Community Life Commission
Mission
The Community Life Commission provides service to our community by effectively reaching out to individuals and other organizations that serve the needy both locally and globally. This commission supports many local service organizations financially, in volunteer time, as well as, by sponsoring several seasonal service projects.
It is our goal to provide all of these services to the community with the help of your time and talents. We are continually in search of more volunteers to open their hearts and minds to charity. St. Thomas Aquinas states that charity is the highest virtue and source of all the other virtues. One who possesses charity loves God above all things and loves his neighbor with the love of God as he loves himself.
Alphabetical Listing
Angel Tree
Welcome to the St. Mark Angel Tree Ministry. Our Angel Tree program continues to be a huge success with the love and support of our St. Mark community.
We currently support the needs of four local schools, (Blythe, Huntersville, Torrence Creek, Long Creek) four local nursing homes (Old Knox Commons, The Oaks Nursing Home, The Havens, Autumn Care), Mira Via, Little Smiles, ARC, Children’s Hope Alliance, Hope House and our St. Mark families in need. In 2018, we were able to bring Christmas to over 2000 Angels.
If you have any questions please contact Michelle Potuzak at michelle.potuzak@yahoo.com.
Volunteers are needed for this important Ministry. Click here to sign up: Angel Tree Volunteers
Angels & Sparrows
Angels and Sparrows is a soup kitchen in Huntersville. They are open Monday - Friday 8:00 - 1:30. They believe ALL people deserve access to a nutritious meal and that it should be served in an environment that respects the dignity of the individual. The atmosphere is vibrant and filled with laughter, conversation and smiles. Our volunteers cook in the kitchen and work in the dining room serving lunch and beverages. If you like to cook and/or make someone’s day with a warm meal and a smile, please consider volunteering at Angels and Sparrows.
Angels & Sparrows is always in need of amazing people who want to help. There are always other openings that need to be filled and we would be happy to help you get started and answer any questions you may have.
Mary Kowalchuk, mabridget@aol.com, 516-242-1890
Catholic Charities Food Pantry Collection
Collection is a year-round collection of non-perishable food items. Donations can be placed in the wooden bin in the Church Narthex. Donations are collected weekly and taken to the Food Pantry at the Diocese of Charlotte.
KC Shinners, nccnms1@yahoo.com, 704-458-8783
Charitable Donations Committee
The Committee provides input to the Pastor for charitable donations made from the general weekly offering. They meet 3 to 4 times per year.
Coat, Blanket, and Toy Drive
The Coat. Blanket and Toy Drive collects gently used items in October and distributes them to those in need at Saint Mark.
2024 dates TBD.
For more information, click here.
Faith Community Nursing
KC Shinners, nccnms1@yahoo.com, 704-458-8783
Grounds Ministry
Help is needed with the grounds around our campus. This could include gardening. watering, mulching, and trash pick-up on the grounds.
For more information please contact Debbie Haines at debbiehains@gmail.com.
Loaves and Fishes- Food Pantry
Saint Mark has partnered with Huntersville United Methodist Church to support the Loaves and Fishes ministry which feeds the hungry in our community.
Beth Zuhosky, beth@zuhosky.com
Hope House
Hope House gives hope to women and children in our community who are transitionally homeless.
Joan Lesch, 704-464-1409, joanlesch@yahoo.com
For more information, click here.
Lake Norman Community Health Clinic
St. Mark assists at a free health clinic in Huntersville. Nurses, Doctors, Interpreters, Office Assistants are needed.
Janet Urban, jgraceart@yahoo.com, 704-236-7475
Mira Via
This group helps support mothers and their babies in the Belmont Abbey Mira Via location.
Stephanie Panizza, yankee2south@aol.com
Respect Life
The Respect Life Ministry is focused on promoting the culture of life from conception to natural death at St. Mark and in Huntersville. Through our various activities and projects we encourage parishioners to become engaged in the efforts to protect life and marriage and to study the Church's beautiful teachings on marriage, children, and the dignity of the human person. Therefore, we oppose abortion, euthanasia, contraception, and same sex unions and embrace the Church's perennial teachings on life and marriage.
Roof Above (Formerly Men's Shelter)
The Roof Above program (Formerly the Men's Shelter of Charlotte) works to end homelessness in Charlotte. We serve meals monthly, and help with lunch program.
On the second Wednesday of every month St. Mark parishioners prepare, cook and serve dinner to the residents of the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte located at 1210 North Tryon street in Charlotte. We usually arrive around 4:00 pm to prepare the meal and serve promptly at 6:00 lasting until around 7:30. The residents cleanup so we can leave right after. We typically serve around 125 gentlemen.
Carol Palillo, cpalillo1@gmail.com, (704) 363-4128
Room in the Inn (RITI)
The Room in the Inn (RITI) Ministry provides meals and overnight accommodations in the Parish Hall on Tuesday nights from December to March. You can support this Ministry with financial or physical donations, and by Volunteering.
Volunteers are needed to provide hot meals for dinner, setup and serving, cleaning up on Wednesday mornings, and driving neighbors to and from Urban Ministries.
Servants with a Heart- Meal Packaging Event
Servants with a Heart is an organization serving the hungry worldwide. At Saint Mark, we host an annual meal-packaging event. Our February 2024 was a great success.
Dates for our next event TBD.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
The Thanksgiving Food Drive is responsible for organizing and delivering food and grocery cards to families in need during the Thanksgiving holiday season.
Items to be collected include boxed potatoes, canned yams, rice and beans, stuffing, gravy, canned vegetables and fruit, and dessert mixes. Grocery Store gift cards are also needed.
KC Shinners, nccnms1@yahoo.com, 704-458-8783
Walking with Moms in Need
Walking with Moms is need is a ministry that looks to better serve pregnant and parenting women facing difficulties in our local community. This will include providing various kinds of support, including providing diapers and wipes. Collections will be held for this effort.
For more information, contact Liz Swanson at stmarkwwmin@gmail.com, or visit their website at www.walkingwithmoms.com.