Hands and Hearts
St. Stephen’s invests leadership, volunteer time and financial resources
in our city and beyond.
Serving those on the margins
St. Stephen’s principal outreach commitment is to the East End of Richmond, particularly its children and elderly, as seen in our involvement in Fairfield Court Elementary School, Peter Paul, and Anna Julia Cooper School. Parishioners serve as tutors, classroom assistance, readers, and in other roles.
Our largest financial investment is in ReWork Richmond, an employment initiative we founded with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and other partners to help East End adults embark on the path to family-sustaining careers and financial independence.
We are engaged in a range of other activities, both in Metropolitan Richmond and beyond, from home repairs to visiting incarcerated men and women to an extensive food ministry to supporting two missionaries living in Argentina.
HANDS Ministry
Hammers and Nails in Devoted Service (HANDS) builds on our experience with an annual event called Rebuilding Together Richmond, when teams of parishioners make repairs that allow low-income and elderly homeowners to remain safely in their homes. Participants in this ministry may also complete a few light construction projects throughout the year, as we receive requests. In addition to our neighbors in the East End, recipients of these efforts sometimes include our own parishioners.
We need people with construction, repair, and landscaping skills but we can also use helping hands with tasks that do not require those skills. HANDS volunteers are simply asked to be “on call” if and when repairs are needed and requested.
Serving East End Neighbors
Peter Paul RVA
St. Stephen’s Church has a long-standing relationship with Peter Paul RVA, a community development initiative in Richmond’s East End. For decades, the people of St. Stephen’s have worked directly with the people of Peter Paul in many hands-on roles, while helping them raise significant funding for their facilities and programs, and providing board leadership. Peter Paul addresses the needs of people of all ages in the East End, and we are grateful to work alongside them.
Fairfield Court Elementary School
St. Stephen’s parishioners serve as tutors, lunch buddies, and classroom assistants at Fairfield Court Elementary School. In addition, our outreach committee conducts school supply drives for Fairfield students, and holds a Christmas shop in the gym where parents or grandparents can select new toys, books, games, clothing, and other items for their youngsters. This shop is stocked with items purchased by St. Stephen’s parishioners and is held in December for families with students at Fairfield and at Anna Julia Cooper School.
Anna Julia Cooper School
This tuition-free independent school, named for a renowned Black educator, was founded in part by St. Stephen’s Church. Initially established to serve middle school students, more recently it has expanded to include elementary grades. Students who attend this school go on to attend independent high schools as well as honors program and specialty centers in public schools, and a significant percentage go on to college. As with Fairfield School, we collect school supplies and other classroom needs, provide hands-on service, and stock a Christmas shop for the families of Cooper students.
Jail Ministry
Men and women from St. Stephen’s regularly offer Bible study and Holy Communion to the women and men of the Richmond City Jail. This is a ministry of reconciliation between St. Stephen’s and our incarcerated brothers and sisters who want to change their life’s direction through a stronger relationship with God, as we all do.
The people of St. Stephen’s Church include residents of the city jail in our weekly prayers during public worship. We know from our visits with inmates that they not only deeply appreciate these prayers, but they pray for our parish, too.
Our Missionaries in Argentina
St. Stephen’s missionaries, Heidi Schmidt and Monica Vega, serve in a remote, desperately poor part of northern Argentina in the province of Jujuy, in a town called Libertador General San Martin. They work closely with women and children who suffer the effects of violence and addiction to drugs and alcohol, providing them with practical help to build new lives. Heidi and Monica are engaged in projects that create a safe space and physical shelter for women and youth who are victims of violence and abuse. In addition, they are developing a comprehensive program and model to support children and youth in the community who are living in situations marked by addiction. This model will be replicated throughout Argentina. By immersing themselves deeply in the lives of the indigenous people, Heidi and Monica are a strong presence in the community and beyond, and are able to minister well to the needs of the families. We are blessed and honored to support and participate in their work and we walk with them in this journey to as followers of Jesus.
