Our Outreach Programs

Refugee Resettlement

Grace in the Desert has contracted with Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada to provide refugee resettlement support. After its members have been trained by Catholic Charities, Grace provides such resettlement assistance as meeting refugee families at the airport, arranging a culturally appropriate first meal, furnishing the family’s apartment and stocking it with food, showing the new arrivals around Las Vegas, transporting them to Catholic Charities and to other appointments until they are able to use public transportation and visiting them as often as appropriate.

Bread Ministry

Members of the bread ministry pick up bread from local bakeries at the end of the day several times a week and deliver the baked goods to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, and the Food Bank located at Christ Church Episcopal. Volunteers are scheduled on a rotating basis in support of this mission.

Camp Galilee

The Outreach Committee supports Camp Galilee (an Episcopal youth camp at Lake Tahoe) by providing funding each year to help to send children out of the urban environment and spend time in the beautiful environs of Camp Galilee.

Christ Church Food Bank

Grocery items brought to church on Sunday mornings are delivered weekly to the Christ Church Food Bank. This food bank is a life line for the needy in the community that surrounds Christ Church.

Christmas Angel Tree for Clark County Schools

The Angel Tree Ministry at Grace is the work of retired teacher, Gwen Baccus, who keeps in touch with at-risk Clark County teachers who during the Advent season identify families from several schools who will have little or no Christmas. Parishioner’s chose a child or a family of children, and purchase and wrap gifts that the children request. The greatest need is for clothing and shoes. Children fill out a card that gives their sizes, color choices and a wish list item. Many enjoy the gift of shopping for these children while others provide gift cards from Walmart or elsewhere. Please watch for this ministry that takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Constact us if you are interested in getting involved in this ministry.

Clark High “Chargers” Food Closet

The food closet at Clark High School provides individually portioned food (non-perishable) and snack food items to students who are in danger of being food deprived. They also supply hygiene items to students in need. Grace in the Desert Outreach delivers items brought to church for the Sunday food offering that are suitable for this need. In addition, each year in the month of September Grace dedicated all food items received in that month to Clark High School.

Family Promise

Grace in the Desert supports the Las Vegas Family Promise program. This organization provides assistance to families in transition with temporary accommodation and meals provided by local churches, synagogues, and mosques while the families seek permanent jobs and housing. Grace in the Desert participates by hosting families for one week at a time three times a year. The Outreach mission also has made a financial commitment to Family Promise through quarterly donations.

Health Bridges International

Health Bridges International is an organization that provides outreach, friendship, and health and dental clinics for the resident boys of the Girasoles School in Kusi, Peru (associated with Union Biblica). The mission also provides health and dental clinics for other poor children in the region. Grace in the Desert is partnering with Health Bridges International to sends volunteers on their twice-annual trips to Peru to support the teams in delivering health education information and support.

Nevadans for the Common Good

Nevadans for the Common Good (NCG) concentrates on the needs of the community and makes our legislators aware of those needs.. NCG is presently engage in the several initiatives that include the critical teacher shortage in Nevada, increased funding and reduction of waiting time for Meals on Wheels in Las Vegas and work to change the immigration laws in the State. In the past, we have take on and passed legislation to prosecute sex traffickers in Nevada.

Thanksgiving Bags

Grace in the Desert members provide food bags and turkeys to approximately 100 families in the Las Vegas community. In addition to providing these meals to families in need who are known to Grace in the Desert, we also partner with members of the Clark County school system to identify families who need this support.

Treasure House

Donations of clothing and household items continue to be collected for Treasure House. We also support their efforts through the time donated by the many volunteers from Grace in the Desert who serve there weekly as well as the remaining items from our ECW Annual Rummage Sale.

J's Rise & Shine School

The Grace in the Desert Outreach Committee has moved to support sponsorship of J's Rise & Shine School in Livingstone, Zambia. This is a Christian school (Grades K-5) in southern Zambia, and is home to nearly 90 abandoned and vulnerable orphans from that impoverished region of Africa. The "J" in J's Rise & Shine stands for "Jesus." Grace's sponsorship consists of a $500 contribution, and support for an "Adopt-a-Student" program started by the school.

One of your fellow Grace parishioners, Sanford "Sandy" Mangold , is the President of the non-profit organization, which supports this school. Sandy's brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Jill Mangold are non-denominational missionaries who live at and run the school. Together, they have started the sponsorship program, in which we would like the Grace membership to consider participating.

For $25-a-month, each sponsor will be assigned a child at J's Rise & Shine. You will receive the name of your sponsored child, a photograph, and periodic correspondence from the child. The name of the non-profit organization is "Life Savers of Zambia(LSZ)." It is a US non-profit, 501(c)(3) entity, so your contribution will be fully tax deductible. This is a wonderful gift to give to your children and grandchildren.

If you would like to sign up to sponsor a child, you can contact the LSZ Treasurer:

Susan Roboski, 1623 Lillibridge Creek Road, Port Allegany, PA 16743, 814-642-1908

LSZ PowerPoint Presentation