Our Outreach Mission at Heavenly Rest
We believe God is with us at every stage of life and in all circumstances. We are committed to “being with” one another and with our neighbors as a reflection of God’s love. Our Outreach Ministries are not just about serving those in need. At Heavenly Rest, we are building a compassionate, inclusive, and just community. Together, we look for and find innovative ways to address real social problems and welcome those who are most vulnerable.
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Where We Focus
Our outreach projects continue our long-term emphasis on prison reentry, food insecurity, education, and housing insecurity. We also support migrants and asylum seekers coming to New York.
Interested in volunteering? Please click the link below to fill out an interest form and we’ll get in touch with you. Thank you!
Prison & Re-entry
We are called to support men and women returning home from prison. The United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world paired with extremely high rates of recidivism.
Re-entry programs help individuals build strong community ties so that they can thrive in society once again. Churches have a unique role in providing care, resources, connections, and stability for folks coming home.
Learn more about our prison re-entry ministries:
Enrichment and job skills programs through our partner organizations
Film Screenings and packing events with our partner organizations
Graduation & holiday photo shoots for those incarcerated to capture moments of joy with friends and family.
Hunger and Nourishment
We are called to feed our neighbors, just as God feeds us with the spiritual food of bread and wine in the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist.
We look for innovative ways to meet the needs of those experiencing hunger beyond traditional church models of soup kitchens and food pantries.
Help us feed our community:
Drop off donations of non-perishable goods to support the community fridge run by Grassroots Grocery
Education
We are called to empower the underserved youth in our communities by enabling access to educational enrichment and career opportunities.
One of the key barriers to success in low-income households is a lack of quality education. We partner with local organizations that work to break cycles of poverty within families by supporting students academically and emotionally.
Our educational programs include:
Hosting tutoring programs for middle-schoolers from low-income households in Harlem & East Harlem. The students and tutors focus on learning and preparing for high school placement exams and college.
Running an annual back-to-school drive to support students from across the city.
New Neighbors Ministry
We are called to support asylum seekers and migrants in our city. The journey to New York is dangerous, long, and filled with unknowns. Jesus taught us to welcome and care for our neighbors.
We work with various interfaith and nonprofit partners to help meet the needs of our new neighbors.
Join us in helping asylum seekers and migrants:
Support a call for a “Covenant on behalf the Newest New Yorkers”.
Still looking for more?
You can sign up for our upcoming volunteer events, or peruse through the list of organizations our church is proud to partner with.
