Home / Get Involved / Community Service
We are a church that lives into Jesus’ teaching to love our neighbors as ourselves. In our outreach efforts, we support neighboring organizations financially and as partners who work side by side for mutual transformation.
To connect with a specific Outreach Ministry please email church@goodshepherdruxton.org.
ACTC
The Assistance Center of Towson Churches is located in downtown Towson and provides food, short-term housing support, clothing, medicine, and transportation to our neighbors in need in Baltimore County. Due to the current health crisis, ACTC is not currently allowing volunteers to work at the center, but there are other ways to help!
During non-COVID times, volunteers can work at the center. Throughout the year, it is rewarding to participate in food and clothing drives. To learn more, visit actconline.info
St. Luke's Youth Center
The Church of the Good Shepherd partners with other Episcopal churches to support SLYC, an afterschool safe program that meets at St Luke’s Episcopal Church in West Baltimore. We provide homework help, read to the kids, play games, help with activities, prepare healthy snacks, and let the kids know they matter and that we care about them. The students are a real joy to work with; most have been in the program for several years and have participated in Camp Imagination and the Christmas Café.
There are flexible volunteer opportunities during the school year to mentor and share in activities with SLYC students Monday through Thursday 3pm - 5pm. If you are interested in helping out with these amazing kids, or would like to come for a visit, please contact Amanda Talbot amanda@bmoreslyc.org.
Christmas Café
The Christmas Café takes place in December at Good Shepherd. Parishioners and SLYC families contribute gifts for children and adults in advance. On the day, SLYC families join for lunch; children and adults then “shop” for Christmas gifts for their parents and children. Volunteer sign up information will be available closer to the date.
Camp Imagination
For two weeks in the summer, Good Shepherd hosts Camp Imagination for SLYC students and youth from our community. Kids enjoy a wide variety of activities and fellowship. Volunteer sign up information will be available closer to the date.
MicroLending Program
The purpose of the Micro-Loan Program is to change peoples’ lives for the better, one loan at a time. Through relationships with trusted individuals in the community, we support and fund individuals and small businesses in order to provide jobs which benefit the Baltimore community.
Loans are evaluated and issued on the basis of our personal relationships with applicants and the Champions who sponsor them and on our confidence that they will benefit the community and create jobs. Loans have ranged from $750 to $4,500. Payment terms are worked out with each individual borrower. To date, the Good Shepherd Micro-Loan Program has invested over $50,000 in the community in the form of 15 loans.
Loaves and Fishes
For over 30 years, our parish has been a partner in the Loaves and Fishes Ministry. Loaves and Fishes prepares and distributes food to the homeless during the winter months. We operate November through March. We get together in the Parish kitchen on Saturday afternoon and prepare hot soup, sandwiches, coffee, and hot chocolate to feed 250 people. We then take a van to Baltimore City for a few hours to distribute the food and beverages. We make scheduled visits to shelters, along with stops along the way in areas where the homeless frequent. We also have found a great need for blankets, coats, hats, gloves, scarves, socks and new underwear and have added a clothing drive to our mission. If you would like to get involved, we would love to have you! This is a truly rewarding experience and one that is greatly needed. Any help you can provide is appreciated. We especially need people to drive and/or ride in the van. Please contact Jill Hanson or click here if you can help! Email: jhanson425@gmail.com or phone: 410-292-2754.
