Human Concerns is the outreach, service and justice arm of St. Dominic Parish, and the organization under which all of our outreach efforts fall.  All Human Concerns activities and groups, with the assistance of our Pastoral Associate for Human Concerns, works to meet the needs of the economically disadvantaged, the disabled, the marginalized, the elderly, the sick, the homebound, the grieving and all others experiencing stress or difficulties in their lives.  We coordinate many programs and activities, and encourage parishioners of all ages to get involved.

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or if we can be of help in any way, please contact Susan McNeil, our Pastoral Associate for Human Concerns at 262.781.3480 Ext. 225 unless otherwise noted below.

Please click here for information on the following areas:

• Outreach Opportunities

• Parish Services Offered

• Community Resources

• Safeguarding All God's Family

• Social Justice and Education

• Links

OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES

• Adult Outreach Mission Trips -  Working Boys' Center -  a family mission in Quito, Ecuador.  This nine day volunteer mission trip to assist in the building of a house for an impoverished family, with additional travel adventures in and around Ecuador's capital city including the Galapagos Islands.  Participants will stay at the WBC's volunteer dorm, where meals are provided.  The cost of the trip is $1,400, including airfare, hotel, meals and escorted side trips).  Contact Pat Parks at 262.797.8988. For other adult outreach mission opportunities, please contact Susan McNeil.

• Agape Community Center - Agape Community Center, sits on the northeast side of Milwaukee, and is a wonderful center that provides support, meals, tutoring and assistance to financially disadvantaged families. Many volunteer opportunities exist, including assisting with a summer lunch program, tutoring, and mentoring youth.  To serve at this center go to:  www.agapecommunitycenter.org or call 414.464.4440.

• Bread Ministry - Volunteers pick up donated bread from local businesses, and distribute it to organizations that work with people in need.

• Clothing Distribution -  We collect used clothing and household goods on an ongoing basis, and take them to various organizations in need (St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, etc) who in turn get them to people who need them.

• Food Pantry - St. Dominic has a strong relationship with the Waukesha Food Panty (WFP)! We store some food at the parish for emergencies.  Please see the The Society of St. Vincent de Paul for more information..

• Funeral Ministry - Parish members assist with the funeral liturgies as servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, as well as assist with set-up and clean-up. We also provide funeral luncheons on occasion, when requested by families, and would welcome a few more members to participate in that ministry.

• Giving Tree - Each year, St. Dominic provides Christmas gifts for those in need, those in nursing homes and for elderly religious sisters. Volunteers set up the tree and tags, sort gifts and distribute them.

• Hebron House/Siena House/Jeremy House - Hebron House, and its sister homes, Jeremy House and Siena House, provide shelter to those in crisis, and housing, counseling and assistance to homeless families. St. Dominic provides meals several times a month, and also volunteers to assist at the facility.

• Helping Hands - This ministry provides meals for parish families when needed due to an illness, emergency or new baby in the family. Volunteers are paired with a partner to help provide a complete meal. Volunteers are called 2-3 times per year to provide a meal to others.  Contact Barb Schenauer or Susan McNeil at 262.781.3480.

• Interfaith Caregiving Network - St. Dominic is an active member of Interfaith Caregiving Network, which seeks to help senior citizens stay in their own homes. They provide transportation, respite care, friendly visits and assistance with snow removal and lawn care.  For more information or to sign-up contact:  www.interfaithwaukesha.org or call 262.549.3348.

• Lenten Outreach - 2011 St. Adalbert & St. Rafael Parishes

• Loaves and Fishes Meal Program - Feeding the hungry at the Loaves and Fishes meal at St. Joseph Parish in Waukesha several times per year. We need people who are interested in cooking, baking and serving. 

• Prison Ministry - This ministry brings Christ to the inmates of Waukesha County Jail by providing Communion services and visits with individual inmates.

• Respect Life Activities - Our Respect Life group organizes activities to promote the sanctity of all life from birth to older age. We participate in a number of activities throughout the year, and also help to support the Women's Support Center in Milwaukee. 
  Respect Life Informational Flyers: Abortion; Contraception; The Death Penalty; Persons with Disabilities; Embryo Research; To the End of Our Days; Love & Marriage; Reproductive Technologies

• St. Ben's Meal Program - We feed the hungry every other month at St. Ben's, and need people interested in cooking, baking, or going down to St. Ben's to serve.  Contact Barb Schenauer if you would like to serve at 262.781.3480

• St. Vincent de Paul Society - St. Dominic Saint Vincent de Paul Society - The St. Dominic Saint Vincent De Paul Society reaches out to the lonely and alienated. We visit people in hospitals, give advice, money, food, and clothes to those in need. Our members visit the homebound and hospitalized, and assist those who are in need with financial assistance, food and clothing. There are a variety of opportunities to serve others, with varying time commitments. The Society meets twice monthly on Monday evenings. Would you be interested in finding out more? Contact Steve Cigich, SVDP President, at 262.781.3480, extension 228.

