Church of the Holy Comforter
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Founded in 1893, Holy Comforter Episcopal Church is a diverse worshiping community in the heart of Atlanta that seeks to restore all people to unity with God & with each other. If you are visiting or if you have been here for years, thank you for being a part of this community. You are welcome here. Call us, email us, or visit us and join us for worship.
We are a unique worshiping community here in Atlanta, but no matter where you are on your faith-journey, you are welcome here. While our worship is Episcopalian, Rite II, we love that our worship is open, fluid, sometimes loud, and always interesting. We laugh, a lot. We work hard to love each other. Sometimes we are really good at it, and sometimes we aren't. But we always do this work together and would love to welcome you into this Christian community.
About 60% of this congregation lives with mental illness. You are welcome to join this diverse community for an Evening Worship service and community dinner on Wednesday evenings and for Holy Eucharist on Sundays at 10:30 am. We also gather for the Friendship Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can learn more about the Friendship center on their website: friendshipcenter-atlanta.org
Support for the Friendship Center and Holy Comforter come from the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and by various parishes, foundations, and individuals. The Georgia Mental Health Consumers' Network provides funds for our art and gardening programs.
Worship times
Volunteer opportunities
There are many ways you can help as a volunteer at Holy Comforter and the Friendship Center. For all opportunities, you can choose to commit on a weekly, monthly, or back-up basis. Any time you can give helps us. To find out more, look at the descriptions below. You can email us or call us - 404-627-6510 for more information. We would love to find a way to utilize your amazing gifts and talents.
Volunteer Positions: Van Drivers Gardners Kitchen Servers Food Prep Assistants Art Teachers Foot Clinic Volunteers Activities & Enrichment Leaders Teaching volunteers Health Volunteers Conversation Partners Communications Volunteers
Van Drivers Pick up or take home Friendship Center participants by driving one of our three 15-passenger vans. You can choose to commit to drive on a weekly, monthly, or back-up basis. Must be between 25 and 70 years of age. Driving a van is a great way to get to our parishioners. Days: Tuesday or Thursday Hours: 8:15am - 9:30am (morning shift) 1:00pm - 2:30pm (afternoon shift) Current Needs: Tuesday and Thursday, Morning and Afternoon
Gardeners Help out in our organic greenhouse and gardens. Teach gardening to, learn gardening from, or garden with our Friendship Center gardeners. Volunteers also needed to water the gardens on non-program days and to help out with our Saturday plant sales. You can choose commit to helping on a weekly, monthly, or back-up basis. Days: Tuesday or Thursday Hours: 10:00 a.m. - noon Current Needs: Ongoing
Kitchen Servers Serve breakfast or lunch to our Friendship Center participants and help clean up the kitchen afterwards. Kitchen servers work with a small team of other volunteers and helpers from the Friendship Center. You can choose to commit to volunteer on a weekly, monthly, or back-up basis. Days: Tuesday or Thursday Hours: 8:00 am - 11:00 am (breakfast shift) 11:00 am - 2:00 pm (lunch shift) Current Needs: Thursday mornings and afternoons, back-up
Food Prep Assistants Help our Kitchen Director prepare the week’s meals along with a small team of volunteers. No cooking experience is required. You can choose to commit to volunteer on a weekly, monthly, or back-up basis. Days: Mondays Hours: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Current Needs: ongoing
Art Teachers Teachers work one-on-one and with small groups and are provided with materials and guidance by our Art Director. We currently offer ceramics, weaving, painting, drawing, sewing, woodturning, stained glass and photography, although volunteers are welcome to teach another art based on their expertise. You can choose to commit to volunteer on a weekly, monthly, or back-up basis. Days: Tuesday or Thursday Hours: 10:30 am - 12:00 pm Current Needs: All areas! Also, experienced woodturners to teach on Tuesdays
Foot Clinic Volunteers Help care for our Friendship Center participants’ feet in a fun and relaxing environment. Volunteers are provided with ongoing training and support by our Foot Clinic leaders. No training or background in foot care is necessary. You can choose to commit to volunteer on a weekly, monthly, or back-up basis. Days: Every other Thursday Hours: 9:30 am - 11:30 am Current Needs: Ongoing need for more volunteers, particularly health professionals who can clip toenails of members who have diabetes and other health complications.
