Want to join?
Please contact Lenore McCracken or Madeline Briar.

Annual Schedule of Events

January through April
St. Mary’s Center
Prepare and serve Sunday dinners
The Center is the only agency in Oakland with programs exclusively designed for homeless seniors. They provide daily dinners, prepared and served by different organizations.
During the months of January through April, Outreach visits St. Mary’s Center once a month to prepare and serve a meal at this shelter for men and women over 50 years old. Contact: Anne Ratto (anne.c.ratto@wellsfargo.com) or Danielle Hayes (danielle.n.hayes@comcast.net)

March/April
Lenten Tree
There are three traditional observances during Lent; Prayer, Fasting, and Alms Giving. To help our parish to stay engaged as a community in Christ’s love we will have a Lenten Tree. It will be similar to our Advent – Christmas Giving Tree. Each leaf will represent a commitment by an individual or family to perform an act of prayer or fasting or alms giving [Alms Giving will also include a devotion of time to a specific act.] Our goal will be to have the tree stripped bare at the beginning of Lent, but covered with the returned and completed leaves before Easter. Contact: Mark D’Ambrosi (mdambrosi@sbcglobal.net)

Spring & Fall
Mary’s House
Infant Clothing Collection
Outreach sponsors a collection for Mary’s House of infant clothing, baby blankets, diapers and other baby related items. We will also collect gently used baby furniture. Cash donations, Safeway or Albertson’s gift cards are also gratefully accepted. Contact: Carmel Mahoney (cmahoney@sbcglobal.net)

June
Elizabeth House
Brandied Cherries Sale
Elizabeth House is a transitional residence for single women and women with children who have experienced homelessness, violence, addiction or poverty.
Each June the Outreach committee picks and brandies cherries in order to sell and benefit displaced women and children. Associated with the Catholic Worker. Contact: Julie Rettagliata (julie@haleylaw.com).

August
St. Martin De Porres School
Student School Supply Collection
The school serves families of the West Oakland neighborhoods and beyond by providing a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural K through 8 educations, regardless of means.
Outreach has committed to assist St. Martin De Porres School with school supplies and other needed materials to improve the quality of education for its students. Coordinated with Young Family Connection. Contact: Julie Rettagliata (julie@haleylaw.com)

September
American Red Cross
Annual Fall Blood Drive
The Red Cross and blood donors are ensuring that the safest possible blood is readily available whenever and wherever needed – for the military, for other blood centers in America and for all 5,000 of America’s hospitals.
Outreach will sponsor a blood drive in coordination with the American Red Cross. Appointments will be scheduled via sign-up sheets and online three weeks in advance. Contact: Danielle Hayes (danielle.n.hayes@comcast.net) or Helene Gryfakis (hgryfakis@yahoo.com)

October
St. Vincent de Paul’s Visitation Center
Gently Used School Clothes Collection
This center is a daytime drop-in for homeless and low-income women and their children. Last year, they received 23,000 visits from women and children in need of assistance.
This collection provides new or gently used clothing for school children up to the age of eighteen. Coordinated with Young Family Connection. Check out our flyer. Contact: Lenore McCracken (glinda1@aol.com) or Helene Gryfakis (hgryfakis@yahoo.com)

November
St. Martin De Porres School
Harvest Festival Fundraising
Outreach will prepare crafts and food to sell at the Harvest Festival with proceeds benefiting St. Martin De Porres School. Check out our flyer.Contact: Annmarie Hallin (hall1049@sbcglobal.net).
Cold Winter Nights Coat Collection
Men and Women’s Coats
Gently Used Coats for the homeless

December
Christmas Gift Giving 
Contact: Lenore McCracken (glinda1@aol.com)
To participate in Christmas Gift Giving, please consider donating to one or more charities listed here:

The Catholic Worker (Dorothy Day House)  dorothydayhouseberkeley.org

Mercy Brown Bag Program  3431 Foothill Blvd., Oakland, CA 94601

Night on the Streets Catholic Worker  P. O. Box 11312, Berkeley, CA 94712

St. Mary’s Center  925 Brockhurst St., Oakland, CA 94608

Oakland Elizabeth House  6423 Colby St., Oakland, CA 94618

St. Vincent de Paul,  Attn. Christmas Program  2272 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, CA 94612

Community Education Partners  2809 McClure Street, Oakland, CA.  94609

Corpus Christi School, cc/o Corpus Christi Church  322 St. James Dr., Piedmont, CA 94611

Elizabeth House  6423 Colby St., Oakland, CA 94518

ONGOING
Weekly Friendly Place Collection
A Friendly Place is a daytime drop-in center for homeless women in downtown Oakland. Women can wash clothes, shower, receive mail, use the phone, have a snack, be safe, and be peaceful. The sister’s mission is to provide dignity and hope, a rare commodity for a population fighting mental illness, addictions, abuse, violence, and unemployment. A Friendly Place serves over 1800 women each month.
Outreach sponsors a weekly collection of hotel and other toiletries, used towels, bingo prizes, etc. Check out our flyer. Contact: Carmel Mahoney (cmahoney@sbcglobal.net)

Catholic Worker Free Will Offering
The Catholic Worker provides houses of hospitality, which serve run-down sections of many cities. Food, clothing, shelter and welcome are extended by volunteers to those in need. The Catholic Work communities are also known for activities to support a nonviolent culture.
This is a weekly collection of non-perishable foods to benefit the Catholic Worker. Check out our flyer. Contact: Madeline Briar (hbriar@sbcglobal.net)

Want to volunteer for Outreach?
If you’d like to volunteer for a specific event, please see contact names below for further information.
The Outreach Committee’s mission is to connect the parish of Corpus Christi with the world by identifying ways to answer Christ’s call for mercy, charity, and love towards those in need. We are committed to bringing together groups of parishioners to assist in events/drives. You need not be a member of the Outreach Committee to participate in our events.

WINGS (Women IN God’s Spirit)

Wings continues this Winter. This faith enhancement group for women encourages spiritual growth through
prayer, scripture study, life-sharing and community. Our Winter session meetings, each with a different expert
speaker generally focusing on different aspects of scripture, will take place on the Zoom platform on Wednesday mornings from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. Our engaging speakers will uplift you and keep you informed. You’ll experience a welcoming community as we support each other in our spiritual growth. Feel free to invite a friend! Women from local parishes and other denominations are always welcome. If you’re new to Wings or wish to sample a meeting, send your email address and request the week’s Zoom link, and include any questions you may have to Denise at: mollend@aol.com. She will send you the link to Zoom. Our theme for the 2022/2023 year is, “Abide in God’s Love.”

Please contact John Claassen for information.

This regional faith and values based organization in the Bay Area, unites people to work together and create a voice for social justice and public policy reform. Our current campaign includes a free Eco Bus Pass for all students grades 6 – 12 in Alameda County.

This new group is being formed to provide fellowship and spiritual support for the men of our parish. You are invited to add input to the mission of this new program. Please contact Fr. Leo at 530-4343.

This new group is being formed to provide fellowship and spiritual support for the women of our parish. You are invited to add input to the mission of this new program. Please contact Parish Office at 530-4343 .

Extending the mission of the Corpus Christi Parish Community to serve as Christ would serve, we are here to provide a compassionate ear in the time of your loss and companionship on your pilgrimage to renewal.
For more information, please contact Ruthanne Allen-Hunt at ruthanneah@gmail.com.

For more information, please contact Dolores Vasquez by leaving a message at 530-4343.