Service

 

In our Baptismal Covenant we promise to "respect the dignity of every human being." At St. Columba's we look for ways to be salt, light, and leaven in South King County. This means finding ways to offer food and shelter to those who need it, and to engage in activities together that transform us, as well as being of help to others. Here are some examples of ways we serve together.

​

Just Garden Guild:  St. Columba's Just Garden is one of the ways we form our faith and connect to God through the resource of our land. The Garden Guild works together to grow and harvest fresh vegetables and fruit to give away at our Emergency Food Bank. We also grow flowers to adorn our worship space, and wheat to make flour for our home baked communion bread. The gifts of God, for the people of God.

​

Emergency Food Bank - We volunteer as an outlet for King County Emergency Food Services, and are able to help between 40 and 80 people a week by providing a 2-3 day food supply. St. Columba's also gathers non-food items that are essential to human dignity such as soap, razors, toilet paper, diapers and wipes, and toothbrushes as resources for those who come to our Food Bank. We have our own garden and offer fresh goods as the seaons allow. Anyone can come to us for food, no questions asked. The Food Bank is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am-12pm.

 

REACHOut Winter Shelter - Winter is a tough time to be struggling with homelessness in the Pacific Northwest, and we are blessed to partner with REACHOut to help provide a warm safe place to sleep for homeless men in King County. The shelter will be returning to St. Columba's for the months of October, 2015 and March, 2016. We provide volunteers each evening to host the men and other volunteers who come with hot meals and packed lunches for them. Every person deserves a safe place to rest. 

 

Food for the Women's Shelter - Periodically we provide food for the Women's shelter although we do not host it.

 

Transitional Housing Dinners - We organize a meal once each quarter for residents of a nearby transitional housing complex, under the stewardship of Muti Service Center. This is a chance to give hardworking moms and dads a night off from cooking, and chance for us to be blessed by serving families struggling to get back on their feet.

 

Totem Middle School Support - Many teachers in South King County are given little in the way of classroom supplies, especially in underfunded schools where the average student is economically disadvantaged. This means many teachers, including teachers at our local middle school, pay out of pocket to have the paper, pencils and supplies they need for their students. Each year we collect money throughout summer to give to teachers for classroom supplies, and for students who need backpacks and school uniforms.