Christian Outreach

St. Luke's Episcopal Church
806 13^th Street
Altoona, PA 16602
(814) 942-1372

Click here for a map to locate St. Luke’s

info@stlukesaltoona.org


	The Backpack Project St. Luke’s has a long tradition of providing school bags and school supplies to students in every school district in Blair Country and Child Advocates of Blair County. Approximately 500 backpacks are distributed each year in August, prior to the start of the new school year.


	Senior Luncheons On the first Wednesday of the month from September to May, a senior luncheon is held at St. Luke's. This luncheon is open to all Senior Citizens of the parish and surrounding community.


	Relay for Life For a number of years, St. Luke’s has participated in the Northern Blair County Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. St. Luke’s reputation for team spirit and innovative costumes is well known.

Monthly Item Collection
Each month a food or personal care item is suggested to the parish for collection and distribution to our outreach partners. Currently, these partners include the Altoona Food Bank, the Salvation Army, and the multiple shelters run by Family Services of Blair County.

The Weekend Feeding Program
On the second Sunday of each month St. Luke’s volunteers help serve the afternoon dinner at the Salvation Army facility in Altoona. Parish bakers help provide the dessert course for the meal. In addition, in months that have a fifth Saturday, St. Luke’s cooks and serves a free community meal at the Simpson-Temple fellowship hall. This is part of a collaborative effort among Altoona Churches to provide a meal to the community each Saturday.

HIV/AIDS Ministry
St. Luke’s provides space and hospitality for the annual HIV/AIDS candlelight memorial service held by the AIDS Intervention Project of the Altoona Home Nursing Agency. The Rector and Deacon are both on the diocesan HIV/AIDS commission.

Bishop Masereka Christian Foundation in Uganda
The Foundation helps those suffering from HIV/AIDS, and the orphaned children of the victims of HIV/AIDS. Through education scholarships, St. Luke’s is currently supporting thirteen secondary and seven primary school students. In 2008, the Episcopal Church Woman of the Diocese of Central PA funded the construction of a birthing clinic to help prevent the transmission of HIV during delivery. Deacon Jack serves on a Medical Advisory Committee to the Medical Clinic and is planning to join a group of medical specialists on a trip to Uganda in January 2009. www.bmcf.org

Companion Parish Relationship
Through the Diocese of Central PA and our companion diocese of Sao Paulo, Brazil, St. Luke’s prays for and helps support St. Luke’s Mission Church in Campinas, Brazil, and their priest, Fr. Sergio Pacheco.

Financial support is also given to Casa Dia, a juvenile counseling and drug treatment facility in Sao Paulo. www.diocesecpa.org/saopaulo.cfm

Mission Trips
St. Luke’s parishioners have assisted in Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts, both financially and physically. St. Luke’s sent two teams to Pascagoula, MS, and other parishioners have gone to other affected areas of Louisiana and Mississippi to help rebuild the area.

Paperbacks for Prisoners
As a result of a public plea from the warden of the Blair County Prison in Hollidaysburg, St. Luke’s has begun collecting and delivering books to the prison as part of an evolving ministry to the incarcerated through the Pennsylvania Prison Society and the Prison Ministry Commission of the Diocese of Central PA.

Improved Dwelling for Altoona (IDA)
As one of the founding institutions of IDA, St. Luke’s maintains a presence on the Board of this important public housing organization.


	Blessing of the Animals Each year on the Sunday closest to October 5, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a service for the blessing of the animals is held in conjunction with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church. A free will offering is received in support of the local Humane Society.


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