Community Outreach

Respect for Life Ministry: Inform, Educate, and Act about life issues is our mission. We inform by sharing information about life issues, from conception to natural death. This information may come from the diocesan LiFE office, news articles, area groups, or individuals. We do it through facebook, the parish web site, our bulletin and by word of mouth. Then, we educate. What is being talked about in the area and beyond? How is life legislation moving onward in local, state and national races? What can I do personally to stand for life? Action will hopefully follow these first two steps.

If you are interested in attending the 40 Days for Life Campaign, a local or national March for Life, helping plant crosses for respect life month, in October, or attending the Life Chain. Or maybe, you want to help at the local pregnancy centers, or help with the parish baby shower? Or you have an idea for Mothers Day or Fathers Day that we can try to incorporate after Masses? How about Adoption Awareness Month or foster care appreciation month? Do you have ideas to promote these roles in a child’s life? Please consider joining us, there is a place for everyone. And let’s remember what read in Jeremiah 1:5, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart”

St Vincent de Paul: our mission, The St Vincent de Paul Society is a lay Catholic organization that aspires to live the gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope and joy, and by working to shape a more just and compassionate society. How do we do this?… We meet, pray that we can see the face of Christ in every family we visit, and we discern the very best way to help our brothers and sisters in need. We have a place for you, if you would like to join our conference. Are you comfortable going into the home of those that are in need, would you rather answer the voice mail line to relay messages to members, help with the truck drive, attend local meetings, write up info to share with the parish? Please consider coming to a meeting, see how we seek to find Jesus in those in the community, and perhaps you will realize the desire to join us. 

Emergency Groceries: We read in Matthew, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” This is the goal of emergency grocery ministry. We do not want to ever find out that someone was hungry, and had no food. Should you decide to volunteer in this ministry, you will be contacted via email, and asked to select and provide certain food items, for four weeks. The need is never predictable, but the procedure will be explained each and every time an email is sent out. Please consider signing up. 

Aurora PADS FoodThis ministry is committed to supplying food or other grocery items once a month for the nearly 200 guests at Hesed House, the second largest homeless shelter in Illinois. Volunteers are assigned a specific item to bring every month and may drop off these donations in our kitchen by 4:45 PM on the second Thursday of every month. (Items may be dropped off earlier in the week, or even after mass on the weekends, whatever is most convenient!)  We are in need of regular donors as well as subs who can be called on occasionally to fill in for someone else. 

Aurora PADS StaffSJN volunteers also prepare and serve breakfast and dinner, once a month, on the second Thursday evening, or Friday morning at Hesed House.

The Thursday night shift that meets every month, arrives at Hesed House at about 5:30 and begin to warm up the prepared dishes  and then serve dinner. Typically they are finished by 9:00 PM. This is not a difficult job, but VOLUNTEERS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED or we may have to discontinue providing this meal every month. PLEASE GIVE THIS STRONG CONSIDERATION! Regulars as well as subs are GREATLY needed for this shift! ( If we get  enough volunteers we could have 2 groups, – one for the odd months and one for the even months, so you would only do this 6 times a year! ) PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER THIS VITAL SERVICE!

The Friday morning shift meets every other month. The first shift is at 3:30 AM until about 5 AM. This group is preparing breakfast. The next shift comes in at 5 AM to serve breakfast and is there until about 7 AM. Regulars as well as subs are needed for this shift also.

Aurora PADS Drivers –Drivers arrive at St John Neuman on the second Thursday of the month at 4:45 to pick up all the food donations. They then deliver these donations to Hesed House in Aurora. DRIVERS ARE ONLY NEEDED TO DO THIS EVERY OTHER MONTH, but new drivers are desperately needed, as well as subs that we can call on occasionally.

Clothes Closet—Volunteers, on the 1st Monday of each month, September—June, help at Redeemer Fellowship Church (12th Street & Oak) in St. Charles from 6-8 p.m., folding, sorting, and distributing clothes.  Commitment: September-June. 

Neumann Needlers. Do you enjoy knitting or crocheting or would like to learn? Join us on the 1st Monday of the month, September- June, froma 9-11 am to provide handmade item for those in need in the community.

