God’s work. Our hands.
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and
you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison
and you came to me. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and
sisters of mine, you did for me" Matthew 25:35-40
“We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
St. Paul’s is a serving congregation. Our Social Ministry efforts are a constant part of our ministry and
mission. Whether it is getting volunteers, buying basic groceries/personal products, etc., St. Paul’s is a place where serving others is a priority.
Below is a summary of our activities and programs/groups we support.
Missions and Supported Organizations
St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy – In the past year we have provided clothing and used luggage to St.
Lukes through drives at St. Paul’s.
City Mission – Donated over 80 pairs of undergarments for women and children and over 20 large
bags of clothing and providing centerpieces and seasonal decorations for meals.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace – SHP is a National Not for Profit that builds bunk beds for children who do
not have their own bed. St Paul’s provides volunteers to build beds during the year and have also run
drives to provide bedding for new beds being delivered.
Response to Love - Response to Love’s is a food pantry on Buffalo’s East Side. St. Paul’s
provided food supplies to stock their shelves in the Spring.
Kevin Guest House - Kevin Guest provides residential facilities for families who have family
members at Roswell or one of the other Medical Campus Hospitals. KGH has been active since 1972
and has served over 60,000 guests. KGH had a need for breakfast foods/supplies, and St. Paul’s provided over twenty large shopping bags of breakfast supplies were donated. These bags contained
everything from cereal, coffee, tea, hot chocolate to instant breakfast mixes.
Home Beneath my Feet – This is a community Sensory Garden developed to help the East Side of
Buffalo recover from the Tops Shooting. The congregation sent a team of gardeners, seven
congregants, to help the community garden.
Harvest House - Located on Buffalo’s east side, Harvest House provides assorted services to the
community. Their major program is to assist families with young children obtain diapers, clothing and
other supplies. In 2023, they were helping over five hundred children/month.
During August/September of 2023, St. Paul’s undertook its largest social ministry effort ever when we
joined four other Lutheran churches to run a Baby Shower/Diaper Drive to support Harvest House.
Through Congregation and community donations, and in conjunction with a drive run by Boy Scout
Troop #74 and donations from Tops, over 8,000 diapers, 88,000 wipes, 402 pairs of socks, 210 towels
and washcloths, 207 bottles of lotion and over 140 bottles were donated.
Friends of the Night – Is a food kitchen that St. Paul’s has supported throughout the years via
volunteering and donated food. In 2023, St. Paul's donated over 25 turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Journey’s End – Collected over 500 toiletry items to assist new refugees.
Buffalo School No. 74 – Each Christmas season, St. Paul’s has We ended our traditional Angel Tree
Drive to aid students at Buffalo School No. 74. In 2023, St. Paul’s provided 436 gift wrapped books,
74 pairs of mittens/gloves, 30 scarves, 3 vests, warm socks and many boxes of school supplies. We
have been doing this project for well over 15+ years.
Events
Chicken Barbecue - Each Spring we donate the proceeds from the dinner to a charity. The last two years we have supported the Home of My Own of WNY. This great group’s goal is to create apartment communities tailored to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who desire to live in a safe, social and integrated community with lifelong sustainability. With over 300 dinners sold and other donations, more than $4,000 was raised.
Spaghetti Dinner – St. Paul’s holds an annual Spaghetti Dinner each year with the proceeds being
donated to Charity. In 2023, we served over 150 dinners and were able to donate over $1,600 aiding
the Family Justice Center. This agency assists individuals confronting domestic abuse.