• Sandwich Ministry - Twice a month on Tuesday mornings, parishioners meet in the Marcy Center to make sandwiches which are then delivered to the Guest House in Milwaukee for lunches for the needy and homeless. More Information

• Summer Service Series -  All of these opportunities are "one-time" events - sign up for as many or as few activities as your schedule permits. Click on the Summer Service Catalog for more information on how to register. Photo Slideshow

• Visiting the Sick, Hospitalized, Homebound or those in Nursing Homes - We try to visit hospitalized parishioners several times each week and are looking for parishioners to participate in this ministry. We are also always in need of parishioners to visit those who reside in nursing homes and long-term care centers, as well as the homebound. This ministry is very rewarding! 

• Needs List

  • Donations needed for Adult Day Centers - Catholic Charities' Adult Day Centers have continued to keep the cost of our day services affordable, especially for low-income clients.  We have one of the lowest daily rates in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties; all because of helpful donations from our parish friends!  Please drop off any of these items at our Adult Care Centers at 1919 N. 60th St. or at 13700 W. National Ave. New Berlin, Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m..  For more information contact Susan Yee at 262.782.0740.  Thank you and God bless you for your generosity. Ongoing contribution needs at our two Centers include:

    100% Fruit Juice Crystal Light Decaf Coffee Graham Crackers Sugar Diabetic Cookies Peanut Butter Miniature Candy Bars 8 oz. Paper Cups Paper Towels Paper Napkins Laundry Detergent Spray Deodorant

  • Bundle Sunday Found some good stuff while spring or fall cleaning but are concerned it no longer has a place in your home? Worry no more! Several weekends each year, after each of the Masses, St. Dominic St. Vincent de Paul and the parish Boy Scouts will collect gently used clothing and household items (no furniture). Collection bins will be available at each of the church entrances or look for the SVdP truck in the south parking lot to drop off donations.  Questions? Call 262.781.3480; ext. 228 and leave a message.

  • Furniture or household items are needed to help St. Vincent de Paul Society.  Bi-monthly pick-ups are scheduled the second Friday during the odd months of the year.  If you have items to donate that are in usable condition, please leave a message for Steve Cigich at 262.781.3480 Ext 228.

PARISH SERVICES OFFERED

Support Groups

• Moms with Multiple Sclerosis Group - A newer group, just for moms living with MS.  We will be meeting the first Wednesday of every month at St. Dominic.

• Grief and Loss Support Group - St. Dominic participates in several grief support groups. 

  • Bi-weekly Grief Support Group - held at St. Joseph Parish, Wauwatosa.  The support group is an opportunity for grieving people to come together and talk about their feelings and thoughts with others who are struggling through losses.  It is a safe place to find solace and support.  Lead by qualified and experienced leaders, you can gain the emotional and spiritual support you need.  This group meets at St. Joseph's Church, 12130 W. Center Ave. in Wauwatosa every other Wednesday morning from 10:00 - 11:15 a.m.  For more information or to join, please call Ruth Hospice Chaplain Julie Novotny at 414.607.4714.

  • The Hope Series, a 4-week grief support series - held within the Quad parishes twice a year, in October and May.

  • "The Common Ground of Grief" Monthly Program - The Archdiocese of Milwaukee and Catholic Cemeteries sponsors "The Common Ground of Grief" monthly. Led by Patrick V. Dean, M.Ed, Director of Grief Education for Catholic Cemeteries. For more information, contact Susan McNeil at 262.781.3480, or visit www.cemeteries.org, and click on link for "The Common Ground of Grief"on the left-hand side of the page.

  • Individual bereavement support - St. Dominic also provides individualized bereavement support for any parishioner in need.

• Alzheimer's Association - Family/Caregiver Support Group for Men -Are you caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease?  Does someone you love have Alzheimer's disease or another dementia?  We invite you to attend one of our support groups for caregivers; a safe place, where people listen and understand.  Let's take the journey together....3rd Thursday of each month at 1:30 p.m. at Gethsemane United Methodist Church, 742 Main St. In Pewaukee, in the Parlor Room.  For more information regarding this support group or for a complete list of support groups, please call the Alzheimer's Association Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter 24-hours, toll-free: 1.800.272.3900.

