Outreach

Suthers Center

The Suthers Center food pantry and thrift shop is a mission of St. Martin’s Church. Located in the Broad Street Antiques Mall at 3550 Broad Street, it helps feed hundreds of people in need – all right here in ZIP codes 30319 and 30341.

Here’s how you can help:

Volunteering to sort, price, and display donated merchandise and help customers
Donating food, clothing, gently used furniture, and household items

Contributing to the center’s Emergency Assistance Fund

Telling friends, family, neighbors and people you meet about the center

Hours
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday 1 – 4:30 p.m.

Emergency Assistance

The Tuesday Morning Emergency Assistance Program helps people in need in the Chamblee and Brookhaven areas (zip codes 30319 and 30341) with funds for utilities, rent, transportation (usually MARTA cards), medications, and other miscellaneous expenses, and with $25 vouchers for clothes and household goods at the Suthers Center. 
The Program is open 10 a.m. – noon at the Suthers Center for Christian Outreach at 3550 Broad St in Chamblee. If you are seeking assistance with a bill, bring your ID and the bill with which you need assistance. Be aware that help is only available to residents in the Chamblee and Brookhaven ZIP codes of 30319 and 30341. If you live in another ZIP code, ask for information on organizations in your area. For more information, call the Suthers Center at (770) 455-3358 or visit Suthers Center.

Funds come primarily from the sales of items at the Suthers Center Thrift Shop and the St. Martin’s Outreach Budget and from donations from fundraising events, church chapters, and individuals. Many donations are given in honor or in memory of a friend or relative.

Volunteers are always needed to carry out this vital ministry.

Emmaus House

Emmaus House was founded in 1967 by Episcopal priest and civil rights activist Father Austin Ford, who led efforts for welfare rights, neighborhood empowerment, and racial justice. Since that time, the Emmaus House has served the Peoplestown community of Atlanta through an after-school program, once-a-month transportation to Reidsville State Prison for family members of inmates, chapel services, hot meals, and a poverty rights office. Emmaus House offers approximately 100,000 hours per year of vital programs and services, serving people of all ages and directly addressing the staggering prevalence of poverty in the neighborhood.

St. Martin’s supports the Emmaus House with regular contributions from the outreach budget. Each year, St. Martin’s annual Turkey Fry raises money for Emmaus House and collects money and turkeys from parishioners to provide for the communities’ Thanksgiving meals. St. Martin’s parishioners volunteer on the directing board of Emmaus House. Volunteers are always welcome for this ministry. For more information or to get involved, email stmartinchurch@stmartins.org.

Holy Comforter

Founded in 1893, Holy Comforter Episcopal Church is a diverse worshiping community in the heart of Atlanta that seeks to restore all people to unity with God and with each other. All are welcome at this unique worshiping community in Atlanta, regardless of where they are on their faith journey. Worship is Episcopalian, Rite II, but is open, fluid, sometimes loud, and always interesting. About 60 percent of the congregation lives with mental illness. All are welcome to join this diverse community for an evening worship service and community dinner on Wednesday evenings or for Holy Eucharist on Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

St. Martin’s supports Holy Comforter from the outreach budget. St. Elizabeth’s Guild takes dinner to parishioners of Holy Comforter several times throughout the year to share after their Wednesday night service. St. Anne’s Guild hosts an annual Thanksgiving Feast with proceeds from the annual Turkey Fry. Volunteers are always welcome for this ministry. For more information or to get involved, email stmartinchurch@stmartins.org.

Interfaith Outreach Home

IOH is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 to provide a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for homeless families. Families in the IOH program live in small self-contained apartments located in Doraville, Georgia. The program is designed to empower families to take control of their lives and successfully return to the larger community through intensive counseling, job searching and preparation, coaching, and life skills training and coaching including problem-solving and decision-making, parenting, budgeting, and money management.

St. Martin’s supports IOH from the outreach budget and, in the last two years, from the Endowment Fund as well. Proceeds from the annual Turkey Fry go to IOH, including donations of money and turkeys from parishioners to provide for the communities’ Thanksgiving meals. Several women’s guilds support IOH by hosting a Christmas celebration for residents with donated gifts and sponsoring other holiday events throughout the year. These guilds also regularly donate food, school supplies, vacuum cleaners, office supplies, and other household items. The bulk of proceeds from events such as the Bridge Luncheon hosted by St. Monica’s Guild go to IOH. One parish family donated an automobile to an IOH family who have since graduated from the program and purchased their own home. Several St. Martin’s congregants serve on the board of IOH. Volunteers are always welcome for this ministry. For more information or to get involved, email stmartinchurch@stmartins.org.

Pruitt Health

Every Wednesday morning for more than 30 years, St. Martin’s has provided Holy Communion for the residents of a nearby nursing home/rehab center. Volunteers are needed for one hour, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. to gather the residents in the cafeteria (this primarily involves pushing a wheelchair) and to assist the priest with the service. Musical skills are not required but we do try to sing a few old familiar hymns.

This is a great opportunity for musicians looking to volunteer their skills in singing or playing the piano or other instrument. It is a volunteer ministry that easily fits into any schedule, requiring only one hour’s time on Wednesday, either on a regular or occasional basis.

You’ll see how a warm touch, a smile, and songs from childhood awaken even those thought to be asleep. And you’ll be helping to bring Our Lord’s most precious gifts to those often forgotten.

For more information or to get involved, contact St. Elizabeth’s Chapter or email Susie Hall (brucesusiehall@mindspring.com).

Anonymous Groups

St. Martin’s offers several anonymous groups the space to meet on a regular basis. If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction or is affected by the addiction of someone they know, please feel free to attend any meeting.

Alcoholics Anonymous Meets every Wednesday evening from 8 to 9 p.m. in Gable Hall.

Al-Anon Meets Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m. in Pierce Hall Al-Anon is an organization comprising persons whose lives have been negatively affected by someone else’s drinking. The sole purpose of Al-Anon is to help the family and friends of the problem drinker.

AlaTeen Meets Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m. in Rite13 room Alateen meetings provide a safe place for teens who have been affected by someone else’s drinking to talk with people their own age who are going through similar difficulties.

Gambler’s Anonymous Meets every Thursday evening from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Burgreen Room (the library)

Narcotics Anonymous Meets every Friday evening from 8 to 9 p.m. in Gable Hall

For more information on these groups, call the church office at (404) 261-4292.