Community Partnerships

Because we are compelled by Christ to be the healing presence of God’s love in the world, we work to transform the lives of the vulnerable through food, health, education, relationship building, and inclusivity initiatives.

If you would like to be more involved in this work please contact Susan Darrow (sdarrow99@me.com) or Hillary Peete (hpeete@spcathedral.com).

Opportunities to Serve Our Community in January + February

You can help a third-grader improve his or her reading skills by volunteering one 45-minute lunch period per week for 10 weeks through the Lawyers for Literacy program. You need not be a lawyer to volunteer! Tutoring will begin the first week of February and conclude at the end of April. Orientation will be held at several locations and dates during January. An excellent description of the program can be found at http://lawyersforliteracy.org.

Each reading tutor meets with a third-grader to help the student with reading and vocabulary. All materials are supplied. The program has one goal: helping at-risk third-grade students pass the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) test. Children in grades 3 to 11 must pass this test to be promoted to the next grade. Those who fail a grade are more likely to drop out of school and less likely to succeed in general. And 85 percent of children and teens in the juvenile system have below-average reading and comprehension skills. The program will offer tutoring sessions at nearly 20 elementary schools in South Pinellas, including our ministry partner Campbell Park. You can choose a school that is convenient for you. Lesson plans and materials are provided.

Lawyers for Literacy was founded in 2003 by our senior warden, Lucas Fleming, a criminal defense attorney who heads his own law firm, the Fleming Law Group. The director is Steve Graves, who can be reached at Office@LawyersForLiteracy.org.

January Outreach Drive: Green Devil’s Pantry

During January we will collect food, personal hygiene items, household supplies, clothing, and gift cards for the Green Devil’s Pantry & Closet at St. Petersburg High School. This 54-square-foot closet/pantry provides supplies to hundreds of students each year, no questions asked. These students are often in transition, homeless, or living in hotel rooms or in multi-family households. Please bring your contributions on Sundays or drop them off at the front desk during weekday office hours.

Here’s the list of needed items:
FOOD: Needs to be easy to open, prepare, and eat, such as: crackers with cheese or peanut butter; granola and cereal bars; boxed macaroni and cheese; canned pasta of any type; small microwavable meals; ramen noodles (especially those in cups); tuna plus mayo and mustard; fresh or canned fruit, cereal, juice bags or boxes, backpackable snacks, nuts, microwave popcorn.
PERSONAL HYGIENE: Deodorant; body wash with puffs; sanitary pads and tampons (no panty liners); shampoo and conditioner; combs/brushes; Band-Aids; unopened cosmetics; makeup bags; small (backpack sizes) of containers of wipes, lotion, and mouthwash.
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS: Toilet paper; kitchen sponges or brushes; cleaning supplies; dish soap; laundry detergent pods; reusable cloth shopping bags; paper goods; cutlery.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Bookbags, pens, pencils, folders, paper.
CLOTHING: Footie or athletic socks, both male and female. New tees, any color, sizes S-3XL. New ladies’ cotton undies, sizes XS to XXL. New men’s briefs or boxers sizs S-3XL.
GIFT CARDS: Small-increment gift cards ($20 or less) to Aldi or Save a Lot.
CASH DONATIONS: Can be made via check payable to the Green Devil’s Pantry & Closet or by Venmo@GDPantry

Serve Dinner at St. Vincent de Paul | First Wednesdays
January, March, May, July, September, November 2025

Join us as we serve dinner to our unhoused and food insecure neighbors from 6:00-8:00 pm at St. Vincent de Paul every other month. Volunteer applications are at the front desk and must be turned in 2 weeks before the volunteer date. Contact Deacon Hillary Peete (hpeete@spcathdral.com) for more information.

Hear what others have to say about this opportunity:
Barry Howe: “It is an eye-opener to see this incredible program, and also to be able to talk with those who come for the meals.”
Michael Roush: “It went well and was a very smooth operation. Thank you for the opportunity to serve!” Mary Howe: “The first time anywhere is a little unnerving when one doesn’t know the system or place, but it didn’t take long to catch on and we were kindly welcomed. We were impressed by the gratitude shown by the guests. There is definitely a feeling of good will in how it is all orchestrated.”
Michelle Plichta: “We served 100+ meals and there were organized roles for everyone. I loved preparing the big salad! Leftovers were yummy, especially the cookies. Thank you for this opportunity!”