• Single Again Support Group - Those recently divorced are invited to our gatherings.  All sessions are held at St. John Vianney (Parish Center, Second Floor), 1755 N. Calhoun Rd., 7:00-8:30 P.M. There is no need to register and no charge to attend. For specific information, call Mary Janowak at 262.796.3944, ext. 120.

• Cancer Survivors - Cancer can be a lonely experience. It can help enormously to talk with others who've been there. Please consider joining us for our Cancer Survivors! Group, which will meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. (except in June and July) in the Parish Office Living Room. You might think that the group might be grim and humorless, but nothing could be farther from the truth! Join us for laughter and friendship in sharing a tough, but winnable experience!

• Al-Anon - For information about Al-Anon meetings, please visit the Al-Anon/Ala-Teen website, where you'll find links to meetings in your area. www.al-anon.alateen.org

• Alcoholics Anonymous - A weekly support group that meets weekly on Fridays at 6:00 p.m. in the Marcy Center. To find additional AA meetings, please visit the Alcoholics Anonymous website, where you'll find links to meetings in your area. www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

• Harry Hawthorne 40 Plus - A weekly support group for older job-seekers, particularly those over age 40, that meets every Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m. in the Marcy Center. This group provides job seekers with the resources to find a needed job or change careers. For other meetings as well as other 40 Plus activities, please visit the 40 Plus of Southeastern Wisconsin website at www.40pluswi.org.

• Its Time/Faith in Recovery - Its Time is an ongoing parish session about mental illness awareness. Faith in Recovery is a support group for those struggling with depression and/or other mental illnesses, as well as for their families. This group meets regularly in area parishes.  For more information, please contact Susan McNeil.

Parish Ministries

• Counseling or Referrals for Counseling - Pastoral counseling is available through either of our priests, or Susan McNeil. We are available for emotional and spiritual support, or for support and assistance during times of crisis. Susan McNeil is also able to provide referrals for individual, marriage or family counseling, financial assistance or for community resources (i.e. for an elderly parent).

• Direct Assistance -  In collaboration with our St. Vincent de Paul Society, our parish provides direct assistance to parishioners in need when the occasion arises and as we are able. For financial assistance, please contact Susan McNeil at 262.781.3480. Together with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, they will work to help you with your financial situation.

• Elizabeth Ministry - This mom-to-mom ministry seeks to support moms of young children and women of childbearing age through pregnancy, parenting, infertility and other challenges. In the back of the Church, you will find a bouquet of rosebuds. If you or a loved one are in need of prayers because of a pregnancy, adoption, child loss, infertility or other challenge, please feel free to fill out a prayer card attached to the appropriate rose, and place it in the vase. Our Elizabeth Ministry prayer team, as well as the whole parish, will pray for your need. This ministry is still growing at St. Dominic and we hope to expand it in many different areas of pregnancy and child-raising.

• Funeral Planning and Wishes - Susan McNeil is available to assist any parishioners in funeral planning, if they wish. Click here to access our Funeral Planning Guide and Funeral Wishes Sheet. We are happy to keep funeral wishes and desires on file at St. Dominic.

• Helping Hands - This ministry provides meals for parish families when needed due to an illness, emergency or new baby in the family. To request a meal, please contact Barb Schenauer or Susan McNeil at 262.781.3480.

• Homebound Ministry - If you or a loved one is homebound due to age, disability or illness, we would like to visit or provide support in whatever way possible including bringing the Eucharist.

• Hospital Visits and Nursing Home Visits - If you or a loved one is hospitalized, we would like to know so that we can pray for healing for the sick person, and visit at the hospitals if you wish. Federal Privacy Regulation HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act) prohibits all hospitals from informing churches of a patient's presence unless the patient gives permission for the hospital to do so. If you (or another parishioner you know) are admitted to a hospital and would like remembrance in prayer or a pastoral visit.

• Parish Hospitality -  Doughnuts, beverages and hospitality are provided once a month after the 9:00 a.m. Mass for all parishioners.  Consider helping to host this on-going event.

• Prayer Network - This ministry takes request for prayers and distributes them through the prayer network. This ministry provides support and help to those in need of prayer. To request prayer for an intention, please contact our Prayer Network Coordinators, Kathy at 262-790-0535 or Emmy at 262-781-8555.  You may also now submit a prayer request online.

• St. Vincent de Paul Society - St. Dominic SVdP works with the poor, disadvantaged, ill and elderly in Brookfield and Waukesha County. We have an active Vincentian group who can work to help with visitation, food and clothing distribution, referrals for financial needs, as well as financial assistance. To contact the St. Vincent de Paul Society, please call 262.781.3480, Ext. 228.  More information...

