivers Need to Know
Paying for Assistive Technology
18 Quick, Easy and Healthy Meals for Seniors
Healthy Aging in Place: 3 Ideas for Seniors Who Want to Eat Nutritiously
Protective Face Masks – Resources on Making and Wearing Them
Assisting with Social Isolation Needs:
Social isolation has been linked to several physical and mental health issues in seniors.
How To Avoid Loneliness And Social Isolation For Seniors
6 Ways to Help Seniors Stay Social
What to Put in a Care Package for Seniors
Tips to Help Seniors Boost Physical and Mental Health During Quarantine
Harmel Academy of the Trades
Harmel Academy of the Trades (click here) is a new Catholic mission in our Diocese that explores the lay vocation to work in the world. We do this, by offering an entirely new educational option for young men (click here). At Harmel, a young man can begin his own life in the world by learning a skilled trade and deepening his understanding of what it means to be fully human in Christ, all while developing life-long friendships in a residential community on a college campus here in Grand Rapids.
In short, we’re a Catholic, residential trades academy right here in Grand Rapids that offers a very unique educational option for young Catholic men. We are currently accepting students, so if you know any young men who might benefit from considering Harmel, we hope you’ll send him our way (click here) . We would really appreciate it.
US Supreme Court Ruling: Man and Woman
On June 15 the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision that adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the 1964 Civil Rights Act as “protected classes.” This decision erodes the religious freedom of people with sincerely held beliefs based on God‘s Word and the Church’s teaching
GLO Ministry
Deacon Pitt provides meals to people downtown in the Heartside neighborhood of Grand Rapids twice a week. On a normal day he serves about 120 people. Last week with the shutdown 200 people showed up and he was running out of food. By the end he could only offer a bread stick and a bottle of water. Normally he serves chili, but has been unable to find ground beef. He is looking in particular for donations of ground beef and is willing to pick it up. Any help would be much appreciated.
For more information visit GLO website: https://www.gloministry.net
Corona Resources
Saint Luke Food Pantry
Our June Food Pantry will be Thursday, 11, 3 – 5:30 pm.
Please, if you are need food prior to this date call the parish office at 616-895-2247. This is open to all GVSU students, all Parishioners, and Allendale residence. We will be able to help you within hours of a call for emergency help.
– Love INC also has a food pantry:
Monday 1-6 pm & Thursday 1-6 pm at 6561 Lake Michigan Drive here in Allendale – this is for anyone who needs food; it’s also the time & location for food donations
Monday 1-6 pm & Thursday 1-6 pm at 6561 Lake Michigan Drive here in Allendale – this is for anyone who needs food; it’s also the time & location for food donations
– Diaper Store of Allendale.
Valley Church holds a diaper and wipes pantry. Right now they are holding it for the next three on Saturdays from 10 – 11 am at 5980 Lake Michigan Dr. After that it is the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
Valley Church holds a diaper and wipes pantry. Right now they are holding it for the next three on Saturdays from 10 – 11 am at 5980 Lake Michigan Dr. After that it is the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
Census 2020
We are excited to announce that we’ve partnered with the @uscensusbureau to support the #2020Census! As a partner, we’ll be working to ensure that our community is accurately represented. To learn about the upcoming census, visit 2020census.gov. #2020Census
Online: For the first time, in 2020 the U.S. Census Bureau will accept responses online. The process will be quick and secure. You can respond to the census in less time than it takes to finish your morning coffee. You’ll still be able to respond by mail.
Every 10 years, the @uscensusbureau undertakes a mammoth task: counting all the people residing in the United States. This count affects the allocation of funding for our community’s public resources (e.g., roads, hospitals, schools), how we plan for the future, and our voice in government.
What matters to you? Schools? Transportation? Hospitals? Data from the @uscensusbureau help inform planning efforts for all these important community resources.
The ‘Do Not’ Count?
- Anyone living away from here, either at college or in the armed forces. They will need to fill out the census to where they are on April 1; like at college.
- Do not count anyone in a nursing home, jail, prison, detention facility, etc., on April 1, 2020
- Leave these people OFF your questionnaire, even if they will return to live here after they college, the nursing home, the military, jail, etc. Otherwise they may be counted twice.
The next decennial census is just around the corner in 2020. Make sure you’re counted! An accurate snapshot means that communities across the nation receive the funding, services, and business support they deserve and need. And your responses are confidential.
Sample 2020 questionnaire (Bilingual, English and Spanish)
Additional resources can be found at: https://2020census.gov/en/partners.html
Friendship Family for International Students
Dear St. Luke’s Parishioners,
Would you be interested in being a friendship family for an international student at Grand Valley? Friendship families welcome international students by making them feel at home here in the US and helping them to adjust to life here.
Ways that you can help include:
- Inviting the student to have dinner with you from time to time
- Sharing American holidays like Thanksgiving with the student
- Taking them to fun, cultural, or sporting events in the area
- Helping them to study to get their driver’s license
- Practicing speaking English with them if they are from a non-English-speaking country
- Take them to the grocery store or run other errands from time to time
- Get to know and become a friend to the student!
The extent of your involvement would be completely up to you and the student. This is a purely voluntary program. It is not intended to provide financial assistance to the student, just kindness and friendship.
We are hoping to match families and students beginning at our parish picnic on September 15.
If you are interested, please notify Kim Thomas at the parish office at k.thomas@lukespot.com or at 895-2247.
God bless you!