Jesus said:

A new commandment I give to you, to love one another; that as I have loved you, you also may love one another.

We strive to live into that command by caring for friend and stranger alike.

We work with the following agencies to provide outreach to the community:

 CROSSwalk is an effort to engage people of faith in addressing the escalating violence against youth in Chicago. It has its roots in All Saints Episcopal Church in Ravenswood.

CROSSwalk grew out of a four-mile procession across the city during the Holy Week 2012, which brought together 1500 people from across Chicagoland to remember the more than 632 young people who have been killed since 2008.

As people of faith, members of CROSSwalk believe that these children are our children and we share responsibility for their safety. CROSSwalk is working to connect with organizations that address youth violence, building relationships which lead to action and change.

For more information email St. Peter’s parishioner and Chairwoman of the Diocesan Peace and Justice Committee Catherine Thomson at peaceandjusticechicago@gmail.com

The Night Ministry is a Chicago-based organization that works to provide housing, health care and human connection to members of the greater Chicago community struggling with poverty or homelessness. With an open heart and an open mind, The Night Ministry works with the homeless to address their immediate physical, emotional and social needs while affirming their sense of humanity.

Through the Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus, Youth Outreach Van and Youth Shelter Network, the people of St. Peter’s work on the ground with Night Ministry volunteers in Lakeview to reach adults, teens, pregnant and new moms who have nowhere else to go.

On an ongoing monthly basis, St. Peter’s provides more than 200 meals, plus basic toiletries and clothing to those in need. The next opportnity for St. Peters to team with The Night Ministry is Thursday, September 6, 2012

North Side Housing & Supportive Services is a comprehensive human services agency which provides supportive housing and services for men who are homeless or formerly homeless, and supportive services, such as health care and counseling, for women who are homeless. Their programs and services are designed around proven program methodologies as well as interjections of innovative components that speak to the individuality of each person and their specific needs.

North Side Housing & Supportive Services reopened its long-time food pantry in October 2011 at St. Peter’s. The pantry is now open for North Side Housing & Supportive Services clients every other Monday from 1pm to 4pm.

For more information call Uri Billion at (773) 244-6401.

The Lakeview Pantry, which distributes more than 1.25 million pounds of food each year to people in need, is one of the longest-lived food pantries in Chicago. It began operation in 1969 through the efforts of neighbors who wanted to help those in their community who were struggling with hunger. Over the last 43 years, the mission of The Lakeview Pantry has expanded to not only providing food to fill hungry people, but to also increase the independence of their clients through self-help initiatives and other innovative programs and to raise awareness of and to eliminate hunger and poverty.

Every month, The Lakeview Pantry provides a 14 day supply of food to more than 1200 individuals. St. Peter’s takes up a collection of nonperishable items for The Lakeview Pantry every Sunday. The first ten percent of proceeds from the 26^th Annual Book Sale, the 24^th Annual  Bake Sale, and the 2012 Christmas Bazaar, is earmarked for donation to The Lakeview Pantry.

If you would like to provide items for The Lakeview Pantry, simply bring them to St. Peter’s and place the items in the baskets located near the center aisle of the church. The items will be taken forward and blessed during the Sunday morning Eucharist service.

The Lakeview Action Coalition is a non-profit, multi-issue community organization addressing issues important to the well-being of the Lakeview community, including affordable housing, care and safekeeping of homeless youth, and environmental justice. The coalition is comprised of 49 institutional members, including religious congregations, non-profit agencies, banks, business associations, a credit union and a senior citizens caucus.

The Lakeview Action Coalition works to help its members to act on their values in public life by participating in the decisions that shape the community's future. To fulfill this mission, the Lakeview Action Coalition organizes people around issues affecting its members and develops leaders through training, action and reflection. Since its founding in 1993, it has fought for justice, solidarity and diversity.

St. Peter’s is a founding member and proud supporter of the Lakeview Action Coalition.

The Crib, The Night Ministry’s overnight youth shelter, opened its doors in January 2011. It is located at Lakeview Lutheran Church at 835 W. Addison, and operates seasonally from October 1st-April 30th.  The Crib is an overnight space for young people ages 18-24. It welcomes young adults of all genders and sexual orientations.

The Crib is open from 9 pm until 9 am each night and can accommodate 20 youth. The Crib is an important part of Chicago’s efforts to care for youth who are on the streets because there are only 209 total shelter beds for youth in Chicago, while an estimated 2,000 young people experience homelessness every night.

Every night a dinner is served family-style at 9:30pm. St. Peter’s helps provide those dinners during the winter months.  St. Peter’s will buy, prepare, and clean up the meal several times during the season.

Cathedral Shelter helps low-income families and individuals in Chicago celebrate the holidays through their Christmas Basket program. All Christmas Basket recipients are working to make positive changes in their lives, but financial difficulties prevent them from buying Christmas gifts. Many, such as seniors without a family, wouldn’t receive a gift at all if they weren’t sponsored for a Christmas Basket. Giving their clients a Christmas Basket does not simply help them celebrate Christmas. It helps them sustain their daily efforts to contend with hardship by showing that Christians care about them and empathize with their struggles.

In December, St. Peter’s sponsors several families, around 25 individuals, to receive Christmas Baskets. Presents and gift cards are purchased and wrapped for the family in need.