Outreach  &  Social Justice

"Individuals can resist injustice, but only in community can we do justice."
                                       --Jim Corbett, founder of the sanctuary movement

Casa San Miguel Food Pantry
Click below to see the Food Pantry in action:

​The mission statement for St Michael and All Angels Church calls for its members to “…be transformed by the love of God in our midst and sent out to serve others.”  In response, the Casa San Miguel Food Pantry, located at St. Michael's, exists to reach out to serve our neighbors who are in need of assistance.

In 2018, the Food Pantry reached out and provided the following assistance:

• Served 2,454 individuals and families
• ​​Provided 3,576 standard grocery bags of food plus produce, bread, and meat when available
• Provide ten emergency food boxes each month to Heading Home, a resettlement program for the homeless.

In addition to distributing food to families, we also accomplished these needed projects:

• New roof on our permanent shed
• Collected school supplies for the children of our clients in July & August
• Collected Christmas toys for the children of our clients in November and December

All of this was made possible by the contribution of well over 4,000 hours of labor by the dedicated Food Pantry volunteers and by the loving support of the community of St. Michael and All Angels Church. 

The success of this ministry is reflected in the continued support by the church at large, the diocese, and the growth of the people being served. While the Pantry receives funds from several sources, the majority of the funding we receive is from the parish through Sunday morning collections and monthly commitments of several parishioners. It is very humbling to know that the parish places such faith in this ministry and we will continue to serve our church by serving our neighbors in need.

We currently serve clients living in the following zip codes:
​87102, 87104, 87105 ,87107, 87109, 87113, and 87120

Hours of Operation are:
Tuesday Mornings - 9 am - 10:00

Casa San Miguel Food Pantry
​is an equal opportunity provider.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement:
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. 
 
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech dis- 
abilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
 
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; 

fax: (202) 690-7442;
​or  email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Dismas House

Dismas House is a reintegration community sponsored by St. Martin's Hospitality Center for people coming out of prison. Residents live in a house together with supervision and support, and St. Michael's parishioners provide them with a meal and fellowship once a month.

Interfaith Dialogue

Parishioners participate in the New Mexico Interfaith Dialogue on a regular basis, and the clergy have led discussions for the group. The parish is also building a supportive relationship with the Islamic Center of New Mexico.

The Landing

The Landing provides short-term hospitality in a wing of the administrative building of the parish, welcoming youth groups, indigenous people traveling through Albuquerque, and migrants. Contact StMichaelsLanding@gmail.com for more information and to book a stay. 

Community Connections

The Community Connections ministry goal is to connect St. Michael’s with the needs of the surrounding neighborhood. It presently consists of two efforts: referral to community services, and outreach to neighboring public elementary schools.

The referral part of the ministry is done in conjunction with Casa San Miguel Food Pantry on Tuesday mornings. We have a computer and a number of handouts, and our aim is to connect those in need with resources in the community. We have a listing of over 100 resources in Albuquerque which we update every 6 months, and a retired attorney who assists with legal questions from our clients.  We are assisted in this effort by Safelink, a federal program to give cell phone service to those who qualify, and Catholic Charities, which signs people up for food stamps. These services are much appreciated by our clients, approximately 10-15% of whom request  these services each week.

Our partnership with La Luz and MacArthur public elementary schools includes providing basic classroom supplies such as pencils, crayons, and notebooks, and also clothing items for students such as socks and underwear. We work closely with the school administration in providing what they perceive to be their greatest need.

St. Martin's Hopeworks:
​Ministry to the Homeless

St. Martin's is a shelter for the homeless in downtown Albuquerque, sponsored by the Episcopal churches in the city. A full range of services includes showers, clothing, job referral, housing resettlement, and psychosocial services for over 300 men, women and children daily. Parishioners from St. Michael's host a Sunday breakfast following a celebration of the Eucharist once every two months. Watch in the parish bulletin for times to bring food and other needed items or to volunteer to help.

​Bread for the World

Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world’s hungry people. We write and call members of the United States Congress to lobby for legislation that addresses hunger issues. At St. Michael and All Angels, we hold an annual “Offering of Letters” in which individuals write letters to their representatives in Congress. We will hold our Offering of Letters in late spring as a part of the efforts of the interfaith community in Albuquerque. Bread for the World is part of the Partnership for Mission and Advocacy (PMA) committee, which seeks to coordinate our outreach efforts at St. Michael’s. We look forward to participating along with other social justice efforts to make 2015 a breakout year for our work together. Please contact Terese Bridges at trbridges@mac.com to find out more information.

​Advocacy Ministry

St. Michael's partners with the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry to keep abreast of political developments in New Mexico that are of concern to faith communities. These initiatives include participation in an annual Legislative Briefing during the legislative term, and lobbying on behalf of the congregation's concerns. 

​Immigration Issues

In cooperation with many regional groups, St. Michael's offers opportunities for education and advocacy around issues of immigration, especially along the Mexico/United States border. 

Navajoland Partnership

​St Michael's is committed to support the mission in Navajoland. The local parish, Good Shepherd, sponsors initiatives in the development of local micro-businesses, agricultural projects, and ministries to the Navajo community.
For more information go to the Episcopal Church of Navajoland website:

The Episcopal Church in Navajoland Website

​Outreach in the Wider Church

We support outreach ministries such as Episcopal Relief and Development, the United Thank Offering, the Borderlands Ministries of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, and others.

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