United Thank Offering

Vision Statement

The vision statement of our Local and National Outreach Committee is to model and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Christian service by giving of our time, talents, and resources. We earnestly believe and are committed to carrying out the Gospel lesson not just with our prayers and words, but with our hands and hearts.

·        Answering God’s command to love our God and to love our fellow people as we would have them love us (Matthew 22:37-39).

·        In response to St. Thomas Mission Statement, reaching beyond our Parish boundaries and facilities to help and care for others in need.

·        Serving as responsible stewards of our Lord’s resources through thoughtful, prayer-guided outreach within our community and nation.

·        Working in a comprehensive, Parish-guided, long range program to assist and support the St. Thomas community, individually and collectively, in expressing loving care through outreach.

Contact Information

For information on St. Thomas’ local and national outreach program contact Dick Branick..

Aid to Inmate Mothers (AIM)
Coordinates and transports children of incarcerated mothers to Tutwiler Correctional Facility (near Montgomery) each month. St. Thomas provides funding for a book program, where the incarcerated mother tapes the reading of a book and then provides the book and tape to the child. Contact Becky Stokes for more information.

Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Huntsville
A ministry which provides service to the families of mentally ill people. It provides member support, education about mental illness, and referral to mental health suppliers for those people in need. All services are free of charge. Contact Dick Branick for more information.

Aquarius Club
The Aquarius Club is a support group of the Mental Health Association for recovering patients. St. Thomas provides lunch for the weekly meetings during the month of January, as well as contributes to the support activities. Contact Virginia Fowler for more information.

Blood Drives
St. Thomas hosts two blood drives each year. Donors are called by parish volunteers and St. Thomas facilities are utilized to support these drives. Contact Mary Tally Watson for more information.

CASA
CASA provides many services designed to keep the aging and the homebound in their homes rather than in nursing homes. This includes coordinating CASA TEMPS Day, a mass winterizing effort of homes of the elderly and indigent. Also included are the provisions of wheelchair ramps, garden vegetables, etc. Contact Dick Branick for more information.

Christmas Charities Year Round
Provides first hand assistance, including food, clothing, toys, furniture, appliances, etc., to all in need. Accessible on a 24-hour basis. Very active in community need support. Contact Dick Branick for more information.

Crisis Services of North Alabama

Provides help in many forms to residents of North Alabama, including:

-  HOPE Place, serving victims of domestic violence

-  HELPline, providing crisis intervention when a person is no longer able to cope

-  Provides volunteer advocates to assist victims of rape or sexual assault through emotional support, hospital and court accompaniment and referrals

-  SANE/SART, the Sexual Assault Response Team/Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SART/SANE) program is a multi-disciplinary investigative team whose mission is to increase sensitivity and specialization in care of sexual assault victims and to improve quality of forensic evidence collection

-  CASEnet enables homeless service providers to collect consistent, more complete client service information and better coordinate available resources for those experiencing the devastation of homelessness.

- County Coordinators provide assistance such as legal advocacy, case management, supportive and education and training in a number of crisis management areas to 4 North Alabama counties. Contact Dick Branick for more information.

Disaster Victims
When severe natural disasters strike, St. Thomas provides volunteers and financial support to the unfortunate victims through local Episcopal parishes and the Red Cross. Contact Woodie Zeigler for more information.

Emergency Shelter

St. Thomas is equipped to serve as a shelter or base of operations for Red Cross or FEMA should a disaster strike the City. The facility can provide care for displaced neighbors, operating independent of city utilities, should the need arise. Contact Woodie Zeigler for more information.

First Stop

Homeless are provided help and assistance through these two related ministries, linking chronically homeless on streets and in transient shelters with case management, mainstream supportive services, and permanent housing. Also provides mailing addresses, showers, laundry, and food/hygiene packs as needed, as well as first-hand attention in homeless camps. St. Thomas supports these service programs with financial support, volunteer time, and donations of goods. Contact Jack Stokes for more information.

Food Pantry (IMS)
Begun in the 1970's, St. Thomas continues to provide food to the needy through the Food Pantry. Food is distributed during normal working hours from a distribution point at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. Contact Karen Allison for more information.

Habitat for Humanity
This ministry provides an opportunity for parish-wide participation in constructing Habitat for Humanity homes. To date, the parish has participated with other church teams in the building of 11 houses, with assistance to two others. This provides excellent ecumenical opportunities for the parish, and offers a family a way out of poverty and into a citizenship role. This is a focus ministry and is a recipient of LOBSTERFEST funds. Contact Elouisa Stokes for more information.

Hospice Family Care

A charitable, independent community-based, non-profit agency, Hospice is focused on terminally-ill patients and their families receiving compassionate, palliative care aimed at enhancing quality of life, while allowing them to remain at home. Social workers, volunteer clergy, bereavement counselors, physicians, nurses and pharmacists are available for services provided without cost to patients and their families. Contact Dick Branick for information.

Huntsville Assistance Program

The Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP) first opened for business on Monday, September 3, 2002. The HAP is a ministry providing economic assistance and referral services to individuals and families in the Greater Huntsville area. The organization is composed of an interfaith consortium of congregations (currently over 50 in number, and including St. Thomas), pooling volunteers, information, and financial resources to accomplish its mission. The HAP has joined forces with local food pantries, pharmacies, and other entities to provide assistance as effectively as possible to those in need.  In examining requests for help, the HAP receives information from participating parishes and provides information concerning previous applicant assistance. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that applicants to whom assistance is provided have presented bona fide and credible needs. The HAP then deals directly with business entities such as Huntsville Utilities, landlords, and pharmacies in the name of the requester.  The program is conducted by a coordinator and by trained volunteer interviewers provided by member organizations. The HAP is especially committed to maintaining the dignity of all people.  The HAP office is located at 406 1/2 Governors Drive, SW, Huntsville, AL 35801. The telephone number for requesting assistance is 256-539-2320 or 256-519-8918. Contact Harold Clayton for information.

IMS Support

St. Thomas has long participated in and supported the Interfaith Mission Services, which has provided start-up ministries within the Huntsville community. This ministry brings all religions of the City together for the benefit of all in need. Contact Dick Branick for more information.

Meals on Wheels

St. Thomas parishioners deliver prepared lunches each weekday to the elderly homebound in cooperation with the Huntsville Meals on Wheels Program. Contact Harold Clayton for more information.

Operation Santa Claus