Supporting our community is important to us. Currently, our outreach programs include:
Community Meal
ECW
Underwear Because We Care
Community Meal
St Alban’s is one of the local churches that support three meal sites in the Quad Cities to feed our hungry.
If you would like to participate in this ministry, through donations, through preparation, through serving, or even through prayer, please contact the church office at (563) 386-4087.
The Community Meal originally began in 1965 at the urging of Judy Bess, Bobbi Beta and Thelma Roby at the Catholic Worker House. The original goal of the ministry was to feed the indigent and homeless that found their way to Davenport and the rest of the Quad Cities. Judy’s initial vision was that local churches would all provide a meal once a month. In the beginning, not enough churches signed on to the ministry through the Council of Churches, but enough churches signed on that meals were able to be provided five days a week.
Over time, the ministry came to be known in the communities as a place to take food donations. Grocery stores would donate old bread that they would not sell. Restaurants would bring leftovers. And the churches tried to feed all that came. Over time, and despite occasional interference from the local city government, the ministry outgrew its location at the Catholic Worker House.
As God would have it, the Salvation Army had purchased an old mortuary that had gone out of business and had no real use for it. For the better part of the next decade or so, the Community Meal served food to all in need at that former mortuary.
Eventually, the Salvation Army sold that building, but it asked the ministry to move to the shelter for women and children, which is still the current location for the meal. Additionally, Churches United got involved in the ministry. Today, some 110 local churches support three meal sites in the Quad Cities! Churches participate as they are able, but the hungry are fed seven nights a week, 365 days a year.
As part of its Christian witness, St. Alban’s has undertaken to provide feasts each month that it serves. Honoring its founding, the ministry is entirely lay led and lay organized. St. Alban’s has served Turkey and Ham dinners during the holidays, lamb at Easter time, comfort themed meals (meatloaf, meatballs, chicken pot pie), Italian themed meals, and various other types of meals. Our prayerful hope is that the hungry and forgotten of society will be reminded of the feast to which their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ calls them. Always we are feeding, sometimes we are sowing seeds, sometimes we are watering or fertilizing, and occasionally we reap; but always we are about sharing the love of God in Christ to all who come to share in His bounty.
If you would like to participate in this ministry, through donations, through preparation, through serving, or even through prayer, please contact the church office and someone can put you in touch with the month’s coordinator.
Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
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ECW meeting at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 
We are Episcopal Church Women of all ages, ethnic origins and socioeconomic backgrounds who hold a variety of views. However, the common denominator
of our members is love of God and the wish to do His work.
MISSION, & VISION
Mission – The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) empowers women to do Christ’s ministry in the world.
Vision – Our vision for all women of the Episcopal Church is that we become a vibrant blend of all ages, coming together as a peacemaking, healing part of the Church. We aspire to be a God spark – shining and sharing the love of Christ.
St. Alban’s ECW has been in existence since the beginning of our church building. Over the last 60 years we have supported our church through prayer, activities, creativity and financial aid. If there is a need we help to embrace it, if there a hole we help to fill it, but only with the love and guidance of Christ. Some of our past projects include the following:
-Supported Christmas and Thanksgiving families
-Bought supplies of all kinds for the church
-Organized church celebrations of all kinds
-Helped flood, hurricane and disaster victims
-Helped purchase medicine for those in need
-Sponsored women’s events and weekend retreats
-Supported groups fighting human trafficking
-Feeding the hungry and homeless
-Supported Underwear Because We Care
-Sponsored numerous fundraising events
-Sponsored social activities for the church and neighborhood
-Given to growing parishes in Iowa, Africa and other parts of the world
St. Alban’s ECW usually meet once every two months after the church service. We discuss and plan our events and actions throughout the year. Please join us anytime, as all St. Alban’s women are members of ECW. Help us to listen, teach, respond and seek out the needs of the church and the world, with the love and support of Jesus Christ our Savior.
Underwear Because We Care
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Underwear Because We Care (UBWC) was established in 2012, although it can trace it roots back over 30 years. Approximately 30 years ago, a lady stood up at St. Albans Episcopal Church and told the community that she wanted the men’s used but still serviceable underwear. This raised a chuckle from the church community however she went on and explained that she worked with homeless people who traveled through the community and had it had been brought to her attention that they frequently did not have serviceable or any underwear. She wanted to give underwear she collected to the homeless to fill the need! This ministry continued for several years and eventually ended when she could no longer continue filling the need.
