St. Luke’s Pantry:

Episcopal Church Outreach to Local Homeless

A Cooperative Ministry with St. Mary’s Parish and Other Community Groups

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 20 University Avenue
in Old Town Los Gatos

Did you know that St. Mary’s Parish cooperates with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in their mission of serving the homeless population in the Los Gatos area in a variety of ways?

Each month, St. Mary’s contributes $150 to St. Luke’s through our Share A Meal program as an expression of our belief in the Catholic social teaching of the dignity of the human person and Christ’s imperative to serve the poor in our midst.

A dedicated group of St. Mary’s parishioners volunteer at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday mornings at St. Luke’s Pantry at the Episcopal Church in Old Town, where the local homeless population gathers for companionship, soup and sandwiches, and access to clean, used clothing and other basic supplies.

Among the volunteer helpers are Joan Bertolotti, Jeff Buonaccoursi, and Troy and Jubie Jaramillo, who also hand out bags of groceries and contribute to special holiday celebrations for the homeless at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  St. Mary’s school children contribute to the festivities with singing, gifts, and homemade cookies.

St. Mary’s parishioner Jeff Buonaccoursi prepares the fixings for Thanksgiving dinner for the Los Gatos homeless community
served by St. Luke’s Church

Parishioners John Baker and Tim O’Reilly see to it that homeless individuals are able to clean their clothes at the local Laundromat through assistance from the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Conference at St. Mary’s.

St. Luke’s ministry to the homeless has been under the loving directorship of Jo Greiner for more than a decade now, since 1996.  A retired high school teacher, Greiner is an active St. Luke’s parishioner, Los Gatos resident, and well-respected figure in the community.  A feature article in the Los Gatos Weekly Times, excerpted here, interviewed Greiner about St. Luke’s Pantry, which originally provided food staples and coffee. "Then I thought, 'Let's up the ante! Why not serve hot soup and make sandwiches, too?'” Greiner recalled.

Although many clients are homeless, some are also local families living in mobile homes or small apartments who are barely making ends meet. "To serve without judgment" is what the program does, Greiner says.

"St. Luke's provides a meeting place where our unhoused--and barely housed--clients can gather and share their stories with the volunteers, and with each other," she says.

"Tuesdays also provide an opportunity for churches and schools in Los Gatos to send food servers," adds Greiner, who says Fisher Middle School, St. Mary's Parish and School, Skyland Church and Los Gatos United Methodist Church have all been involved.  The Los Gatos Rotary Club has also been a significant supporter.

"Not everybody in the community is sympathetic to St. Luke’s homeless outreach. Some think this is going to bring more homeless people to town, but that's not so," Greiner adds. "The local community of homeless is very protective. They're the first ones to get rid of outsiders causing trouble."

As a retired schoolteacher, Greiner says she feels like both an instructor and a student in St. Luke's ministry.  "I sometimes call it my class that never graduates, but some of [the clients] do get out and make new lives for themselves. That makes me feel really good!" she says. "I feel like they're my extended family. I remember one person said, 'I can't go home anymore. You're all the family I have.'"

Her favorite success story is that of Charlotte, a former client who delivered a baby outside the church one night. "She showed up at the pantry later and said, 'We're hungry!'" Greiner says, recalling her shock at seeing the newborn.

The church provided temporary shelter for the pair, as Charlotte was afraid Santa Clara County Social Services would take the baby away. Thanks to a benefactor known to St. Luke's staff, Charlotte and the baby lived for a year and a half in the Central Valley. They later were reunited with Charlotte's husband and obtained housing in the South Bay through the Emergency Housing Consortium.

Another success story is St. Luke's night watchman and pantry host Victor Sakellar. Once homeless himself, Sakellar, an artist, now helps keep things running smoothly at St. Luke’s. He also has a day job at a local business.

"Vic is wonderful and makes all the right calls. I'm really proud of how he's become a valuable member of the community. He is a treasure," Greiner says.

Another treasure to Greiner is Kate Braham, a young adult at St. Mary’s Parish who made a lasting impact when she was an 11-year-old Fisher Middle School student.  As Greiner reminisces:  “Kate got her family involved in donating spare change to charity. Then one day, she counted the money and found she had raised $64!  She brought it to St. Luke’s and said she went home feeling so good because she knew she had helped other people and wasn’t just spending the money on herself.”

In gratitude, Greiner took Kate and her mother to a surplus store, where Kate helped pick out sleeping bags, blankets and gloves for the St. Luke's clients.

Greiner says she hopes everyone will consider putting aside one dollar a week for those who truly need it. "As Kate said to us, 'It was easy and so fun to do,'" Greiner adds.

How To Support St. Luke’s Pantry Ministry

Suggestions from Director Jo Greiner

Financial gifts can allow the maximum flexibility in delivering services. These funds will be used to provide shelter supplies (tents, tarps, sleeping bags), transportation assistance in the form of bus tokens, food vouchers for hot meals, and health care supplies. All donations are tax-deductible as a charitable gift.

Checks of support can be made out to Saint Luke's Pantry Program, c/o Director Jo Greiner, and brought to the St. Luke’s Church office or mailed to: Saint Luke's Church, 20 University Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030

We are grateful for the gifts of non-perishable food, especially canned chili, canned hearty soups, canned pasta and stews, canned fruit, and individually packaged cookies or snacks.

We are unable to accept perishable items such as breads and fruit unless they are brought directly to the Pantry on Tuesday morning.

Gifts of personal hygiene articles are especially welcome at any time, particularly disposable razors.

Gifts of clothing such as new socks and underwear, and used but clean and wearable blue jeans are always welcome.

Thank you for your support!