Keep Being the Change

Do you know what St. Matt’s “Be the Change” program is all about?

It’s about sharing Sharing the Love. That’s not a typo.

While St. Matt’s does an incredible job giving back to our neighbors, the needs of our local community are so great that we want to cast a wider net and give others outside our congregation a chance to join us in feeding our neighbors; for each one of us at St. Matt’s to be a multiplier of goodness.

Eight St. Matt's parishioners have dedicated their time to develop meaningful relationships with the Parent Liaisons at 13 of our surrounding schools. The needs of the families at these schools are so great that many of the schools have created their own food pantries that are dependent upon donations from the community to keep them stocked.

In the 13 schools we serve, over 4,800 students are categorized as “Economically Disadvantaged” meaning those students are eligible to participate in the federal subsidized meals programs.

Through the Be the Change program, we are able to advertise to the larger community what our schools tell us they need for their families, have our parishioners share this information with their neighbors, collect their donations, and ultimately help feed local families. JOIN US!!!!

This Sunday, September 18th, we will have signs and a few plastic bins (please only take one if you need one) to encourage YOU to create a donation drop off to place on your front porch.

Then, starting again this Wednesday, September 21st, St. Matt’s will post a request for one or two items that our schools have requested. These posts are found on our webpage stmtts.org/BeTheChange and on our Facebook page @StMatthewsEpiscopalChurch or Instagram @stmttssterling every Wednesday during the school year.

We encourage you to share these posts with your neighborhood groups and friends and collect their donations using your newly acquired and beautifully labeled donation bin!

After we kicked off the program in January of 2021, we collected and donated over 1,500 needed items - ranging from food to toiletries to clothing – to our local schools. This school year, our Parent Liaisons are telling us the needs are even greater. Let’s answer their call and our calling together as a congregation and a local community.

-Kristin Drummond, Outreach Coordinator

Pictured left to right: Sophie Drummond, Kristin Drummond, Lisa Lintelman