Ascension Health Mission in Action at Peter and Paul Community Services!!

In 1997, the Mission in Action program was established to give the national office associates the opportunity to use three hours of paid time per month to participate in volunteer activities. The program reflects our commitment to making the Ascension Health Mission a part of our work life.

Through the "Monthly Meal for the Homeless Program", associates can donate food or money, or use their volunteer hours to prepare and serve one meal each month. Associates have dedicated over 6000 hours in the last five years feeding the needy.

Gerry Berviller, paralegal in Legal Services, helped present the opportunity to associates. "The Mission in Action Program is a very worthwhile effort and a great way for Associates to meet and interact with people in management." Berviller, along with Carol Hart, Communications Coordinator, Clinical Excellence, organizes the Mission in Action meals.

Associates have made the program a personal effort by getting relatives, friends and civic groups involved. On average, associates donate $250 to $500 each month in food or monetary donations for the Meals Program.

Statistics from May 20, 2003:

• 6,000 volunteer hours
  
• $4,377.27 in monetary donations
  
• 360 gallons of milk
  
• 3, 900 canned goods
  
• 420 loaves of bread and 4, 680 rolls/biscuits
  
• 1,500 lbs lettuce/slaw mix
  
• 3000 lbs. of meat
  
• hundreds of cup cakes
  
• thousands of cookies.

Participation in our program has grown to include spouses, families, scout troops, youth groups, school groups and friends. Our team has offered their freezers for storage, gone shopping and brought in clothes, towels and toiletries for the shelter. We have donated 58 Butterball turkey coupons, purchased socks for Christmas gifts and formed a caroling group each year for our Christmas meal at the shelter. Girl scouts have made fleece scarves and baked cookies, students donated the profits from their business venture at school and a second grade religion class furnished all the vegetables and dessert for a meal.

Carol Hart told the St. Louis Review, "This makes all the difference in the world. People who you donít normally deal with, you get to be with and its a whole new experience for them. And itís good morale for everybody to be able to spend this time together in a totally different setting."

The Mission of Ascension Health calls us to be advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and words.