Several years later, the St. Albans community had a new priest who heard the story and thought it was a great story! Eventually she moved to a new community in Dubuque, Iowa and shared the underwear story. The Dubuque church liked the story and began an underwear ministry within her church. At a gathering of Episcopal church communities everyone was asked to share a new ministry that they were conducting. The Dubuque church shared the new underwear ministry. The concept was well received. On the way home, the Senior Warden and Priest discussed the concept and a decision was made to add an underwear ministry to the community. The major difference was that this ministry would need to be bigger than just St. Albans. As a result, it was determined that we would expand to the entire Quad City Metropolitan Community. We initially operated out of St. Albans Church and under the Episcopal Church’s non-profit status. In October 2016 the IRS granted us our own non-profit status. In 2017 the Center in Davenport was gracious enough to allow us to operate out of their facility.
The initial concept was to collect underwear through St Albans and additional partner organizations, with distribution being made through partners that currently provided services to the needy and homeless. At the beginning, the program was named Undee Sunday, as we anticipated our collection partners would be churches. When we had public schools, who wanted to collect it was decided to change the name of the campaign and later the organization to Underwear Because We Care. In the first year, with a lead time of two weeks we had four churches and two schools who collected about 2000 items. The underwear was distributed through 10 partner organizations that provided services to the homeless and needy. Since then we have grown larger. We now collect and distribute twice a year, with the collections in October and April and distributions about four weeks later. As we have grown, we have received donations from individuals and organizations and obtained grants from foundations who support the program.
Four years into the program, we were approached by an organization that had an emergency need for one of their clients. We filled the need and it was determined that a need existed, thus the emergency program. We established a goal to fill the need in a maximum of two to three business days. A review of this program determined that the people closest to the client would be in the best position to determine if It was an emergency need. Some examples of situations that would constitute an emergency need, but not limited to: would be a fire that destroys everything or a mother and child or father and child who must leave everything behind to escape an abusive situation. There are many other situations, since our partners are closer to the instant situation, we allow them the freedom to determine if the situation qualifies as an emergency.
During fiscal year 2019, we collected just over 10,000 through 13 partners with the items being distributed through 28 partner organizations, helping approximately 1800 individuals. The emergency program added another 699 items being distributed to 99 people. The fall FY2020 collection resulted in distribution of approximately 7200 items.
Luther Crest Service
On the third Wednesday of the month some St. Alban’s members lead a service at Luther Crest, a senior apartment in Davenport. While other churches provide a service on different days ours is the only one to bring Communion. A resident leads everyone in singing traditional hymns. Refreshments and fellowship follow the worship. The average attendance is twelve persons. We have held services for about seven years. A former St. Alban’s priest, Father McVey, led the service in the past with other volunteers. Now our volunteers include Bernice Jannings, Loretta Rice, Janet Strohbehn, Julie Williams, and Jane Shovar. It is a blessing to be able to take part in this ministry.
WINGS Jail Ministry
The Jail ministry started about 6 years ago. There are about 80 volunteers who go into the jail after a background check and orientation once a year to qualify. My time to go is Sunday evenings at 7:00 pm. I usually bring a service, including communion (I had to get pre-approved to bring blessed grape juice and wafer kits, self-enclosed). The ladies fully participate and I incorporate the 12-steps of AA as they are really good rules of life. I also provide a short sermon, trying to incorporate the gospel to their every-day lives in and out of jail. I provide “Prayer Requests” so they may write their first name and any prayers they would like our intercessors to pray for everyday. Once a month or so I show a movie. I also go down on holiday evenings which they really appreciate. Once in awhile some may attend our church, but only one lady has consistently come in the last 5 years. The others have either moved, gone back to prison, found another church, or just not come back. The name of the program is W.I.N.G.S., or, Women In God’s Service.
Silvercrest
The service at Silver Crest is for the Memory Care residents. It’s a morning prayer based service with more singing than a full service. They all know the old-time hymns, mostly by heart and don’t have to read to follow along and will be very aware of what they’re singing. When they aren’t singing, they need assistance in following along our progression in the service. I just have the old and new testament readings, psalm and gospel for the upcoming Sunday. I also provide communion from our reserve sacrament. It’s amazing to see them become aware of what they’re singing, possibly bringing back beloved childhood memories of those same songs of which are so familiar.
Change 4 Hope
Change 4 Hope was started 4 years ago with the hope of putting a smile on the faces of our area homeless during the Christmas season. It started out as filling a large plastic Iowa Hawkeye bank up with coins at the beginning of the year and before we knew it, people were donating bills and checks. We also had certain Sundays dedicated to Change 4 Hope with all loose money going towards our fund. The money collected goes to purchase socks, hats, scarves, various toiletries, and bags of candy for each person. Our first year we made 50 bags and this year we were able to wrap 80 presents. We also donate money towards the Prime Rib Dinner served at the Community Meal in December for our area homeless. This could not be done without the generosity of the St. Albans family!