Uncommon Thrift
Located across the parking lot from St. Christopher’s is our shop, Uncommon Thrift. One hundred percent of the net income of Uncommon Thrift goes to support the mission and ministries of St. Christopher’s. In 2022, for example, one third of that amount went to support local and international outreach funding efforts, pastoral care and other less direct forms of outreach.
Outreach Fund Committee
The Outreach Fund Committee encourages active participation in and provides financial support to projects and organizations in the Lower and Outer Cape communities as well as to those in our broader world community.
The Outreach Fund Committee presents a check to LCOC
The Outreach Fund is funded by a percentage of the net earnings of Uncommon Thrift and by other fundraising events throughout the year. Recently, the major focus of the Outreach Fund Committee has been to help alleviate the urgent needs of housing and food insecurity in our area. To this end, St Christopher’s Outreach Fund has made donations to:
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- Homeless Prevention Council – The St. Christopher’s Team has walked to raise funds and awareness of the need for attainable housing on Cape Cod in multiple years, and the Outreach Fund Committee has matched funds raised by the team.
- Homeless Prevention Council – The St. Christopher’s Team has walked to raise funds and awareness of the need for attainable housing on Cape Cod in multiple years, and the Outreach Fund Committee has matched funds raised by the team.
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- Habitat for Humanity – The Outreach Fund Committee made a grant to support the net zero energy goal for the two Chatham houses built in 2022–2023. Members of the Outreach Fund Committee attended the “Walls Up” and Dedication events for these houses. Support for a future project includes permaculture landscaping for a house that will commence building in spring, 2024.
- Habitat for Humanity – The Outreach Fund Committee made a grant to support the net zero energy goal for the two Chatham houses built in 2022–2023. Members of the Outreach Fund Committee attended the “Walls Up” and Dedication events for these houses. Support for a future project includes permaculture landscaping for a house that will commence building in spring, 2024.
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- Community Development Partnership – The goals of CDP include supporting businesses in the Lower and Outer Cape and the housing needs of the people who work in those businesses. They advocate for this support both within the community and with local government officials. The Outreach Fund Committee has made grants to support this essential organization.
- Community Development Partnership – The goals of CDP include supporting businesses in the Lower and Outer Cape and the housing needs of the people who work in those businesses. They advocate for this support both within the community and with local government officials. The Outreach Fund Committee has made grants to support this essential organization.
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- Lower Cape Outreach Council – Emergency relief can make all of the difference for working families on Cape Cod. Grants from the Outreach Fund support LCOC as an essential component of the network of support for local families. In addition, each year, St. Christopher’s members join local runners and walkers at the Chatham Turkey Trot to raise funds for and contribute food to LCOC.
Turkey Trot, a LCOC fundraiser.
- Lower Cape Outreach Council – Emergency relief can make all of the difference for working families on Cape Cod. Grants from the Outreach Fund support LCOC as an essential component of the network of support for local families. In addition, each year, St. Christopher’s members join local runners and walkers at the Chatham Turkey Trot to raise funds for and contribute food to LCOC.
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- Monomoy Community Services administers the free meal program available during the winter from Hangar B Restaurant in Chatham. Families can pick up a nutritious dinner for four such as the one pictured here once a week during the winter. The Outreach Fund Committee joined with Monomoy Community Services to support this program.
- Monomoy Community Services administers the free meal program available during the winter from Hangar B Restaurant in Chatham. Families can pick up a nutritious dinner for four such as the one pictured here once a week during the winter. The Outreach Fund Committee joined with Monomoy Community Services to support this program.
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- The Outreach Fund has also joined with parishioners in making financial contributions to The Goll Farm School in Liberia through Together with Africans and to Episcopal Relief and Development to support relief efforts both in Ukraine and Turkey/Syria.
- The Outreach Fund has also joined with parishioners in making financial contributions to The Goll Farm School in Liberia through Together with Africans and to Episcopal Relief and Development to support relief efforts both in Ukraine and Turkey/Syria.
The Chatham Food Pantry
The Chatham Food Pantry is located within St. Christopher’s Church and is one of the nine food pantries across the Lower Cape sponsored by the Lower Cape Outreach Council. Financial support is directly provided by the Church’s parishioners and the local community.
Donations In-Kind
St. Christopher’s offers the use of its space free of charge to several organizations and for various community activities throughout the year. In addition to the Chatham Food Pantry, the Church’s facilities recently have been used for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, PEO International, Habitat for Humanity, Homeless Prevention Council, and Chatham Ecumenical Council for the Homeless gatherings, and the Parkinson’s Support Group.
Community events, such as Chatham Music Club performances, Chatham First Night festivities, Cape Harmony and Hyannis Sound Summer concerts, the Newell speaker series, and various organ recitals are hosted at St. Christopher’s free of charge.
Pastoral Care
Our Pastoral Care Associate, Judith Felton, offers pastoral care and counseling to St.Christopher’s parishioners and non-parishioners alike. In addition, she offers grief counseling to individuals or through weekly Bereavement Support Groups. Her team of trained lay pastoral ministers and eucharistic visitors assist with pastoral care and support. Click here for more information on all of this important work.
Diocesan Support
Through its annual assessment, St. Christopher’s financially supports The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and through it, the various and wide-ranging charitable and missionary activities it sponsors. Some examples of these activities include college campus ministries throughout the Boston area, immigration and multicultural ministries (including limited legal services) to African, Hispanic, Asian, and Indigenous communities in Massachusetts, global mission outreach projects and initiatives, and the Life Together young adult intern program.
