St. Luke's Outreach & Justice Welcomes Andrea Thomas to the Team!
You probably know by now that Susan Peters retired in August.
She invested 3 years on staff at St. Luke’s, and our ministries –and our
community—are better because of her! She and her partner Rick have relocated to
the Phoenix area, and we wish them the best in their “active retirement”
season.
I am so excited to introduce you to our new Assistant Director
of Outreach & Justice Ministries! Please join me in welcoming Andrea
Thomas to our St. Luke’s community and to our work.
Andrea has built her career around helping people,
organizations and communities connect with e the resources and opportunities
they need to thrive. Her professional background includes higher education,
nonprofit programming, fundraising, community outreach, and organizational
development, including experience with Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana
University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Following the loss of her youngest daughter, Ayonna, Andrea
and her children founded The Yonna Foundation for Mental Health Advocacy and
Support in her memory. Together, they have turned their family's experience
into a shared commitment to mental health awareness, advocacy, and support for
youth and families, with particular attention to Black and Brown
communities.
With a bachelor's degree in psychology and a Certificate in
Fund Raising Management, Andrea is especially passionate about relationship
building, strengthening communities, and developing partnerships that connect
people with resources and turn compassion into meaningful action.
If you don’t bump into Andrea on Sundays, you’ll find her at
many of our Outreach & Justice meetings and events this fall. Be sure to stop
and introduce yourself, I know you’ll enjoy meeting her!
We are grateful to do this meaningful work together with you.
Shelly Clasen
Director of Outreach & Justice Ministries
St. Luke's United Methodist Church
The O&J Connection: A New Way to Plug into Outreach & Justice Ministries
First Thursdays | 7:30PM | Zoom
Beginning in October, we are introducing a new on-ramp for
people wanting to get involved in Outreach & Justice ministries. Whether
you’ve been here awhile but feel out of the loop, or this is your first season
with St. Luke’s, the O&J Connection is the place to start. This 30-minute
Zoom call will introduce you to our ministry philosophy, orient you to the
website, share some ways to get involved, and answer your questions. You’ll
meet some of our Outreach & Justice staff and volunteers, and receive
follow-up information to be sure we provided helpful information.
REGISTER HERE for October, November, or December!
Welcome IN Hub for Hope!
This month, for the first time since its launch in 2022, Hub
for Hope neighbors and guests will be welcomed INSIDE our church doors.
Thanks to St. Luke’s capital campaign, we are Making Room for
neighbors inside our newly expanded building! And we are celebrating with a WELCOME
IN! party on September 19.
Along with our diaper pantry, soon Hub for Hope will begin
to add other neighbor resources like English conversation circles and a free Neighborhood
Christian Legal clinic. And these new services also mean new volunteer
opportunities!
Hub for Hope is open twice each month:
- First Tuesdays from 5-7PM
- Third Saturdays from 10AM-Noon
You can sign up HERE, and stay tuned for more expanded opportunities.
submitted by Shelly Clasen
Hub for Hope is a ministry of St. Luke's Outreach & Justice. It is a neighbor resource hub, centered primarily around our diaper pantry.