Outreach
Weekly, St. Giles collects stuffed animals and donates them to the Contra Costa County Family Law and Juvenile Courts for young children in need of comfort while being processed through the court system. Anyone is welcome to drop off donations of stuffed animals during Sunday service.
St. Giles participates in the Contra Costa Winter Nights program. This program, operated in conjunction with the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, strives to protect homeless families and seniors in Contra Costa County from winter weather by providing shelter in a clean, safe, and warm environment. Our members help with a wide variety of tasks, including purchasing and preparing food, assisting with homework and reading to and entertaining younger children.
The parish recently collected backpacks and school supplies for the Contra Costa Times back-to-school drive, “Project Ready-to-Learn.”
The parish supports Wardrobe for Opportunity, a volunteer-based, nonprofit organization that provides professional clothing and career support to low-income jobseekers so they can secure employment and become economically self-sufficient. Clothing drives are held periodically throughout the year.
Parish members have worked for and given funds to local Habitat for Humanity chapters to build homes for those in need in our community. Home recipients have established job security and good credit, but live in substandard or inadequate housing due to income constraints. Recipient families work alongside volunteers and professionals to build the homes, which are then sold and financed (at no interest) to the families.
Annually, the parish supports the Christmas Family Giving Tree through donations of gifts and money. The Family Giving Tree is a nonprofit organization, based in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, dedicated to fulfilling the Holiday wishes of children who would otherwise go without gifts. The Family Giving Tree program works with more than 250 Bay Area social service agencies, which supply the names and wishes of the children they serve. This past year 90 gifts were provided by St. Giles to needy children.
Saint Giles participates in two popular Moraga community events: the annual Fourth of July festivities and the annual Pear Festival, both held at the Moraga Commons Park. At each of these events parishioners staff a booth with crafts and games for children and provide information about the parish.