Trinity Church reaches out to the community in many ways, including opening its facilities for use by community and recovery groups, and giving financial support to local food and shelter programs. Our church has a strong commitment to social justice and caring for the poor, and many individuals carry out their own outreach projects every day. The Outreach and Mission Committee supports several of the ministries below and also encourages mission and outreach through education.
Some of the programs we support through church funds and/or active participation include:
COTS Walk
Walking and raising funds each May as a team for the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS). The Trinity“Episcopeds” team annually aims to raise $1,000 to help the homeless in our area.
Food Shelf
The Shelburne Food Shelf serves any member of the community who is experiencing food insecurity.
The Giving Tree
Trinity participates in The Giving Tree every Advent. Parishioners purchase, wrap, and collect Christmas gifts for those identified by local school counselors as needing gifts.
Harbor Place Meals
A group of Trinity cooks led by Darcy Jewitt prepare meals for Harbor Place.
JUMP
Trinity parishioners regularly fill grocery bags for JUMP. JUMP, the Joint Urban Ministry Project, has been responding to the challenge of effectively assisting low-income families and individuals in need throughout Chittenden County and Vermont for over 27 years.
Salvation Army Dinners
Every two months, a rotating group of volunteers cooks our famous Trinity Chili on Sunday after services (usually from 12 pm-2 pm).
On the Monday following, volunteers bring the food to the Salvation Army in downtown Burlington (at 3:30 pm). We reheat the chili, get the serving tables ready and serve dozens of our hungry neighbors. This great ministry was begun over twenty years ago, and is an important outreach partnership for our parish. Serving is over by 6:30 pm, and volunteers are welcome to sign up for any part of the time.
SCHIPs
Providing volunteers, donations, and representatives to the board of the Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg Interfaith Projects (SCHIPs), which runs the SCHIPs Treasure resale shop and makes grants to charitable organizations in the three towns. Abby Miller and Steve Gronlund serve on the SCHIPs board.