A Coalition for a Beloved Community

Mercy Ministry coordinators reflect on their ministry experiences. New mercy ministry opportunities are listed below the Mercy Opportunities section below. If interested in leading a mercy ministry, contact Ava Thompson.

Mercy Opportunities

Easy to Participate

Service

Parishioners are encouraged to look beyond themselves to people in our community and to share the love of Christ. Holy Cross does this by participating in the following outreach programs in our community.

Food Pantry

As you shop for your families and loved ones, remember those in Durham who are food insecure. The Catholic Charities Durham Food Pantry needs the following items for their clients:

• Fruit, canned and cups
• Pasta and Spaghetti sauce
• Peanut butter
• Dried beans
• Canned salmon, tuna, and chicken
• Hygiene products - toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, body wash, sanitary napkins
• Infant diapers and baby wipes
• Paper towels

> Contact: Lorie Crump

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HC Backyard Garden (HCBG)

The Holy Cross Backyard Garden has 35 raised beds. Nine of those beds are our Sharing Garden Beds,  where we grow vegetables for delivery to the Durham Community Food Pantry (DCFP). We have been doing this since 2013, and clients at the DCFP very much appreciate the fresh vegetables. We welcome volunteers to help.

Tasks include: cleaning beds, weeding, planting starter plants and seeds, applying mulch between the garden rows, harvesting, and prepare vegetables for delivery to Catholic Charities' Durham Community Food Pantry (DCFP) (rinsing the vegetables and packaging them in the parish kitchen). .

Enjoy backyard-style fellowship with other gardeners and gentle exercise as you grow and harvest vegetables for your home use and help with the Sharing Beds where we grow vegetables that are harvested and donated to the Durham Community Food Pantry (DCFP) throughout the summer. Their clients greatly appreciate the garden-fresh vegetables that we deliver each fall.

Option Two:

• Rent a garden bed or two in the HC Backyard Garden (HCBG), growing vegetables for your household's use: The $35 fee per garden bed (up to two garden beds per household) helps cover the cost of starter plants, garden supplies, and water. Note: we follow organic processes in the garden beds; no chemical sprays, etc. We do have an irrigation system and compost pile .

• Our garden season begins June 1 and continues into the fall.

> Contact: Lorie Crump

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Adopt-a-School | Support is provided to the teachers, staff, and students at Burton Magnet Elementary School. The plan includes support for academic enrichment, behavior and achievement incentives, improved school climate, and college and career readiness.

To get information about current projects for Burton, watch for Flocknote messages and the Bulletin.

> Contact: Ann Daaleman or Aretta Roberts.

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Families Moving Forward

Families Moving Forward helps families in the crisis of homelessness find their way home. FMF provides temporary housing, case management, skills education, and connection to community resources to help parents and children thrive in stable homes.

Holy Cross is a member of the Hospitality Rotation. Once a quarter Holy Cross provides and serves dinner to the families staying at Families Moving Forward. One day a year FMF has a Rock the Block Annual Day of Service. Volunteers paint rooms, add mulch to the playground, and clean and organize the facility.

> Contact: Ava Thompson

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Solidarity

Catholic Relief Services and Lenten Rice Bowls

Holy Cross is encouraging and supporting one of the pillars of Lent, almsgiving. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Rice Bowls are in the Gathering Space. Seventy-five percent of Rice Bowl donations support the work of Catholic Relief Service around the world. Twenty-five percent stays in each U.S. Diocese to help alleviate hunger and poverty locally. Please consider offering your gifts with the world by participating in the Rice Bowl Campaign. This year we are asking that you convert your coins to cash before turning in on Holy Thursday.

> Contact: Ava Thompson

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Durham CROP Hunger Walk 

Solicit pledges for the miles you walk in this annual act of solidarity with the poor, raising funds to help eradicate hunger, locally and globally. The 51th Durham CROP Hunger Walk will be on Sunday, March 23, 2025 starting at the Duke University Chapel. Holy Cross participates every year and our goal this year is to raise $3,000. Our goal is to have a least fifteen people on the Holy Cross Team. The CROP Walk is a family friendly event with music and games before the walk. If you, your family and friends would like to join or donate to Team Holy Cross go to our team page at https://events.crophungerwalk.org/crophungerwalks/team/holy-cross-catholic-church-2. 

> Contact: Debbie Hilliard

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Advocacy

• Durham Congregations in Action
• Durham Congregations, Associations and Neighborhoods

Holy Cross has memberships in and regularly attends meetings of these local community organizations, keeping the parish informed of community engagement opportunities.
Contact: Ava Thompson

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(Photo above): Several of our 2024 Confirmation class gave the HC backyard Garden ministry a head start by clearing weeds from some of the growing beds. A little time in the garden got the of one of the girls' Moms to 'rent a bed' for their household.

In the foreground: just a few of Holy Cross's 2022 Durham CROP Hunger Walk team members.  Holy Cross contact: Debbie Hilliard, team captain.