Community Service Ministry has as its mission to foster community service activities by providing opportunities for direct service and education concerning human needs of the community to members of Holy Cross Parish. Formed in 1999, there are currently 300 active parishioners serving in a volunteer capacity.

St. Francis Manor provides efficiency apartments for low-income seniors. Holy Cross Volunteers coordinate social events throughout the year such as Octoberfest and Halloween, a Christmas Dinner with gifts from the Holy Cross Giving Tree, an Easter dinner with Easter gifts for each resident, among other events. We need volunteers to provide and serve food, help with entertainment, and give support and friendship to those elders who may feel forgotten.

Camp Haven is a transitional home for homeless men in Indian River County.  Each Monday, Holy Cross volunteers provide dinner for twenty five residents.  We need many hands to prepare and deliver these weekly meals.  Throughout the year, we also provide special holiday dinners and we include Camp Haven residents in our annual Giving Tree program at Christmas.

Kids Closet Charities provides gently used clothing, books, toys and bedding to the neediest children in our area.  Our volunteers regularly sort clothing and other donations which are then distributed to local schools.

Our Winter Blanket Drive, usually held in January, benefits the migrant workers living in substandard housing in Fellsmere. Volunteers help collect new and “like new” blankets and sleeping bags at all Masses on the designated weekend.

The Sneaker Exchange provides shoes and socks to the most needy school children in our community. Sneaker Exchange projects have Holy Cross Community Service volunteers meet school children at various local footwear outlets to assist them in purchasing new shoes and socks. In many instances, our volunteers see the child receive the first pair of new shoes that they have owned in their lifetime. We expect no financial commitment from our volunteers; the individuals in charge of the Sneaker Exchange have raised all funding necessary for this project.

Meals on Wheels/Council on Aging needs regular drivers (once a week or more) and substitute drivers (“on call” the day of your choice) to deliver hot meals to the homebound. We also need volunteers to do some shopping on a weekly or monthly basis for those unable to leave their homes. In addition, the Retired Service Volunteer Program (RSVP) has many interesting and varied volunteer opportunities for community wide service at our eighty five sites in Indian River County.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters utilizes volunteers in a school based mentoring program. Holy Cross Parishioners work one-on-one with a child in grade Kindergarten through Grade 2, one hour a week at the child’s school. Training is provided. Any caring adult is eligible.

Habitat for Humanity is an internationally known organization, which provides housing assistance to needy families by constructing and providing a home to families who have undergone extensive financial training. Moreover, these families have contributed substantial amounts of sweat equity to the construction of their new home. Our Community Service Ministry volunteers assist in various phases of mentoring and construction of the numerous residences presently underway in Indian River County.

For more information contact Gretta Bowman at the Parish office 231-0671.