There are many opportunities to volunteer at Sacred Heart, serving both our parish and local communities. Join our active, loving community as we serve God by serving others.

Volunteering: How to Become an Official Parish Volunteer:

Interested in being a Minister at Mass–Eucharistic, Liturgical, Music, Usher or Sacristan? Interested in working with Faith Formation or Youth Ministry? Interested in joining the Bereavement team, which provides funeral receptions and support for grieving families? Interested in jumping in and helping with our Parish Events, like the Carnival, Artisan Faire, and Rotating Safe Car Park?

Contact Barbara Leo (b.leo@sacredheartsaratoga.org) to complete the Diocesan requirements for fingerprinting and safe environment training, and you’ll be on your way to becoming an Official Parish Volunteer!

We welcome your participation in our parish life.

The Social Justice Committee facilitates parishioners participating in charity and justice outreach and advocacy, by educating parishioners and helping them to volunteer to help the poor and needy and to be conscious of the sanctity of human life. To learn more about our Social Justice Committee, please visit our Social Justice Page.

Please check the Parish Pulse (e-Bulletin) or email Rachel Garcia for details about volunteering for these events.

On-Going Activities

Second Collection

Each quarter a second collection is taken at the end of Mass and divided between Sacred Heart Community Services and West Valley Community Services. It is taken the first Sundays of March, June, September and December to help with their outreach to those in need.

Park-it Market

Park-It-Market is a mobile food truck operated by West Valley Community Services. It offers free food to West Valley clients with barriers to transportation. Clients are allowed to select their own food items and do their own shopping. Sacred Heart parishioners volunteer the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month from 10:15am to noon, assisting at a senior low-income apartment complex.

February

Rotating Safe Car Park (RSCP)

The RSCP’s mission is to create safe and welcoming spaces where guests who are living in their cars can sleep, stabilize, recover, and gain access to social services. During February, up to 20 vehicles park behind the Parish Center and the guests living in them are welcomed by parishioners and provided with food, beverages, and warmth. Please see volunteer slots here.

March/April

Operation Rice Bowl (ORB)

Each Lent parishes in the Diocese of San Jose raise funds for Catholic Relief Services by making cardboard “rice bowls” available to parishioners. Parishioners are encouraged to make sacrifices such as having meatless meals, skipping movies or treats, and cutting back on optional spending. Money saved by their sacrifices is put into the “rice bowl”. “Rice bowls” are collected on Palm Sunday.

May

Food & Toy Collection Barrels

Barrels are placed in front of the church and on the Parish Center porch to collect non-perishable food such as canned meats, beans, rice and cereals for those with food insecurities. The donated items are given to Sacred Heart Community Services and West Valley Community Services.

July

Pack-a-Back

Donations of backpacks and school supplies are collected at the entrance to the church for the West Valley Community Services Pack-a-Back program, providing disadvantaged children with their school needs. WVCS also asks for volunteers to help set-up the backpacks.

June – October

Through the local harvesting season there are many migrant farmworkers in both Santa Clara and Monterey counties. This ministry is starting to work with Farmworkers Caravan to identify ways that Sacred Heart Parish can assist those who are working the local fields to gather the food we put on our own tables.

November

Turkey Collection

On the Monday before Thanksgiving parishioners bring turkeys to the Parish Center and a volunteer delivers them to Sacred Heart Community Services.

December

Christmas con Cariño

The Sacred Heart Women’s Club’s Advent project is to sew 100 Christmas stockings for needy children. And, of course, they also fill the stocking with toys, socks, hats, books, and candy. This is part of Christmas Con Cariño which collects and distributes over 6,000 stockings each year.

Food Collection Barrels

Barrels are placed in front of the church and on the Parish Center porch to collect non-perishable food such as canned meats, beans, rice and cereals. The donated items are given to Sacred Heart Community Services and West Valley Community Services.

Advent Giving Tree

Throughout Advent a Christmas tree is displayed in the church vestibule decorated with gold stars. Each star has a gift request from a member of a need family. It could be a request for a soccer ball, a toy for girl age 6-8, or a Safeway gift card for Mom. Parishioners select the item(s) they want to shop for and return the item the following Sunday. All these gifts are donated to Sacred Heart Community Services for parents to select and wrap for their families.

Have you been given the gift of music? Come join us in music ministry with your voice or instrument. Contact Michael Wright at (408) 867-3634 or by email.

Interested in serving as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, or Usher? These and many more ways to serve during Mass are available by contacting our Liturgist Michael Wright at (408) 867-3634 or by email.