November 2013
Answering Jesus' Call

College Ministry to Go

This year, St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Kingston, Rhode Island has been busy. They discovered hunger in an unlikely place and found an opportunity to step outside their church and care for their next-door neighbors, the students of the University of Rhode Island.

It started one Sunday at St. Augustine’s coffee hour when Eileen Holovac and Catie Chatowsky listened to a presentation by the director of the Johnnycake Center of Peace Dale, an Episcopal Charities grant recipient. At the time the two URI students were taking an honors course on “Hunger & Poverty in America.”

Eileen and Catie were inspired by the Johnnycake center, and had wondered about the need for food on campus. They were particularly concerned about students with limited resources who are not able to go home during spring break. What does one eat when the dining halls are closed?

Working with St. Augustine’s priest in charge, David Dobbins, and archdeacon Jan Grinnell they met with URI representatives who agreed this was indeed an issue for a largely unseen population of students. Support was given for a spring break food pantry.

The Jonnycake Center generously agreed to provide food for this initial effort. In early March 2013 students and parishioners gathered together to assemble 35 boxes of food, each box designed to support a needy student with a week’s worth of meals.

Word spread like wildfire when announcements were made by the students through Facebook, email, and campus-based web pages. When spring break came, 63 students arrived in need of food, and in the spirit of the Gospels, food meant for 35 in the end covered everyone.

The food pantry is just one example of a larger initiative at St. Augustine’s to serve the student community. Early on they recognized another major issue for the students: homesickness.

There's nothing like a home cooked meal to help with homesickness right?

The congregation’s “Feed a Friend” dinners began last Shrove Tuesday. Parishioners volunteered to cook students their favorite home cooked meal if they brought a friend. The first dinner had five students. By November, the number attending this monthly event had increased to 80, with at least 40 current URI students as well as one or two prospective students.

For St. Augustine's the jump in numbers is a great success. Over the past year they've made it their mission to better reach out to the college students around the church, to provide for their needs both spiritually and physically.

Some of those visiting the campus in November were sent to the dinner by the University's LGBTQ group. According to Jan Grinnell one student even said that he now really wants to come to URI. Knowing there is a loving, supportive Episcopal community on campus seems to have made a big impression.

It isn't just the students whose spirits are lifted by this ministry though. The whole congregation is feeling the joy of sharing and caring. Carol Miro, the parishioner who coordinated this last dinner, said in an email to Deacon Grinnell:

"So many contributed in so many ways and the energy in the room was palpable. Students and others are telling us how much they feel unconditional love at St. A's. We are acting on our mission!"

Other initiatives have been “Liturgy to Go” events outside the student center where parishioners offered prayer cards with ashes on Ash Wednesday then hot cross buns at the end of Lent.

During exams St. Augustine’s got especially clever and handed out Smarties to go. It was reported that the stressed students especially appreciated the attached prayer card, and though no one has heard how the venture affected exam scores, a few students have posted thank you notes on the St. Augustine’s website.

David Dobbins says the positive seeds planted in the community are immeasurable. “People are talking about what we are doing and respecting our commitment to the students.” And, as for church attendance, there are at least two URI staff members and five students who are now parishioners.

Ruth Meteer is the communications director for the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. This piece is an expanded version of an article from the Spring 2013 issue of Risen, the magazine of the Diocese of Rhode Island.

Resources

This article is part of the November 2013 Vestry Papers issue on Answering Jesus' Call