On Monday, May 4, the St. Vladimir's Women's Group sorted donated clothes and cleaned the facilities at Emmaus House in New York City, a hospitality home in Harlem with a mission of serving the poor in a disadvantaged neighborhood. We learned about the history and mission of the house from several of its earliest and long time volunteers: Annie, Omar, and Tom.
Annie explained that the house is in leadership transition at this time and many of its ministries are not currently operational. The house is in need of volunteers, resources, and prayers to restart many of their outreach programs. They have recently reinstated their Sunday Food Pantry, and are also focusing on repairing many areas of the house so that it can act as a shelter again in the future.
We were impressed by the dedication of the volunteers, and by the Harlem community's great need for the ministry of Emmaus House. The potential for growth in the ministry is great. Annie always appreciates it when the women of St. Vladimir's visit, and the blessing is mutual.
