Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. John Armenian Church of San Francisco has and will continue to have an important role to play by continuing its God-pleasing mission to best serve our community. During these past two months, the Parish Council of St. John, volunteers, and the staff have implemented outreach programs for seniors and vulnerable parishioners. Weekly phone calls were made to ensure everyone's safety and health. Grocery goods, facemasks, and gloves were delivered and mailed to more than 50 households, homemade choregs were distributed during the Easter holiday, and finally, during the mother’s day weekend, delicious meals were delivered to many homes.

On Thursday, May 7, St. John volunteers worked diligently all morning packing Kufta, Lule kebob, sarma, vegetables, cheese boregs, and namura (Lebanese dessert). The packages were sealed with Beautiful Mother’s Day cards with artwork that were prepared by St. John Sunday School students Lori and Arman Agbabian. Every precaution was taken to ensure the safety of the volunteers by respecting social distancing practices and wearing PPE, all foods were frozen, and all packages were sanitized. The recipients were very thankful for the gesture and care received from the church.

In a letter included in the care packages, Fr. Mesrop Ash said, "the upheaval of the pandemic has changed the natural rhythms of our lives and made trivial things much more complicated. However, one thing remains constant. Our faith in Christ binds us together and compels us to show our love for one another."

The outreach efforts spearheaded by St. John are ongoing and we sincerely invite the community to be in touch with the church if you, your family, or others they know require attention by the church, whether it be in the form of prayer, spiritual counseling, or a care package such as we have distributed in the past. Inquiries and requests can be made by calling (415) 661-1142, or by emailing pastor@stjohnarmenianchurch.com.