Future of St. Verena's

Where we are headed: more help for the Florida community that has helped our churches grow and flourish.

Growing with the community that grew us

St. Verena's Service is looking to grow and to provide more help to the Florida community that has allowed our churches to grow and flourish. These are the plans we are working toward.

Where things stand

These are goals for the future, not programs we run today. Gifts made now continue to support the service events and charities described on our Donate page.

Education

Scholarship fund

A scholarship fund for kids who have no access to funding for college, so that cost is not what stops a young person from continuing their education.

The plan

Scholarship fund

Open a fund that holds donations for scholarships only.
Set fair guidelines and a simple application for students without other funding.
Have a small team review every application, with need as the deciding factor.
Award the first scholarships, then add more as the fund grows.

Growing with the Coptic Church. Our partner churches will help us reach students and families, and awards will be open to students across the communities they serve.

Education

Free local tutoring

We will provide free tutoring close to home, so students in our local community can get the help they need to succeed.

The plan

Free local tutoring

Recruit volunteer tutors, from college students to working professionals.
Hold free sessions in church halls and community spaces close to home.
Start with reading, math, and test prep for local students.
Add subjects, times, and locations as more tutors join.

Growing with the Coptic Church. Coptic church halls across Tampa Bay can become places to learn, so tutoring grows wherever our partner churches are.

Education

School supplies

We will give students who need school supplies a way to apply for them, free of charge.

The plan

School supplies

Collect backpacks, notebooks, and other supplies through drives and donations.
Open a simple, private application for families to request what their students need.
Hand out supplies before each school year begins.
Restock through the year as families and teachers tell us what is missing.

Growing with the Coptic Church. Each partner church can be a drop-off and pickup point, so supplies reach families close to home.

Florida

Rebuilding Florida

Mission trips to help build up local Florida cities and to help residents rebuild after disasters.

The plan

Rebuilding Florida

Build a team of trained volunteers ready to serve after storms and disasters.
Work with local relief groups to go where help is needed most.
Repair homes and help residents rebuild, during emergencies and long after them.
Plan regular trips to more Florida cities as the team grows.

Growing with the Coptic Church. Coptic churches across Florida can host and feed volunteer teams, so each trip starts from the church closest to the need.

Overseas

Overseas mission trips

Mission trips overseas to spread love through hard physical labor and to offer education to the people we serve there.

The plan

Overseas mission trips

Choose places and projects together with Coptic Church missions abroad.
Prepare volunteers before each trip, from building skills to teaching.
Pair hard physical work with classes for children and adults.
Return to the same places, so relationships and progress last.

Growing with the Coptic Church. Serving alongside the Coptic Church's missions lets our volunteers go where the church already knows and cares for the people.

Every community

Safe spaces

Funding safe spaces in all of these communities, where every person can feel equal and welcome.

The plan

Safe spaces

Listen to each community to learn where a safe space is needed most.
Fund welcoming spaces with trained volunteers, open to everyone.
Offer a calm place to rest, talk, and find help.
Grow from one safe space to every community we serve.

Growing with the Coptic Church. Our partner churches can open their doors as welcoming places where every person is treated with dignity, regardless of faith.

Florida first

Growing into more churches

Bringing our service to more Coptic churches, starting across Florida and growing over time with the help of our donors.

The plan

Growing into more churches

Keep strengthening our work with our partner churches in Tampa Bay.
Partner with more Coptic churches across Florida, one region at a time.
Support each new church's service events the way we do here.
Reach beyond Florida over time, as our donors make each step possible.

Growing with the Coptic Church. Every new partner church brings its own volunteers, service events, and neighbors in need, so our reach grows with the Coptic Church itself.

Our donors

Powered by our donors

Every goal on this page grows with the people who give. Our donors make each next step possible.

The plan

Powered by our donors

Put every gift to work for the people and goals our donors care about.
Share updates on what each goal has reached and what comes next.
Welcome individuals, families, and local businesses as partners in this work.
Start each new goal as giving allows, so we grow steadily.

Growing with the Coptic Church. Giving through St. Verena's helps the service of our partner Coptic churches reach further than any one church could alone. Ways to give

Fresh start

Back on their feet

Helping people in need get back on their feet and thrive, with resume building, job applications, interview prep, and more.

The plan

Back on their feet

Offer one-on-one help with resumes and job applications.
Hold mock interviews and workshops on what employers look for.
Add computer skills, budgeting, and help finding training and local jobs.
Stay in touch through each person's first weeks on the new job.

Growing with the Coptic Church. Volunteers from our partner churches can mentor job seekers and share their own experience, walking with each person until they thrive.

What we believe

Food, water, hygiene, warmth, and shelter are human rights, not privileges.Guided by God's love, we hold ourselves responsible for doing our part. Our purpose is to help every person feel that love and to benefit from the compassion of those who share it, regardless of faith.

Help us get there

If you have ideas, skills, or time to share, we would love to hear from you.