OUR community engagement MINISTRIES

Humanitarian Response Committee

Love and serve others through community projects and activities supported by St. John’s Humanitarian Response Committee, which funds to humanitarian non-profits, disaster relief efforts, and other St. John’s outreach ministries. The Committee also oversees hands-on humanitarian response efforts by the parish. 

Projects and activities supported by this ministry Include:

• American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ) – St. John’s supports a nurse’s salary at St. Luke’s Hospital, Nablus, West Bank through AFEDJ and has also taken on special fundraising projects such as raising money for a new ambulance and an ultrasound machine for St. Luke’s and contributing to the operating budget of Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. 
• Bethesda Cares – St. John’s provides breakfast daily, helps fill other food needs, and conducts periodic toiletries drives for those experiencing homelessness in Bethesda. Sign up to drop off cereal, milk, and fruit as your schedule permits!. 
• Bethesda Help, Inc. – Bethesda Help is a local all-volunteer non-profit, that provides food and limited financial assistance to those in need in the Greater Bethesda area. 
• Betty Ann Krahnke Center – The Betty Ann Krahnke Center (BAK) is Montgomery County’s emergency shelter for victims of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence. 
• Bishop Walker School – Bishop Walker School is a tuition-free school of the Ep0iscopal Diocese of Washington for boys from traditionally underserved communities. 
• Giant Grocery Cards – Sale of cards every Sunday morning supports our Outreach activities. This activity was suspended due to Covid, but will resume in the near future. Volunteers to sell cards are welcome! 
• Housing Up – Help furnish apartments for families moving from homeless shelters into their own homes. 
• Interfaith Works Women’s Community-Based Shelter – Join a team to prepare a meal for homeless women in transition at the Women’s Community-Based Shelter in Rockville, Maryland. St. John’s provides meals for one week twice a year, usually in February and August. 
• Lutheran Social Services – St. John’s works with LSS on a range of activities, including our Refugee Ministry (see below). 
• Nourishing Bethesda – Nourishing Bethesda is a church-led coalition of many local community partners and the County that seeks to meet important needs in our broader community, create discipleship opportunities, and build a stronger community response to food insecurity. There are many ways you can help! 
• Project Rozana – Project Rozana is an interfaith coalition that builds relationships between Israelis and Palestinians through healthcare. 
• Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington – Serve those experiencing homelessness and unemployment through administrative support, resume writing, computer mentoring, and more. 
• Seabury Resources for Aging – Seabury Resources for Aging® provides personalized, affordable services and housing options to help older adults in the greater Washington, D.C. area live with independence and dignity. 
• Shepherd’s Table – Join St. John’s Shepherd’s Table team by shopping and delivering ingredients, cooking chili, and serving dinner to those experiencing homelessness at Shepherd’s Table in Silver Spring, Maryland. We cook and serve dinner on the 4th Sunday of every month. 
• A Wider Circle – A Wider Circle offers a range of volunteer opportunities to help fight poverty through educational programs and furnishing homes.