Northern Illinois Food Bank. Much of the donated food Northern Illinois Food Bank distributes needs to be inspected, sorted and packaged before it’s distributed to our hungry neighbors. Your help as a volunteer is greatly needed. Last year, food bank volunteers donated more than 136,000 hours of their time, the equivalent of 65 full-time employees. If you are interested to volunteer as an individual or with your family or friends, please register in the form below.

Prison Ministries. Volunteers meet weekly to pray and/or spend time playing sports with the youth (ages 13-18) who are in the IYC St. Charles Juvenile Correctional Facility on Route 38.  Volunteers meet and pray with adult prisoners or help with Dads Seminars in Stateville Prison in Joliet and other state prisons.  Mentoring is available to volunteers.  Pen Pal Program is also available.  Commitment: Youth—weekly, day depends on the event; Adult—at least 3 times/year on a Saturday.  Contact Bill Nuccio at 630-878-1494.

Lazarus House—Volunteers prepare or purchase specific food items and deliver them to the homeless shelter at 3rd and Walnut Streets in St. Charles or they can help staff the shelter overnight.  Our parish helps on the 1st, 4th, and 5th Wednesday of each month.  Commitment: Volunteers choose which dates are best for their schedule. 

Holiday Food Baskets – SJN provides food in a form of “baskets” 3 times per year during Thanksgiving, Christmas & Easter. Volunteers are needed during that time to assemble, sort and deliver food to different agencies in our community. If you would like to be part of this ministry, register today in the form below and someone will contact you shortly with details.

Giving Tree –Agency Leaders – Meet a couple of times beginning in September to plan for the event.  Also, each agency leader oversees a group for a particular agency by helping to organize sorting, packing, and checking off gifts on master lists and oversee shopping for missing gifts.  Commitment: 1-2 meetings and 2-3 hours for sorting day, once/year. Volunteers – Volunteers help one night in November and/or one Sunday afternoon in December to help sort, wrap, pack, deliver, or shop for gifts. 

Blood Drive4 times a year a Blood Drive takes place in conjunction with St. Patrick Parish in Crane Road. Volunteers are needed to help with registration, food and logistics. Register below if you would like to be part of this ministry. To donate blood stay tuned to our bulletin for the dates of the Blood Drive!

Literacy Volunteers for Fox Valley.  Volunteers help an adult learn English and adapt to our community. You do not need to know a second language or have a professional teaching background to make a difference. You will get guidance and support when you need it. Experienced tutors are glad to share what they have learned. Commitment: Once a week.

Domestic Abuse Ministry – Our mission is to inform our St. John Neumann parishioners on ways to recognize, prevent and respond to domestic abuse with compassion. We are called to offer HOPE, HELP & HEALING to all harmed by abuse by being first responders and referring people to the proper services available to help them. We gather on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 10:00 am. If you would like to be part of this ministry, please register below. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.

Peace & Social Justice – This ministry is organized to respond to the Church’s call to safeguard and enhance the dignity of every human person, especially the poor, the dispossessed, the marginalized, and alienated members of our society. We need volunteers to serve our immigrant brothers and sisters in the Refugee Resettlement Program in our Rockford Diocese. Use the form below to register.

Rosary Ministry – On the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., we gather to make rosaries and to pray! All materials are provided. If you would like to help us spread this Catholic devotion, by making rosaries in our community, please register! Our Blessed Mother is asking us to Pray the Rosary daily.

Habitat for Humanity – Many volunteers are needed to improve the living conditions of our neighbors, together we can give them the chance to live in affordable and safe homes. Opportunities are available to work with a local family in the construction of their new home, to work at the Habitat for Humanity Restore office in Elgin and to put your photography and web designing talents in action. Please register below for this important ministry!

Family Peace Ministry – A family that discovers and experiences both the joy of having a gift and of being a gift for the Church and society, “can become a light in the darkness of the world”. Would you like to learn skills and values to promote PEACE in your family? Would you like to be a part of a ministry that helps build strong and healthy families in our St. John Neumann community? Join us!

Scroll to Top