• Seniors Group - A social group for senior citizens at St. Dominic. Meets once a month on the second Tuesday for a Communion service and lunch. Check the parish calendar for upcoming events.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

• Alzheimer's Association Carefinder - Find out information about the Southeastern Wisconsin Alzheimer's Association at http://www.alz.org/sewi . A great website for assistance in finding care for those suffering from Alzheimer's and Dementia can be found through the Natiohttp://www.alz.org/sewi/nal Alzheimers Association at www.alz.org/carefinder/index.asp.

• Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee - www.ccmke.org. Catholic Charities and caring go hand in hand. As a human service agency dedicated to meeting specific needs of the family of God, we help the archdiocese lovingly respond to the Gospel imperative to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger and visit the sick. Their services are directed to children, teens, adults, older adults, couples, parishes and the broader community. Services include such ministries as adult day care, ministry on aging, adoption, child welfare services, counseling, legal services to immigrants, parenting support programs, refugee resettlement, the Companion Families program, among others. Services are open to people in need in the 10-county Milwaukee archdiocese without regard to religious, ethnic, racial or economic background.

• Elmbrook Senior Taxi - Senior taxi that services the city and town of Brookfield, Butler, Elm Grove, Mayfair Mall and St. Joseph Outpatient Center on N. Mayfair Road. Operates Monday through Friday from 9-4:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9-12:30. To make reservations and for information on costs, please call Elmbrook Senior Taxi at 262.785.1200.

• Hebron House - www.hebronhouse.org. Hebron House provides emergency housing and related services to people in transition with the basic needs of shelter, food and personal support.

• Hope Center - http://www.hopecenterwi.org/index.html Hope Center is a non-profit organization that has been providing hope to those in need in Waukesha County for more than twenty years. Hope Center is continually working to provide new and better solutions to handle the growing needs of the community.

•  Interfaith Caregiving Network - www.interfaithwaukesha.org. St. Dominic is an active member of Interfaith Caregiving Network, which seeks to help senior citizens stay in their own homes. They provide transportation, respite care, friendly visits and assistance with snow removal and lawn care. They are a wonderful source of volunteer assistance for elderly and disabled parishioners. You can contact them at 262.549.3348.

• NAMI - www.namiwaukesha.com. NAMI Waukesha is a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide help to those affected with mental illness and their families and friends. Since 1979, NAMI Waukesha has worked to improve the understanding of mental illness by providing information and referrals, offering court support during commitment proceedings, facilitating support groups throughout the community, sponsoring educational meetings, and advocating on behalf of those with mental illness.

• Parents Place - www.ppacinc.org/parent.php. Parents Place, located on the eastern side of Waukesha, provides supportive programs for parents, support groups, parent education, and classes for children and playgroups.

• Waukesha County Department for Health and Human Services - http://www.waukeshacounty.gov  The Department of Health and Human Services is a County agency providing a wide range of confidential services designed to enhance the physical and emotional functioning of individuals and families in Waukesha County. The Department's varied and diverse services share a philosophical commitment to the dignity of the individual and a belief that individuals and families can with proper assistance, positively respond to the challenges that life's problems and crises present. Services are available to all County residents, regardless of race, creed, color, handicap or economic situation.

• Waukesha County Department of Senior Services -  http://www.waukeshacounty.gov   The Waukesha County Department of Senior Services provides opportunities and supportive services to Waukesha County residents who are age 60 and above, and to their caregivers. They are a terrific resource for anyone who is helping an older adult. Click to download their Senior Services Guide an essential guide to helping older adults that contains information on meals-on-wheels, care options, transportation, etc. Stop in at the Waukesha County Administration Center, Room 130, 1320 Pewaukee Road in Waukesha, or call us at 262.548.7848. Normal business hours are Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.

• Waukesha County Food Pantry - www.waukeshafoodpantry.com. The Waukesha Food Pantry is a great resource for anyone who is struggling financially, and in need of food.

• Waukesha County St. Vincent de Paul Society - There are two SVdP stores in Waukesha County: 305 E. Main St. Waukesha, WI 53186, phone number 262.547.3281; and W369 N5848 Brown St. Oconomowoc, WI 53066, phone number 262.569.0761.

• The Women's Center - www.twcwaukesha.org. The Women's Center is an independent, non-profit human service agency founded in 1977. Its mission is to provide safety and support to women and their families and to facilitate their development. The Women's Center provides free and comprehensive services designed to address the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault and abuse.

