Love Your Neighbor
The Love Your Neighbor (LYN) fund provides assistance to local people in need, normally by providing funds for paying rent and utility bills. It is funded by a percentage of the STA Sunday collections (4%), donations from individuals, and occasional grants from other sources. Parishioners volunteer to interview those who come to the parish seeking help.
Community Outreach Tithe
The Community Outreach Tithe, 3.5% of the STA Sunday collection, provides grants to groups that seek to meet the needs of the poor. At least half the funds are allocated to groups in Story County. A committee of five parishioners evaluates applications from parishioners twice a year.
St. Thomas has assisted a wide variety of groups including:
- The Emergency Residence Project. The ERP is the local shelter for the homeless, providing short term housing as well as transitional housing for people with inadequate housing, They also provide some assistance to people who are in danger of losing their current housing by providing funding for rent.
- Habitat for Humanity of Central Iowa
- Ames Free Medical Clinic
- Friendship Ark
- St. Luke Hospital and College of Nursing, Ethiopia
- Projects of the Sisters of St. Francis, Suchitoto, El Salvador
- Mental health clinic
- Housing project for Guarani Inidians of the Presentation Sisters in Bolivia.
- Food Collections
- Food at First
- Beyond Welfare
Food Collections
St. Thomas collects food and other materials for the local food shelf at Mid Iowa Community Action, during Advent, Lent, and July. Please bring gifts up at the offertory of the Mass.
Gifts for Newborns Collection
Each year, from Christmas Eve (December 24) to Epiphany (January 6). St. Thomas collects gifts for newborns. Birthright of Ames distributes these gifts to the women and newborns they assist.
