Opportunities Here at St. Mark’s
Special Collections
At various times throughout the year, you are invited to help through special collections or gift drives. These collections allow us to quickly respond to urgent needs, such as providing winter blankets for refugees. Other collections take place annually. For instance, before the school year starts, we collect backpacks and school supplies for local school children in need.
Sunday Mornings
Volunteer once per month to help make St. Mark’s a welcoming place!
- Greeters: Provide a warm welcome to church goers as they enter the sanctuary before the service.
- Ushers: Distribute service bulletins and collect the offering.
- Inviting, Welcoming & Engaging Team: Greet first-time visitors after church and present them with information about our congregation and a small welcome gift.
- Office Volunteers: Serve in the church office during the worship service. Take phone calls and assist the Sunday School teachers by collecting attendance figures and offerings from the Sunday School classes.
- Community Pancake Breakfast Team: On the second Sunday of the month, St. Mark’s holds a wonderful free pancake breakfast between 7:30 – 9:15 a.m. in the Social Hall. A team of volunteers cooks, serves, clean tables and visits with our community guests. Drop-ins are welcome!
During the Week
- Ties of Love Quilt Ministry: Meets once a month in the Social Hall, usually on the third Thursday morning, to create lap quilts that the pastors present to members who are ill or undergoing another crisis. Ties of Love also creates quilts for special needs, such as donating quilts to Just in Time for Foster Youth (http://jitfosteryouth.org) to help foster youth aging out of the system and establishing their first homes.
- C.A.R.E. Corps: Stays in touch with those in our St. Mark’s community who are homebound or hospitalized. Volunteers make phone calls, send cards and/or make home visits.
Food Collection Sundays
On the first Sunday of every month, you are invited to bring in financial gifts and canned goods to benefit those in need in our community. Your donations will be distributed to Community Christian Service Agency (CCSA) and the Good Neighbor Centers. You can read more about CCSA below. These agencies provide emergency food and clothing, bus tokens for job seekers, and referrals to other services. Good Neighbor Centers in San Diego and Nestor are a project of the San Diego District of the United Methodist Church. Donations may also be dropped off during the week in the church office.
Campbell’s Soup Labels
Bring in the labels from Campbell’s soup cans, and volunteers at St. Mark’s will send them to Neighborhood House in Calexico, California (a United Methodist Mission Project). They redeem them with the company and use the funds for various program items.
Alternative Christmas Market
Browse booths set up by various nonprofit organizations to learn more about the work they do locally and internationally. Talk with representatives, purchase goods and donate funds to support their important work. If you would like to make a donation in a loved one’s name, personalized certificates are available to let them know that you have made a gift in their honor. The Alternative Christmas Market is traditionally the 3rd Sunday in November.
Opportunities With Our Community Partners
Christian Community Service Agency (CCSA)
Interested in directly serving those in need in our community? CCSA offers volunteer opportunities at their Clairemont center (just down the street from St. Mark’s) and in Pacific Beach at the Joyce Snyder Center. St. Mark’s is a longstanding partner of CCSA. We are one of 29 local churches supporting their work. For more information, please visit CCSA’s website.
Youth Emergency Shelter (Formerly Known as “Storefront”)
The Youth Emergency Shelter provides safe overnight housing for teens experiencing short or long term homelessness. The shelter is located near Fourth Street in Hillcrest. St. Mark’s volunteers provide dinner for the guests and staff on the fourth Monday of each month. To sign up, either visit the church office and ask for the Storefront calendar, or contact the church office. To learn more about the Youth Emergency Shelter, click here to learn more.