Activities & Enrichment Leaders Organize and lead small groups in games and enrichment activities of your choice. Enrichment options that we currently need include music, drama, spiritual practices, sports, games, exercise, and much much more! You can choose to commit to volunteer on a weekly, monthly, or back-up basis. Days: Tuesday or Thursday Hours: 10:00 am - 11:30 am Current Needs: Ongoing need for development of new activities
Teaching volunteers Work one-on-one with individuals here who need assistance with literacy, reading skills, GED prep and life skills such as riding MARTA, making doctor’s appointments, managing money, etc. You do not need to be GED prep certified. Days: Tuesday or Thursday Hours: 10:00 am - 11:30 am Current Needs: Ongoing
Health Volunteers Assist our volunteer parish nurse in providing basic health education and monitoring. Possible health volunteer activities include: giving manicures and talking to our members about hygiene and self-care; checking blood pressures, blood glucose levels, and weight; providing one-on-one and small group education on diabetes, hygiene, side-effects of medications, healthy eating, etc; facilitating support groups and educational programs around health and wellness issues; helping facilitate our biannual eye clinics; helping connect our members with appropriate community health resources. Days: Tuesday or Thursday Hours: 9:00am - Noon
Conversation Partners Come hang out and get to know our Friendship Center participants. Many of our members have few people to listen to them and have stories they’d like to share. You’ll be amazed by the interesting, warm, and wonderful friends you’ll make here. Days: Tuesday or Thursday Hours: 10:00 am - 11:30 am Current needs: ongoing
Communications Volunteers Write for our e-newsletter and help us develop and manage new communications materials including brochures, slideshows, promotional videos, blogs, facebook, twitter, etc. Help us create and manage a Friendship Center website. Days: Flexible Hours: Flexible
Ministries
The Friendship Center
The Friendship Center
http://friendshipcenter-atlanta.org
Mission
The Friendship Center has been located on the grounds of Holy Comforter Church since 1997. Its mission is to be a safe, loving and inclusive community that promotes the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of adults marginalized by poverty and mental health challenges, and of those who come here to volunteer, work and learn.
Vision
All who come to the Friendship Center live richer and more meaningful lives and become agents of hope and dignity for people who live with mental health challenges
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Center provides day services at no charge to nearly 100 participants - offering transportation, hot and nutritious meals, mental and physical health education, advocacy, recreational activities and programs in art and gardening.
ARTS PROGRAM AT THE FRIENDSHIP CENTER
The Friendship Center promotes a sense of empowered self-worth and personal growth by offering formal programs in the arts. The arts program offers a supportive studio environment that fosters creativity, self-direction, and mutual encouragement. A part-time arts director and key volunteers offer skilled one-on-one instruction in painting, pottery, woodworking, textile arts, photography and stained glass. Instruction caters to all ability levels.
The artists may sell their work at church and community arts festivals. This program, with its individualized instruction, its freedom to pursue creative projects, and the opportunity for the artists to show and sell their work, instills a sense of confidence and self-worth.
SEEDTIME AND HARVEST GREENHOUSE AND GARDENS PROGRAM
The Seedtime and Harvest Greenhouse and Gardens Program provides opportunities to work, learn specialized skills, and engage with the natural world. All are invited to join in gardening activities, which inlcude planting and seeking vegetables, annuals and perennials in the greenhouse and caring for an organic raised-bed garden. A key group of eight to ten regular gardeners work as employees. These employed gardeners learn basic work and leadership skills and receive an hourly wage. Along with leading weekly operations, the gardeners work at seasonal plant sales that are well attended by Holy Comforter's friends and neighbors and occasionally attend special events or training.
WELLNESS AND RECOVERY SERVICES
The Friendship Center provides transportation to over 75% of its participants to enable them to participate in its activities and receive its services. Each year approximately 16,000 hot and nutritiou meals are served. All program participants have access to the Clothes Closet, where they obtain much-needed, clothing, shoes and toiletries.
Interns in nursing and pastoral care provide education and advocacy, helping to refer participants for social services and needed professional care.
Recent additions to the wellness program include a foot clinic, hand clinic, low vision clinic, and a yoga class. This year, we added Interplay, which consists of creative movement and storytelling, both individually and collaboratively in a group.
The Friendship Center has several recovery support groups, including ones sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and faciltiated by certified peer specialists.
737 Woodland Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30316-2454
United States
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