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EDUCATION

• Immigration Reform
  As we hope many of you are already aware, the Archdiocese is a participant in the Justice for Immigrants campaign which is a coalition of many national Catholic groups including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  The Catholic bishops in the U.S. have been calling for comprehensive immigration reform for a long time, at least since their pastoral letter entitled "Welcoming the Stranger Among Us."  In 2003, they issued a joint pastoral letter with the bishops of Mexico entitled "Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope," which set out five principles that guide the Church's view on migration issues.

  • Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland.

  • Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.

  • Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders.

  • Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.

  • The human dignity and human rights of undocumented migrants should be respected.

  The U.S. Senate is once again taking up the issue of immigration reform.  You are encouraged to contact Wisconsin
  Senators Feingold and Kohl in support of comprehensive immigration reform. It is extremely important as we debate how to reform our immigration system that we ask God for guidance, insight, knowledge, and courage.  Our hope and prayer is, as our former Archbishop Dolan has stated, that we may reform our immigration system to better protect workers and families so that it reflects the great ideals of our country and who we are, what we believe, and how we act as we encounter Christ in our neighbor.

LINKS

• Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Office for Catholic Social Action - http://www.archmil.org/offices/social-justice.htm  . The Catholic Social Action Office is part of the Department for Community and Apostolic Services. This office strives to build the capacity of the diocesan Church to act effectively in defense of human dignity, human rights, and the pursuit of justice and pace. Staff members interact with the community at large in efforts such as homeless shelters, food pantries, meal programs, welfare reform, violence prevention, healthcare and advocacy.

• Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Office for World Mission - http://www.archmil.org/offices/world-mission.htm   The Office for World Mission promotes the Church's universal mission locally through global awareness, partnerships and outreach. This office is responsible for providing and coordinating opportunities for the people of our Archdiocese to deepen our missionary spirit through participation in a variety of activities that include the Pontifical Mission Societies; Partners in World Mission; Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Parish in the Dominican Republic; parish international relationships; immersion experiences for adults and youth; education for mission; advocacy for global justice; missionary support; and a resource library and center.

• Catholic Charities USA - www.catholiccharitiesusa.org. Catholic Charities USA is the membership association of one of the nation's largest social service networks. Catholic Charities agencies and institutions nationwide provide vital social services to people in need, regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds. Catholic Charities USA supports and enhances the work of its membership by providing networking opportunities, national advocacy and media efforts, program development, training and technical assistance, and financial support.

• Catholic Relief Services - www.crs.org. Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States. Their mission is to assist the poor and disadvantaged, leveraging the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to alleviate human suffering, promote development of all people, and to foster charity and justice throughout the world. Working through local offices and an extensive network of partners, CRS operates on five continents and in 98 countries. We aid the poor by first providing direct assistance where needed, then encouraging people to help with their own development. Together, these approaches foster secure, productive, just communities that enable people to realize their potential. As the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community, CRS is also committed to educating the people of the United States to fulfill their moral responsibilities toward our global brothers and sisters by helping the poor, working to remove the causes of poverty, and promoting social justice.

• Center of Concern - www.coc.org. The Center of Concern, a social justice "think-tank" in Washington, D.C., grapples with issues such as hunger, poverty, environmental decline and injustice in the United States and around the world. They have many good social justice education materials on a variety of social issues.

• Greater Milwaukee Interfaith Council - www.interfaithconference.org. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee participates in the Greater Milwaukee Interfaith Council, an interfaith agency established by the religious community in southeastern Wisconsin to address social issues affecting the quality of life in the Greater Milwaukee area. The Conference enables individuals, congregations, and the religious leadership to participate as an interfaith presence in the dialogue and action that impact on the dignity of every human person and the solidarity of the human community.

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - www.usccb.org. The USCCB is an assembly of the Catholic Church hierarchy who work together to unify, coordinate, promote, and carry on Catholic activities in the United States; to organize and conduct religious, charitable, and social welfare work at home and abroad; to aid in education; and to care for immigrants. The bishops themselves constitute the membership of the Conference and are served by a staff of over 350 lay people, priests, deacons, and religious.

• Wisconsin Catholic Conference - www.wisconsincatholic.org. The Wisconsin Catholic Conference was founded in 1969 by the Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin, and is the social justice and education arm of the Catholic Metropolitan (all of the dioceses) of Wisconsin. The WCC seeks to fulfill the vision of the Second Vatican Council, which called upon the Church to be more involved in the world. Rooted in the teachings of the Gospel and the social teachings of the Church, the WCC offers a specifically Catholic contribution to state and federal public policy debates. The WCC advocates on matters related to the interests and values of the Church, provides decision makers with studied positions on social and moral issues, offers a form for diocesan personnel to exchange information and recommend policies and actions, and formulates and publishes opinions on legislation and public policy.