Outreach Ministries
Meal Programs:
St. Martin's: Third Monday of each month, volunteers from our parish prepare a hot, home-cooked meal at St. Bernard's and serve it at the Multicultural Center on the south side of Madison. Donated items include: vegetables, milk, butter, potatoes, bread, or money for the purchase of meat and non-donated items. Volunteers can assist in preparing the meal, delivering or donating food items.
Luke House: First Wednesday of the month, parishioners prepare, serve, and share in a family-style, noon meal. This meal serves free meals to those in need at Luke House on the east side of Madison. For almost 20 years, this program has provided an opportunity for St. Bernard’s Congregation to share resources with less fortunate members of the community. St. Bernard’s is responsible for the noon meal on the first Wednesday of each month. Our purpose is to serve and share, to aid the people at the most essential level of need–the need for food, caring and community. As you can understand, the need for this service has been increasing steadily. Here are specific items that are needed to provide a balanced hot meal.
Food Donations: Butter, bags of lettuce, milk, fruit, little raisin boxes, a bottle of salad dressing, homemade cookies or bars. People choose one category for donation every month.
Casserole Cook: Using a simple recipe which we provide, volunteers cook the casserole and bring it to the church. The casserole ingredients include a pound of hamburger, onion, celery, cream of mushroom soup and rice.
Server: Each month on the first Wednesday at 9:30 am., 10-12 people meet at the church, load up the food and car pool to Luke House on Ingersoll St on the east side of Madison. We then set up the dining room for the guests and prepare the meal. The meal is served from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. After a bit of clean-up we leave and arrive back at St. Bernard’s about 1:00 pm..
Substitute for any of the above tasks. Subs are needed in all categories to cover for vacationing or ill volunteers.
Middleton Village Nursing Home Birthday Celebrations: On the third Wednesday of each month volunteers assist with a birthday party celebration for the residents by visiting, baking treats or providing entertainment.
Middleton Outreach Ministry:
Food Pantry: Non-persible food items can be donated placing them in the MOM collection boxes located at all the entrances to church. Every month the parish is assigned to focus on a particular monthly food donation item to help provide for those specific needed items for the food pantry.
Thanksgiving Food Collection & Winter Clothing Drive helps the Middleton Outreach Ministry to restock their food pantry and Winter Clothing drive assists those in need in our sister parish St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee; and SVdP. Especially needed are any warm (new or gently used) children's jackets, gloves or hats for our sister parish, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Milwaukee, Middleton Outreach Ministry and St. Vincent de Paul Society
School Supply Drive collects donations of reusable or new school supplies for our sister parish, St. Francis Assisi Parish in Milwaukee, St. Vincent de Paul Society and Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM).
Giving Trees: Christmas trees are placed in church the first weekend of Advent and parishioners are asked to bring the joy of Christmas to others by taking an ornament tag that suggests a gift for a child, teenager or family in our sister parish, St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee; St. Vincent de Paul Society or Elizabeth House. Parishioners share their blessings by purchasing a gift and returning it along with the ornament tag the following weekends. Volunteers are always needed to sort and deliver gifts.
Operation Rice Bowl: Monies collected from this donation will go to support the food program at our sister parish, St. Francis Assisi Parish in Milwaukee. The Human Needs Commission from our parish has agreed to send a monetary donation each month to help St. Francis serve the needs of hungry people in their region of Milwaukee.
Rose Sale: After all the Masses on Mother's Day weekend, roses are sold to help support the Dane County Right to Life organization.
Mission Sunday: Once a year at all the weekend Masses, a selected Missionary makes an appeal speaking to the parishioners about their mission work and its needs.
St. Vincent de Paul Conference of St. Bernard: Representatives from our parish visit needy families in Madison and Middleton filling requests for food furnishings and household needs from parishioner donations. Small gifts for children in those households such as a set of crayons and a coloring book, picture books, novels, magazines, pens, drawing paper, puzzle books or mazes are greatly appreciated.
Under this organization the parish also has special collection drives for:
Bundle Sunday done 2 to 3 times a year where parishioners can clean out their closets and garages of any clothing and small household items. a SVdP truck is parked in the church parking lot over the assigned collection weekend for any donations.
Toy Drive - used toys in good conditions can be donated and dropped off in the Toy Chest located in the parish center hallway.
School Supply Drive collects donations of reusable or new school supplies.
Winter Clothing Drive helps assists those in need in our sister parish St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee and SVdP. Especially needed are any warm (new or gently used) children's jackets, gloves or hats.
"Recycle the Warmth" helps St. Vincent de Paul Society provide blankets, sheets and pillows to those seeking help to furnish a home during the coming year.To participate, volunteers can purchase new blankets or bedding from any of the four Shopko stores in the Madison area or donate your gently-used bedding. Collection bins will be available for your donations at he parking lot entrance to church and in the parish center hallway.