Neighborhood Outreach at
St. Peter and St. Mary:
St. Clare's Ministries

Partnering with other parishes, each Tuesday night we are able to serve as many as 100 - 150 guests a "Four Star" meal. St. Clare's supper is open to everyone and continues to be an important community activity. St. Clare's supper has served more than 4,500 meals per year, hosted dozens of personal prayers, witnessed hundreds of smiles, and felt the warmth from thousands of deserving hearts.

St. Clare's Supper has been evolving since 1982. It started as a coffee and donut sharing with a few homeless men who frequented the area. Then some of those involved felt more should be offered. With financial assistance from Christ Church (Denver) and an anonymous donor, the group began serving soup and sandwiches every Wednesday night. The women from Christ Church provided sandwiches once a month, and each week members from St. Stephens (Aurora) joined in serving and cleanup. Gradually, the number of guests grew to around forty homeless plus low-income neighbors. This became a bit of a neighborhood "night out," with guests sharing conversation as well as a meal. Services were held after the meal, and several of the guests would take part after assisting with the clean-up.

In 1985 it was decided that a full meal should be offered: main course, veggies, salad, and dessert. The supper was moved to Tuesday nights with assisting personnel remaining faithful to the project.

Early in 1988 two other churches joined the St. Stephen's group in the serving and clean-up chores: St. Martin-in-the-Field (Aurora) and Christ the King (Arvada). In 2001 the people of Epiphany Church joined the ranks. Now, people from Ascension Parish have been volunteering on the first Tuesday of the month, often assisted by people from Christ Church, Castle Rock. The second Tuesday is Christ the King, Arvada; the third Tuesday is Epiphany, Denver; the fourth is St. Martin-in-the-Field, Aurora; and the fifth is the Baker Neighborhood Association. Members of the parish of St. Peter & St. Mary are always on call.

Cooks and evening personnel rotate each week, each parish working one Tuesday per month. Our cooks and servers include people who may or may not be members of any parish. Many of them have been faithfully volunteering in this capacity for as many as fifteen years. Our guests continue to assist in the clean-up, and a good deal of rapport exists between them and our volunteers.

Beginning in October 2003, at the request of many of our guests, our rector, The Rev. Michele Quinn-Miscal, began holding a Eucharist Service at 5:00 p.m., one hour before the meal is served. With the help of Deacon Melanie Christopher, the service is now bilingual. The people who come to this service have increased in number and faithfulness. It is heartening to see their response to this service. Some have been baptized and confirmed. Our guests read the lessons and assist at the altar. Several now also attend the Sunday and special services. Members of The Remnant singing group from Christ the King (Arvada) provide music once each month. This service started with 5 in attendance and now it can be as many as 70.

While the bulk of financing is provided through St. Peter and Mary's outreach fund, at various times the Episcopal Foundation, Christ Church, St. John's Cathedral, St. Stephen's, Christ the King, and our neighbors, First Avenue Presbyterian Church, as well as many generous individuals, have provided much-appreciated financial assistance. In addition, Christ the King and several individuals have provided foodstuffs (equaling $3,788 in 2004).

Our numbers have increased from the original few to as many as 170 people on any Tuesday. We have been able to hold our costs to under $1.75 per person and $1.00 per serving. (We serve seconds and thirds while the food lasts.) All of our personnel are volunteers and seem to enjoy the evening, as do our guests.

During the winter months when temperatures dip below 20 degrees with wind chill, the Parish Hall is opened for overnight shelter (any night except Monday). During the winter of 2005-2006 the church was open for 22 nights; during the winter of 2006-2007 it was open 33 nights . Capacity each evening is 40, and no one is admitted under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A hot supper is provided, as well as a hot breakfast the next day. During the evening our guests are treated to movies and snacks. We provide blankets. All guests are expected to treat each other and our volunteers with dignity and respect.

This year the Men's Group from Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Centennial, provided material and labor to insulate the Parish Hall.

The church maintains a clothing closet to help our guests. We are always in need of toiletries, men's jeans, underwear, and socks.

In the spring of 2006 the church joined with Denver Urban Gardens and applied for funding from Kaiser Permanente for monies for this project. As a result, the church parking lot is banked on two sides by nine garden plots. The intent of the garden project is to serve our homeless and working poor guests. We hope that the gardens will become a source of pride, community, and transformation for our guests and that the project will help build bridges between the homeless and Baker Neighborhood residents.

In the fall of 2006 we began our newest project: On the fourth Tuesday of each month a medical doctor and a lawyer are onsite to provide medical and legal assistance. These professionals offer respite in these areas and are not considered as primary caregiver or legal counsel.