Good Samaritan Guild

The Good Samaritan Guild provides assistance to parishioners who need help on a short term basis while recuperating from surgery, an injury, or other crisis. The help might involve providing transportation to a medical appointment, doing grocery shopping, providing respite for caregivers, delivering a casserole, running an errand, or doing some other helpful task. In addition, the Guild manages a loan closet of medical equipment (walkers, wheelchairs, etc.) which may be checked-out for awhile to parishioners through the Guild coordinators.

The Good Samaritan Guild differs from the Support Team ministry in that Good Sams addresses short term needs while the Support Teams addresses on-going, chronic needs.

Requests for help from the guild should be directed to one of the clergy or to the parish office, who will then contact the Good Sams coordinator on duty, who will in turn organize the assistance with the other guild members. There are six to eight coordinators who rotate being “on call” on a monthly basis.

The guild gladly accepts donations of medical equipment for the loan closet. Nutritious casseroles and soups can be dropped off with one of the staff in the parish office during office hours for storage in a dedicated freezer. The guild asks that food be packaged in individual serving sizes and labeled with the date cooked, all the ingredients, and that they are for the guild’s use.

Guild members determine how often and in what ways they assist according to their own schedules and abilities. They receive the satisfaction of helping another person or a family in need. They get to know parishioners otherwise unmet. They also experience the joy of being part of a caring community.

To volunteer, call the Rev. Victoria Jamieson-Drake at the parish office (919-929-2193) or email: vjd@thechapelofthecross.org. An email address is especially useful for contact as needs arise.