St.
Patrick's P A R I SH
HELPING HANDS
Adding a Personal
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s Catholics, we must always strive to reach out to our brothers and sisters in faith, and a helping hand is always appreciated. Whether it’s for a social event, a funeral reception, a deanery dinner, a sacramental celebration, or anything in between, the Helping Hands Ministry is there to assist. “Our ministry started in the summer of 2017, when my husband, Mark, and I were asked to help out with the social events of the church,” says Karen Frederick. “After I retired, I volunteered to take Communion to a care facility, but then after a while I said, ‘Lord, I’m ready to do more now.’ Shortly after that, Mark and I were asked to do Helping Hands. Now we have a group of 17 men and women. Whenever there is a function, I send out an email explaining what we need, and people respond if they can or can’t do it. It’s a wonderful group, and there’s no pressure at all — sometimes we have all of us, and sometimes just one or two, but there is always someone willing to help out.” Helping Hands Ministry duties include setting up, decorating, and preparing refreshments for a variety of events. The refreshments can be anything from just coffee and water, up to a fullfledged meal. While the ministry doesn’t take care of cooking, members will arrange for catering or will purchase food from a local grocery store. For parish events, the parish reimburses the ministry for food costs, while for events such as sacrament and funeral receptions, the family pays for the food. Beyond the cost, the ministry takes care of everything else. “We supply all the linens, place settings, flowers, and drinks,” Karen says. “I am not a decorator at all, but some of our ladies are beautiful decorators. We’ve been working together for so long that I just need to tell them a few
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The Helping Hands Ministry started in the summer of 2017, when Karen and Mark Frederick were asked to help out with the social events of the church. things, and they just go ahead and do it. Some people come and work in the morning to set up, and others come in the afternoon just for cleanup. Everyone does what they can when they can.” Karen recalls several memorable events
