Mission & Outreach

Trinity Church has a long tradition of mission to the Asylum Hill area of Hartford and beyond. From the early part of the 20th century, when missionaries from Trinity traveled the world in service to others, to the present day, in service to hundreds of people through the many programs listed below, Trinity has long sought to put prayer and worship into action to those in need.

Commitment of our time, our talent, and our treasure to the service of others can take many different forms. Listed here are a number of mission programs currently underway at Trinity Church. Please take a moment to consider your involvement-how a commitment of your time, talent, and treasure can make a difference in the lives of others, and in your life as well.

Mission & Outreach
Administration & Finance
Community Service Home   

SEABURY RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
COVENANT TO CARE
GEORGE BEACH HOME
LIGHT AND PEACE CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
LOAVES AND FISHES MINISTRIES
OUTREACH COMMITTEE
TRINITY ADVOCATES
UNITED THANK OFFERING (UTO)
CONNECTIKIDS

Trinity Church is represented on the auxiliary committee which assists the staff at the Seabury retirement community in Bloomfield. The auxiliary plans a number of activities for the enjoyment of the residents. Volunteers are always needed to visit residents and help with special events.

Trinity works with social worker Corey Pisani  as a part of the "Adopt a Social Worker" program sponsored by COVENANT TO CARE. Through this program, parishioners are able to help families and children in crisis with donations of food, clothing, and household goods. Specific requests for such assistance appear in the Sunday bulletin. Annual projects sponsored by the parish Covenant to Care committee include the August back-to-school kit project, the Christmas "giving tree", and the foster child placement pack intergenerational event.

Serving as trustees for the George Beach Home bequest are the Rectors and Wardens of Trinity Church and St. John's, West Hartford, and the Dean and two members of Christ Church Cathedral. This bequest currently operates a 32-unit apartment building on Allen Place in Hartford. Apartments are offered to appropriate persons on a moderate and sliding-scale rental basis. Members of Trinity, St. John's, and the Cathedral are given first priority for the apartments. INQUIRIES about rentals should be made to the Rector or Wardens.

Volunteers are always being sought to help with the Loaves and Fishes program. The LOAVES AND FISHES  SOUP KITCHEN serves about 5000 lunches a month at Immanuel Congregational Church  located on the corner of Woodland Street and Farmington Avenue in Hartford.  The offices for Loaves and Fishes Ministries are located at 360 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut.  Volunteers from area religious, social, and business organizations provide midday meals Monday through Friday.  A serving team from Trinity is needed on the third Wednesday of each month, when Trinity is responsible for the soup kitchen meal.  Cooking assistance is needed on the preceding Tuesday evening as well as on Wednesday morning.

The OUTREACH COMMITTEE evaluates requests for assistance with outreach projects, makes recommendations to the Vestry concerning funding of church-related and other benevolent organizations through the parish budget, and identifies and promotes opportunities for Christian service through the parish and beyond. The committee also oversees Trinity's relationship with its companion parish, Mbugani Parish in Tanzania.

The TRINITY ADVOCATES consider appropriate ways in which the parish can make its political voice known on issues of the day.

The children who attend Trinity's LIGHT AND PEACE program on Monday evenings receive a warm welcome from their volunteer hosts, as well as a nutritious, hot meal.  But the most important gift they receive is the opportunity to worship and learn about God in a child-friendly environment.

St. Paul and St. James Church in New Haven began the LIGHT AND PEACE program for their neighborhood children in 1995.  Trinity Church in Hartford is the first church to replicate this successful program, and began its own LIGHT AND PEACE program in October 2000.  The program has grown and recruitment of children from the neighborhood is ongoing.

The Monday evening program begins with a hot supper, usually prepared by volunteers from other parishes or school groups.  After eating, the children and volunteers worship together using simple songs and prayers.  The centerpiece of the worship service is a Bible story illustrated with felt board figures.  The children then reflect on the Bible story by completing an arts and crafts project.

The children are enthusiastic about hearing Bible stories in a new way, singing together and creating works of art.  They have finger-painted illustrations of Moses' burning bush, shaped and baked bread to symbolize God's providing manna in the wilderness, and made their own Christmas cards.  LIGHT AND PEACE provides a unique worship and fellowship experience for both the children and the adult volunteers.

For well over a century, the Episcopal Church's UNITED THANK OFFERING (UTO) has supported charitable works sponsored worldwide by the national Church. Contributions come from Church members who throughout the year, put coins in their UTO "Blue Boxes" in thanksgiving for life's daily blessings. UTO ingatherings are held at Trinity each year in the spring and fall. Anyone interested can contact the office for more information.

CONNECTIKIDS offers one-on-one tutoring during the school year to elementary school students from West Middle School, located around the corner from the church on Asylum Avenue. Students work on skill development, closely adhering to the Academic Area Outcomes developed by the Hartford public schools, and spend time using materials developed by parishioner Lou Loomis to stimulate their creative thinking abilities. The program meets at Asylum Hill Congregational Church one afternoon per week during the school year. Tutors are always needed. The West Middle tutoring program is one segment of a comprehensive enrichment program run by the West Middle School Committee, a volunteer organization, which seeks to improve the lives and study skills of West Middle's students. A number of area churches and other organizations provide volunteers and financial support for this extensive program.