Human Concerns & Social Justice

FOOD LIFELINE meets at a warehouse in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle every other month to sort donated food that would otherwise be composted or thrown away by farmers and grocers. Once sorted, the food is sent out to neighborhood foodbanks for consumption by those in need. Typically, a group of 7 - 10 volunteers sort and salvage thousands of pounds of food in two and a half hours for distrubtion to over 170 foodbanks in Western Washington. For more information, contact Len Kannapell at 206-909-2735 | kannapell@yahoo.com.

FAMILYWORKS FOOD BANK (www.familyworksseattle.org) is located right here in Wallingford. As a parish, we make it a priority to serve those in our community who are struggling to put food on the table. 

1. Bring food donations to Mass on Sunday and place in one of the food baskets as you walk in. FamilyWorks has a list of their Food Bank Favorites!
2. Make a financial contribution by donating online through the parish website HERE.  
3. New! Purchase a case of food through the customer service counter at the Wallingford QFC (NE 45th Street and Wallingford Ave N) which will be delivered straight to the food bank and added to our weight total.

To purchase a case of food through QFC, download this form and bring in to QFC.

ST. MARTIN DE PORRES SANDWICH MAKERS prepare sandwich lunches for men who live at the St. Martin de Porres shelter in downtown Seattle. Lunches are made on the first and third Monday of each month beginning at 8:30AM in the lower level of the Parish Center. For more information, contact Vicky Briones at 206-465-4428 | vicster912@gmail.com.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY carries out the dream of its patron by assisting the poor and needy who live within our parish boundaries. Members visit those in need and meet monthly to discuss their service to the needy. Members need to be 18 years of age or older and benefit not only by bringing Christ to others but seeing Christ in those they serve. For more information, contact Len Andrews at (206) 557-7046 or leonardjandrews@gmail.com.

Read more about our St. Vincent de Paul ministry here.

HOLIDAY MEALS delivers meals to low-income housing. In November, help organize and deliver Thanksgiving meals for Patrick's Place, and in May, Mother's Day Brunch for Jubilee Women's Center. To get involved, contact Becky Ortiz at 206-632-0843 | parish@stbens.net.

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS GIVING TREE happens each November – December. Several local charities (King County Juvenile Detention Center, Columbia Lutheran Home, Mary's Place, SMdP Men's Shelter, Saint Vincent de Paul, St. Francis House, and our sister church St. Lawrence of Brindisi) send us gift requests that we put on tags for our parishioners to select (from a tree in the narthex or a virtual tree online). Parishioners purchase the items and return the unwrapped gifts to the parish office where they are then distributed to the respective organizations. Each December, the Giving Tree provides over 300 gifts to those in need. To get involved, contact Becky Ortiz at 206-632-0843 | parish@stbens.net.

CABRINI MINISTERS participate in ministry to those who are homebound or in nursing homes and hospitals; assist in care of the poor and needy and serve in liturgical ministry. Candidates participate in initial training from mid-October through mid-March and receive certification as a Cabrini Minister at the end of the training. They also receive excellent ongoing training that applies to many areas of their lives and opportunities for service. After the training is completed, St. Benedict Cabrini Ministers are asked to give two years of service to the parish, which is renewable. For more information, contact the parish office at 206-632-0843 | parish@stbens.net.

FRIENDS OF LIMULUNGA is a committee of the Human Concerns and Social Justice Commission that oversees our relationship with St. Lawrence of Brindisi Parish in Limulunga, Zambia, and our parish. This committee is responsible for maintaining updated information about our two parishes, raising funds as needed to support St. Lawrence parishioners, and working with other parishes in the Archdiocese that have an African connection. For more info, please contact Erin Smith at paa@stbens.net.