Parishioners at Church of the Annunciation in Lewisville scooped hot heapings of homemade food onto paper plates as they fed more than 400 homeless people at Austin Street Center during a recent cold wintery night. The outreach has been an enthusiastic part of the church’s ministry for more than 20 years.

“Each congregation has a Genesis story and this is Annunciation’s,” said the Rev. Catherine Thompson, rector. “Their commitment to outreach is one of the things that drew me to this church.”

The Austin Street Center is a worthy cause and popular with many churches in the diocese, most likely because it was founded by Episcopalians in 1983. The center has changed names and locations over the years. It’s now listed as an emergency shelter that serves men ages 45 and older and women ages 18 and older. Each person at the shelter is provided a safe place to sleep, access to showers, clothing and meals. Services include job skills training, substance abuse programs, an onsite chapel and Bible studies.

Annunciation parishioners have been serving the center since 1995. Currently, members gather on the first Thursday of the month to prepare the food at the church and then drive in gridlock evening traffic through Dallas to serve dinner to about 400. Members of the church also gather and deliver supplies to donate such as toiletries, clothing and blankets. 

Pat Maguire, a longtime member of Annunciation, has been serving at the shelter since the ministry began by providing an evening meal, once a month. The menu has changed over the years, Maguire said. She used to make seven pans of meatloaf for sandwiches. Now popular meals include goulash, made with macaroni, hamburger, vegetables and sauce, or breakfast-for-dinner meals with eggs, cheese and sausage, or an antipasto summer salad during the heat of summer. “I thought it was a good ministry,” she said. “I thought I can’t do a lot but I can make cookies. When I found out they liked sandwiches and meatloaf was their favorite – I made those.”

Lindi Gensert is a member of Daughters of the King at Annunciation and uses her church connections and personal Facebook page to solicit thousands of undergarments and prayers for the shelter. She recently gathered about 2,000 pairs of socks and 1,200 pairs of underwear for donation before the Christmas holidays. “I just let people know they can donate one pair or ten pairs, it doesn’t matter, there is a need,” she said. “It has touched a lot of people.”

Serenity McCaw donned a Santa hat while she served at the shelter recently. She said helping others moves the needle forward in her spiritual maturity. “I do it for my own mental health,” she said. The austere surroundings with hundreds of people sitting or sleeping on cots with few belongings is a stark reminder of what is important in life. “It makes me grateful for what I have. It’s given me more empathy and understanding.” 

The Rev. D. J. Griffin said the shelter is a rewarding ministry. “I hand them their food, look them in the eye and say ‘enjoy your meal tonight.’ There is no substitute for serving people face-to-face and seeing and hearing their gratitude.”

Serving others has deepened Maguire’s faith. “We get more out of it than the people there,” she said. “They are so appreciative. They always say ‘thank you’ and ‘God bless you.’ It’s wonderful.”

Hearing how the outreach energizes the congregation is exciting, Griffin said. “I love the fact that our involvement with Austin Street is primarily lay led and has been since the beginning. This group of people is very hardworking and dedicated. They take seriously Christ’s call to serve ‘the least of these.’ I feel blessed to serve with them.” 

Thompson agreed, saying Annunciation’s powerhouse volunteers are full of love and passion for the work of Christ. “I’m very thankful for them,” she said. “It’s so important to live out our Christian faith and serve others. It’s speaking of your faith in the lives of others.”