We are intentional about engaging our local communities and the world at large through meaningful mission opportunities and a commitment to Racial Justice and healing. Feel free to check out these various missions and justice opportunities to learn more about the ways in which we foster this intentionality to make a difference.
Local Missions
Grace parishioners’ focus is on helping our community in a variety of ways – volunteering at shelters, participating with local organizations that provide food, assisting in ending homelessness, and helping spread some cheer at the holidays.
If you’re interested in volunteering for any of these ministries, contact the church office or e-mail Father Santiago Rodriguez at santiago.rodriguez@gracealex.org.
Food Pantry
The Food Pantry, located across the hall from the Church office, provides food staples to needy families and individuals. The pantry is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Volunteers who greet and disburse food bags are critical, and we always need more! Generally, volunteers serve once a month.
Click here for a donation guide.
Rules for acceptance and participation in the program are the same for everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or handicap.
Brown Bag Lunch Program
Once every 6-8 weeks, parish volunteers prepare sandwiches and pack lunches for the homeless and jobless. The lunches are taken to Meade Memorial Episcopal Church, on Alfred Street in Alexandria, for distribution. We share this ministry with other churches on a rotating schedule. Volunteers are essential, both to prepare and to serve.
Carpenter’s Shelter
Three different parish groups take turns supporting this ministry once a quarter. The Outreach Committee, the Lay Eucharistic Ministers, and the Grace School Parents’ Association rotate monthly to prepare and serve a hot meal at Carpenter’s Shelter.
The Grace Church Outreach Committee also supports this vital program with an annual financial grant.
VOICE
Grace Church participates with VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement), a nonpartisan organization of over 40 faith communities that organize together to build power to improve the lives of our families, communities, regions, and nation. Together, we address some of our region’s most pressing needs: affordable housing, mental health help, and youth and addiction.
National / International Missions
At our church, we value authentic relationships. We are committed to helping one another understand what it means to live out the Great Commandment, to love God and to love our neighbors. Together we will fulfill the Great Commission, which is simply to share this message of love with everyone who will listen. We believe that the message of Jesus is compelling and life changing, and when this message is communicated through the way we live, it is irresistible.
Haiti Micah Project
Grace Church supports The Haiti Micah Project (HMP) which includes an orphanage for 25 children and a daily feeding program for 500 children. Each year on Mother’s Day, we launch a month-long campaign to renew our sponsorship of some of these children, providing them food, clothing and educational expenses for a full year. Generous donations by parishioners currently allow us to help over 70 children.
Through our Outreach budget, Grace has also donated funds for a water purification facility serving both HMP and Mirebalais and for the construction of a nearby vocational training school.
Mission Trips
The Mission Planning Team guides the formation of and budgeting for mission teams to both American and international locations. In this country, mission teams have helped repair homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina; in Cedar Falls, Iowa, following a severe Mississippi River flood; in depressed areas of southwest Virginia; in Scottsboro, Alabama, after severe hurricanes; and in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, after Hurricane Sandy. The team is comprised of church youth with adult supervisors who lead the youth in learning home repair skills while rebuilding damaged homes.
Episcopal Relief and Development
Working in partnership with the worldwide Church, Episcopal Relief and Development saves lives and strengthens communities around the world. Last year, our youth sponsored a cookie sale in order to purchase malaria nets for those regions of Africa that are particularly susceptible to this disease.
National Rebuilding Day
In the Spring, Grace joins with hundreds of other groups around the United States for this day of service. Just like all of the other groups, we are assigned one home/property of someone in need that could use direct attention in a one day group effort to make repairs, clean, and spruce up the place they call home. This is a great way to build relationships with fellow parishioners and those in need while making a great impact.
How to Help Afghan Refugees
Jesus came to show us how to love as God loves. And one of the ways we love as God loves is to help those who are refugees, those who seek asylum from political tyranny, poverty, famine, or other hardship.
– Bishop Michael Curry, Christmas 2021
Working in partnership with a larger network in Alexandria which includes Christ Church, Immanuel on the Hill, Rock Springs Unified Congregational Church (Arlington) and St. Paul’s in Old Town, Grace Church has been actively engaged in supporting Afghan families resettling in Alexandria. The Grace “Care Team” began working in early 2022 in support of one family. Just like “fishes and loaves,” we have expanded our support in the spring of 2022 by taking on two additional families.
Donations of gently used or new clothing and shoes, along with gift cards (increments of $25 up to $100 will be best), are the most needed items to provide support to the families Grace Church is supporting. Please contact the church office at 703-549-1980 for details about how to give.