St. John's Food Pantry
St. John's stocks a full service Food Pantry. The Food Pantry serves local residents in need by appointment only. A menu is sent via email for you to choose your needs. Your food is ready for you for non-contact pick-up. If in need of the Food Pantry, please email the office at: stjohnsfoodpantry@stjohnsplymouth.org.
Miss Millie's Closet
Purpose
Miss Millie's Closet provides the service of loaning durable medical equipment, limited to St. John's parishioners and Plymouth/Canton residents. There is no charge for loans, but we request that equipment is returned clean and in the same condition as it was found (excluding normal wear and tear). Loans are intended to be short-term, 3-6 months, but this varies with individual needs.
Loaning Process
Loans are made by appointment only. Requests are received by the Parish Administrator, usually by phone (734-453-0190) or by email (office@stjohnsplymouth.org). Requests must be made by the person who will be using the equipment or who will be personally responsible for its return. The Parish Administrator will notify Miss Millie’s volunteers of your request (usually via email). A Miss Millie’s volunteer will make every attempt to contact you by phone within 24 hours of receiving your request. We will set up an appointment, ID may be requested to verify residence. Equipment is loaned only to those who reside in Plymouth or Canton.
Donations
If you have medical equipment to donate, please do not leave items at St. John’s without contacting a Miss Millie’s Closet volunteer to determine if items can be included in our inventory. If items cannot be included, we will refer you to agencies that might accept them. World Medical Relief will usually accept everything (21725 Melrose Ave., Southfield, MI. Phone: 1-313-866-5333).
History
This ministry began in memory of a wonderful Church member, Mrs. Mildred (Millie) Hein. Her daughter started the loan closet with items used by Miss Millie while at home with family during her final years. Thanks to our donors, the loan closet has grown with a wide variety of durable medical items
(wheelchairs, walkers, canes, shower chairs, commodes, etc.).
Consumable items (diabetic supplies, disposable underwear,
prescribed custom splints, boots, casts, etc.) are not available.
Crossroads Ministry
A 50 year old ministry originally begun by the Diocese of Michigan and St. Paul’s Cathedral in the West Grand River area of Downtown Detroit and now an independent social service agency has been part of St. John’s outreach for decades. In addition to ongoing donations of clothing, winter coats, and other items as needed, St. John’s is responsible for three to four Sunday dinners at Crossroads each year. These dinners are served in conjunction with help from St. David’s, Southfield. Dinners range from the favorite simple menu of chili dogs and fixings to our annual Christmas Dinner served on the Fourth Sunday of Advent to over 800 people. At the Christmas dinner we serve roast turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetable, and desert. Before COViD, these dinners involved a wide array of parishioners from St. John’s. We currently have a small band of hardy folks who have kept the tradition alive until others are allowed to join in once more.
Outside Support Groups (meeting at St. John’s)
Al-Anon: Meets every Saturday morning at 8:00am. This group is designed to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. For more information about Al-Anon, visit www.al-anon.org.
Narcotics Anonymous: Meets every Monday evening at 7:00pm. The group level provides a forum for addicts to share their experiences of their plight and what they did to overcome the problems they encountered on the way. The concept of sharing one addict’s experience with another helps to provide solutions for those seeking answers to the day to day problems encountered with our disease. For more information about NA, visit www.michigan-na.org.
PFLAG: Meets the second Sunday of the month at 3:00pm. This group units people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) with families, friends, and allies, PFLAG is committed to advancing equality through its mission of support, education, and advocacy. For more information about PFLAG, visit www.pflag.org.