Weekly Note: From Outreach Coordinator Kristen Mägis

Dear All Saints Friends and Parishioners,

It’s been an incredible and exciting six months since I stepped into the Outreach Coordinator role. The longer I am here, the more amazed I am at how this parish lives into its faith.

You all have created a space in Woodstock where you can literally feel love and compassion in the air, witness it come alive in the sharing and relationships, and revel in it as people smile with full bellies, warm jackets, a long-awaited shower and groceries for the road.

I am going to share the story with you all, in a series of letters that each highlight a different ministry. Today, I will share a bit of the All Saints Hot Meals story.

Hot Meals had its start further back than most people can remember…38-39 years. Like many other social programs, it had to shut its doors in response to the COVID pandemic. The program lost many volunteers, but a small group of dedicated people kept serving takeout boxes to our neighbors.

Now, we are preparing to relaunch indoor dining, and that same small group of people has contributed many hours to planning and rebuilding the program. They are heroes! Many thanks!

In February, when we open the doors, we will have new Saturday teams, complete with kitchen staff, waiters, greeters and leads to support everyone. We even have a Maître d’! We will implement new procedures and provide training and support for our volunteers. All this to ensure we offer a fine dining experience to our guests.

Saturdays on our campus are already bustling with people and services. To that, we add an opportunity for our neighbors to sit down to a great, hot meal in the company of their old and new friends…us included!

If you are interested in joining us, let me know. There’s a place for everyone!

Kristen Mägis