Outreach Ministries: Serving the Community

Serving the community can take many forms. From picking up a stray piece of trash or helping your neighbor bring in their groceries to working at a soup kitchen or going on a mission trip. Sometimes the community we are serving is close to home and sometimes it's on the other side of the world. Below you will find information on volunteer opportunities to help our parish community, our Golden/Jeffco community, and our Archdiocesan community. We also have information about current collections as well as a list of organizations and programs our parish helps support. If you have questions, please call the Parish Office at 303-279-4464. If you are looking for a list of resources please click here for those in the Denver Metro area.

How you can Help

Homebound Visitation Ministry

The Homebound Visitation Ministry is a chance for ministers to “bring St. Joseph” to those who cannot come to Mass at St. Joseph. Whether the person is elderly, very ill, or unable to attend Mass temporarily due to surgery, an accident, etc., these ministers can bring Holy Communion, the bulletin, palms from Palm Sunday, Ashes from Ash Wednesday, and much, much more. The homebound visits can continue until the person is well enough to come back to Mass on their own. This gives the person who cannot come to Mass a chance to know they are not forgotten by our parish. Please reach out to Terri Huff to help with this ministry.

Outreach Volunteer Ministry

This ministry serves our volunteer needs at off-campus events. This may include off-site service projects, attending community outreach events, or helping fellow parishioners (by providing a meal, visit, driving them to a doctor’s appointment, helping seniors with yard maintenance/snow removal, or helping with a move). There is no need to commit to every event, just the ones that fit into your schedule and abilities. If you feel called to help, please join the Flocknote group “STJG Outreach Volunteer Ministry.” This is a ministry we are just starting to grow, so it may be awhile before volunteer opportunities are sent out.

Prayer Request Ministry

Join our prayer request ministry by joining the group “STJG Prayer Request Ministry” on Flocknote or by using the form here. The ministry prays for the intentions brought to us and is a wonderful opportunity to help others from the comfort of your home.

Food Collection Bins (please support the food pantry by leaving non-perishable food items on the table by the Office door)

Our parish collects food for the CAG on an ongoing basis at all the entrances of the Church. CAG provides assistance to all Golden residents and the parish office may refer our Golden resident parishioners when they are in need. Wondering what to donate? Some of the most requested items by food banks include applesauce, rice, canned beans, canned chicken, and olive or canola oil. When possible, choose cans with pull-top lids and avoid glass jars.

King Soopers Community Rewards

King Soopers has recently rolled out a new Community Rewards program where you can help St. Joseph’s receive a portion of King Sooper’s generous donation to our community by registering your Soopers Card (King Soopers rewards card). Please see here for instructions on how to sign-up. We use the funds collected through this program to help support the CAG and Golden Rescue Fund.

Soup Kitchen

The Catholic Worker Soup Kitchen serves its guests a nutritious mean consisting of soup, bread, salad, dessert, and a beverage and it does so with the dignity and respect to which we are all entitled as human beings. The guests are men and women who are generally unemployed or employed in low-income jobs and may be homeless. Every second Wednesday of the month, parishioners meet at the Education Center at 9:00 am to carpool to the Denver Soup Kitchen. Please join the "STJG Soup Kitchen" group on Flocknote to connect with this ministry.

St. Joseph Collections

We have regular collections at the Parish where we collect items to be donated to those in need. Please see below (or check the bulletin) for information on current collections. In general, we collect for the Catholic Workers Soup Kitchen; school supplies in June and July to benefit Catholic Charities, CAG, and the Action Center (Jeffco); diapers and maternity items in October as part of our Respect Life ministry; and toys and gifts for seniors during November and December to benefit our local nursing homes and the CAG Santa Shop.

Respect Life Ministry

The Pro-Life ministry at St. Joseph parish is guided by the USCCB Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life activities, which calls us to dedicate our efforts in these major areas: 1. Public information and education. 2. Pastoral Care for all the vulnerable. 3. Public Policy efforts to protect the unborn and against Euthanasia and 4. Prayer and worship. For more detailed information please access: https://www.usccb.org/prolife/pastoral-plan-pro-life-activities

We partner with the Knights of Columbus to support pro-life initiatives and events and we offer assistance through our parish “Walking with Moms in Need” resource list, to assist: pregnant moms of all ages and parenting moms to find a temporary home, men and women seeking post-abortion, or family and individual counseling, and families looking for pro-life doctors, adoption alternatives, prenatal support, and other pro-life resources. For more information, please visit our Walking with Moms in Need page.

Everyone is welcome to our meetings, which are held on the second Wednesday of every month. Join the “STJG Respect Life Ministry” group on Flocknote to connect with us and stay informed about our Pro-Life events each month. https://stjoegold.flocknote.com/STJG-RespectLife

stewardship in action

The Poor Box

Funds from the Poor Box (located on the wall near the window of the Cry Room) support the following:

CAG - since 1966, CAG has been provided “crisis” assistance to the residents of Golden through donations and sales from their Thrift Shop. They operate a Food Pantry as well as a Back to School program, which helps with school supplies, and a Santa Shop, which provides Christmas gifts to children in need.

Collections, Donations, and Fundraisers

Throughout the year, the Parish and our ministries and groups support the following:

Alternatives Pregnancy Center

• Baby Bottle Collection in October/November

Archdiocese of Denver Special Collections

Birthline

• Respect Life Month Layette Collection in October

• Baby Bottle Collection in October/November

Catholic Charities

• Adopt-a-Student School Supply Drive in June/July

Catholic Worker Soup Kitchen

• Lenten Socks & Shoes Drive

• Volunteers serve on the second Wednesday of the month

Christ in the City

• Lenten Socks & Shoes Drive

CAG

• Food Collection (year-round)

• School Supply Drive in June/July

• Santa Shop Gifts in November/December

• Christmas Basket Collection in November/December

• Clothing Donations (as available)

Family Promise

• Blankets made by Youth Group as needed

• Volunteers serve dinner four times a year

FOCUS

We are so blessed to have wonderful parishioners who always give generously to our collections and fundraisers. Thank you so much.