Helping Our Neighbors
St. John's contributes all proceeds from parish activities such as our Strawberry Fest to community organizations, including the Youngstown Fire Department, Village of Youngstown Baskets of Caring, Care-N-Share Food Pantry, Youngstown Free Library and Community Missions of Niagara, Inc. On the national level, we support the United Thank Offering and Episcopal Relief and Development.
Activities For The Community
St. John’s Parish hosts several activities for the community including the annual Strawberry Fest and community dinners. The Parish Hall is also home to two AA meetings, the Youngstown Lion's Club monthly meeting and other community groups. The hall is available for additional community use - please contact us if you are in need of meeting space.
Annual Strawberry Fest
St John's hosts an annual Strawberry Fest for the community on the third Saturday in June. Strawberry shortcake made with local berries, homemade shortcakes and freshly whipped cream is served, along with grilled foods prepared by the Youngstown Lions. Rounding out the event is live music and activities for children.
Care 'N Share Food Pantry
According to the staff, St. John's is one of the biggest supporters of the food pantry, located in Ransomville, NY. Weekly collections and ongoing financial support are possible because of the care and concern parishioners have for those who are suffering from food insecurity. We also collect mittens, scarves and hats at Christmas time for distribution through the food pantry.
Community Missions of the Niagara Frontier, Inc.
This wonderful ministry serves Niagara County's most vulnerable: the poverty community. They have been an outreach partner of ours for many years. Most recently, we have given hundreds of personal care kits for distribution to families and individuals living in temporary housing.
Lewiston-Porter Families in Need
Working closely with the school counselors of our school district, St. John's has provided thousands of dollars in school supplies and merchant gift cards to help families having difficulty providing their children with the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.
Youngstown/Porter Senior Van
St. John's spearheaded a fundraising effort to help assist our local government in purchasing a van for our senior citizens to transport them to appointments. One of our church leaders, Shawn D'Luhy, was instrumental in this effort and was awarded the Village of Youngstown Citizen of the Year in recognition of her efforts.
Pet Blessing
In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, we hold a pet blessing on or around the time of his feast day. Information is published on the parish website and Facebook pages each October.
Ashes to Go
St. John's offers the community a convenient way to mark Ash Wednesday with a special, drive-up opportunity to receive ashes at St. John's.
