Christians in Action

Our Mission:
Believing that we cannot proclaim a gospel we do not live, we dedicate our activities to promoting the welfare of those in need of comfort, shelter and food and, through education and action, to working for justice and peace.
 
CIA Prayer:
Dear Lord, you are the light that brings us together. We thank you for the gifts that you have given each of us to do your work. Help us to remember our blessings and to recognize the needs of your people. Grant that our minds and hearts are open to your will and give us the wisdom to know how we can serve you. In the spirit of St. Clare, may we respond with charity and love. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
 
Meetings:
CIA members (below) invite you to join us as we meet the second Tuesday of each month, from 7-8 p.m. Contact Gordon at 832-580-8006 for information


General Information:
CIA is accepting calls for emergency outreach assistance and is working with Interfaith Caring Ministries to assist those in need. If you know of anyone in local zip codes 77058, 77059, 77062, 77565, 77573, 77586, and 77598 who needs short-term, critical help with rent or utilities, please have them complete and submit one of these forms: 


English     Spanish

If you are unable to access the form, please leave a voice message at 713-530-7452. Volunteers will answer calls and offer help as available.
 
CIA members and other parishioners continue to feed the local homeless, in partnership with local charity The Mercy Tree. Volunteers prepare food for hot lunches for recipients, about 20 each month. On a second day of each month, volunteers provide boxed sandwich lunches. For information on St. Clare’s participation, contact Nancy at 281-286-4548.
 
Projects/Events, April-June:
During May, the month of Armed Forces Day and Veterans Day, parishioners may opt to participate in the Hospitalized Veterans Project, to donate gift cards for our military men and women who receive treatment at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. When available, details of the project will be communicated to parishioners via the weekend Bulletin. 

Recent Efforts:
You gave around 200 boxes of donations for the annual Lenten Box Project, which helps clients of Casa Juan Diego, a local Catholic shelter. The toiletries, underwear, socks and other items you gave will be put to good use by grateful women, men and children. Thank you.
 
CIA members gave small Valentine gift bags of toiletries, snacks, and cards to seniors who receive help from the Bay Area Meals on Wheels program. Bags went to about 100 recipients in this effort to assist local senior citizens. 
 
CIA hosted Desserts for Donations fundraisers during one barbeque and four Knights of Columbus Lenten Fish Fry dinners and raised $2,823 for these local charitable organizations: Christus Point of Light Clinic, Loving Choice Catholic Pregnancy Help Center, Christian Renewal Center, Bay Area Meals on Wheels and ICM’s Senior Outreach Project. Thanks so much for your generosity in helping local people in need. Thanks also to Knights Council 9708, for encouraging CIA in this fundraiser.
 
Please Note Construction Revisions: 
Due to construction at St. Clare, many CIA efforts will need to change. Please note the following: 
 
CIA’s wooden storage cabinet is no longer accessible. Please bring donations to the reception desk in the school foyer (just inside the glass doors) for these collections: greeting cards, eyeglasses, stamps. 
 
The food collection basket has moved to the school foyer. When construction begins at the school, it will move to a new location so parishioners can continue dropping off much-needed donations.
 
While the Family Life Center is unavailable, there will be no further Desserts for Donations fundraisers. 
 
Revisions for CIA’s remaining charitable projects are being evaluated and will be communicated to parishioners as available. 
 
CIA’s Emergency Outreach Assistance Program and Mercy Tree monthly lunches, coordinated off-site, will continue unchanged. Thank you for supporting these works of charity. 

Thank You So Much:
St Clare’s Christians in Action members gratefully thank all parishioners for your support of our outreach efforts in 2025. Your caring and generous response to these activities ensured that St. Clare parishioners assisted the less fortunate of our community. With your support, CIA was able to: 
 

• Give critical, emergency financial assistance for rent and utilities to 281 clients, for a total of more than $93,000,
• Provide lunch (and needed personal supplies) for homeless clients of The Mercy Tree 24 times during the year,
• Surprise 100 senior Meals-on-Wheels clients with Valentine treat bags, 
• Donate 225 boxes of toiletries and other needed supplies to clients of Casa Juan Diego in the Lenten Box Project,
• Support our hospitalized veterans with donations of 35 boxes of clothing and toiletries and $995 in gift cards,
• Offer solid support to underprivileged children at two Catholic schools, by giving 76 boxes of donations in the summer School Supplies Drive,
• Supply 165 boxes of food to the local hungry served by Galveston County Food Bank and CL Food Pantry in the Thanksgiving Food Drive,
• Support food needs of 38 local senior citizens in the Thanksgiving Adopt-a-Senior Project,
• Share Christmas blessings and gifts with numerous clients of Houston shelter Casa Juan Diego and many at-risk CCISD students in the Spirit of Christmas Project,
• Offer more than 2,800 free greeting cards year-round for the use of people at four organizations: nearby Carol S. Young Prison, St. Dominic Village, the Seafarer’s Center of Galveston and residents of Parsons House assisted living facility in LaPorte.
• Support worthy local charities through donations of more than $5,000 from Desserts for Donations fundraisers, and 
• Provide ongoing food donations to the St. Bernadette and Clear Lake food pantries and recycle used eyeglasses and postage stamps to assist non-profit groups.

 
Ongoing Support:
Because parishioner contributions to CIA’s monthly envelope pay for nearly all of CIA’s financial outreach assistance to the needy, we humbly request your continued support. To donate, please use your monthly envelope entitled CIA Aid to the Poor and Needy. It is collected the weekend of the fourth Sunday of each month. If you don’t have an envelope, just note “for CIA” at lower left on your check. Thank you for making a difference to those in need.
 
Link your Kroger Plus Card to KM540 and St. Clare’s Christians In Action will earn money to help clients who need emergency outreach assistance. Link your card only once, either at a store customer desk or by visiting www.Kroger.com.
 
If you have questions, please call Gordon at 832-580-8006.

updated 4.8.2026/jwk