A new effort, “St. Matti’s for Seniors” is a ministry of Saint Matthias Anglican Church, 101 S. First Ave., Oakdale. The new senior ministry will be providing transportation to local senior citizens who are in need. They will be matching up volunteers with seniors to provide transportation to appointments, the grocery store, or to run errands. They are currently looking for more volunteers who have a heart for seniors and would like to help. They are hoping the volunteers can give at least an hour or two of service during the week.

Pastor John Roberts and a committee have been working for roughly nine months to create this ministry, the pastor indicating he feels that seniors in this community have a real need. Saint Matthias recently hosted a two-day rummage sale at the church, to raise funds for this program. People within the church donated their time or sold items at this sale, he noted.

Pastor Roberts said all volunteers will be trained for the program and will have to go through a background check.

Seniors wanting to participate can contact the church, and Pastor Roberts said someone from the committee will then interview the seniors to see what their needs are, to match the volunteer that best fits that client’s need. The hours for transportation will vary dependent on the client’s needs and the volunteer’s availability.

“Of course, we hope this ministry will be a blessing to the seniors in need of transportation, but we also believe our volunteers will be blessed through serving and befriending another,” said Pastor Roberts.

If you would like to volunteer or if you are a senior in need of transportation, call St. Matti’s for seniors at (209) 846-1675 or email smfsoakdale@gmail.com.