Our Lady of the Rosary’s community outreach program provides a connection between our church and our surrounding local community. As our church members invest their time and talents to address needs in our community, they grow in their faith as they serve, and our community experiences God’s love in new ways.
To help you keep track of when our various community outreach projects occur, click here to view a monthly calendar of our activities.
Alpha Pregnancy Support
Our Lady of the Rosary plays a supportive role in assisting Alpha Pregnancy Support, a local agency that provides consultations, options, and unplanned pregnancy support. All services are confidential and offered at no cost. Our Lady’s Guild conducts the Baby Bottle campaign once a year to raise funds for the organization in addition to an annual second collection.
Backpack Program
Hunger is a real problem for many of the students in our community. When children do not receive the proper nutrition, they will be more likely to struggle academically and socially, setting them up to be behind as they journey through school.
Through the Backpack Program, students in Lexington City Schools and Davidson County Schools take home a backpack full of kid-friendly food every weekend of the school year. Our Lady’s Guild collects items for the Backpack Program at every monthly meeting, but parishioners can donate non-perishable food items year-round as well by placing items in the designated storage cubes in Rosary Hall.
Blessing Box
In 2023, Our Lady of the Rosary built a Blessing Box in front of the church to help persons in need of food, personal hygiene items, and related supplies. Parishioners keep the Blessing Box stocked by donating items throughout the year. A few local grocery stores and other churches are also helping to keep the Blessing Box filled. Parishioners can bring their items to Rosary Hall and place them in the designated storage cubes at any time.
Christmas Gifts for the Needy
Every November Our Lady’s Guild displays an Angel Tree in the church Narthex. Parishioners can select an “angel” from the tree and purchase a gift for the needy child. Additionally, the Youth Group purchases Christmas gifts for the children at the Lexington Children’s Home.
First Hope Ministries
Our Lady of the Rosary supports the local homeless shelter in a variety of ways. Area churches are assigned a food staple to donate, and our church is in charge of supplying sugar throughout the year. In addition, parishioners volunteer to prepare meals and bring in desserts multiple times/year. The Youth Group collects coats and other clothing items to donate to the residents. Announcements are made during Mass to let parishioners know when assistance is needed.
Grace Episcopal Church Sunday Lunch Program
Our Lady’s Guild works closely with Grace Episcopal Church, located just up the street, in serving Sunday lunches several times/year to those in need of a hot meal.
Food and Clothing Drives
Various church groups, including Faith Formation and the Youth Group, ask parishioners to donate food and clothing items during the year. For example, the Youth Group sponsors Socktober every October to collect socks, hats, and gloves for residents at the local homeless shelter. Items can be dropped off in Rosary Hall in the designated storage cubes.
Special Olympics
Members of Our Lady’s Guild and the Knights of Columbus volunteer their time each year to assist with the Davidson County Special Olympics. Our members help with the rewarding of medals to the recipients who can then qualify to participate in Special Olympics North Carolina.
Special Olympics North Carolina held its first Games in 1970 with 400 participants and has since grown to be recognized globally as one of the largest Special Olympics programs in the world. Nearly 40,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities participate in Special Olympics North Carolina.
Meals on Wheels
Our Lady of the Rosary was one of the founding organizations of Meals on Wheels in the Lexington area. Parishioners volunteer their time to drive and deliver hot, well-balanced meals to the aged, convalescent, handicapped and others who are unable to prepare adequate meals.