Social Service Ministries

Special Gifts and Ministries

Father John Bosco, a visiting minister and special friend of the OLA community, returned to Africa after a recent trip with our generous donations for his holy work. Read all about his community and see pictures of what our donations provided.

Alternative Christmas Market Team meets September through November to organize this annual effort to support local, national and international nonprofit organizations.  New members are always welcome.  The market, traditionally held the weekend before Thanksgiving, provides our parish an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ with gifts that are meaningful and non-commercial.

Bereavement Ministers provide emotional and spiritual support, as well as practical assistance, to those experiencing the death of a family member.  Training is provided in listening skills and funeral planning.  Ministers are on call for one week at a time.

Detention Ministers are adults over 21 years old who befriend and mentor young men incarcerated at Camp Paige.  Commitment varies from weekly to monthly.  Training is required and provided.

Friends of Croix de Bouquet, Haiti was organized by the Haitian community in our parish to raise funds to help our brothers and sisters living in Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world.

Homeless Outreach members explore and participate in opportunities to serve homeless individuals and families in our area.

Hospitality Team members greet people arriving for weekend Masses and help those with questions regarding our parish activities.  Commitment is approximately 30 minutes on Saturday or Sunday and a monthly meeting of not more than 1 hour.  Training is required and provided.

OLA Friendly Visitors are matched with a person in the community who is homebound and without a caregiver.  Visits last about 1 hour per week and visitors may occasionally provide transportation or help with an errand.  Training is required and provided by Joslyn Senior Center.

Monthly Food Collection is held one weekend per month.  Drivers are needed to transport the food to the food bank in Pomona.

Outreach to Lesbians & Gays (and their families and friends) offers support to its members and education to our parish.  Meetings are as needed individually or in small groups.

Respect Life Group meets as needed to support a local pregnancy counseling center and to educate the public about pro-life issues.  The group collects baby clothes and baby items that are in good repair for needy mothers.  New members are always welcome.

St. Vincent de Paul Society members assist in the monthly collection for the needy of our area and attend a monthly meeting the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m.  Time commitment is approximately 1½ hours per month for collection and 1½ hours per month for the meeting.  Some members fulfill the on-call position (3 months per year, 20 hours per month) to meet with persons requesting assistance.  Training is provided for these positions.

Sews & Sews are a group of women who meet every Tuesday morning from 9:30 a.m. to noon to knit or crochet afghans for needy people in our community.

Silver Saints are parishioners providing handyman skills to assist those in need, especially the sick and elderly.