Adopt a Chaplain

Adopt-A-Chaplain is a Christ-centered ministry--the only national charity exclusively serving deployed Chaplains. Its goal is to provide prayer and spiritual support for the Chaplains themselves and to provide tangible support that will enable Chaplains to more effectively minister to both the soldiers they serve and the surrounding population.

St. Jude's veterans, led by Mike McNutt, have been a part of an Adopt-a-Chaplain program since 2010. Shipments, often weekly, are put together and sent to deployed military chaplains in Afghanistan and Iraq to help them in sharing their hearts and souls to support service personnel deployed in the most difficult of circumstances. Direct contact with the chaplains themselves enables St. Jude's to respond to their actual needs.

By adopting chaplains and their families, we pray for and communicate with them regularly. We send care packages to chaplains serving in the Middle East and they distribute the items to our troops.  This is a national effort (link) and Saint Jude's is proud to be a part of it.

One has been Major Sarah Shirley, an Episcopal chaplain at Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. She has stressed the importance of prayer cards and messages for the men and women she serves in the face of the daunting circumstances of the hospital.

Another has been Lieutenant Commander Michael Pumphrey, USN who is serving in the rear area of combat in Afghanistan – 45% of those that he serves are women.

Care Packages

The chaplains have given us a "shopping list" of most frequently requested items.

Food

Energy bars and power bars
Beef Jerky (big request)
Crystal Light and powder mixes
Individually wrapped candies

Toiletries

Hotel-size toiletries
Chapstick and sunscreen
Feminine products
Shoe insoles and GoldBond powder

Entertainment

Music CDs of all varieties
DVD movies (comedies and recent releases)
X-Box and Playstation cartridges

Other

Misters (anything to cut the heat!)
Air fresheners (no aerosol)
Beany Babies and small stuffed animals
School supplies for local children

The ministry packs boxes on the first Thursday of the month, 9am in the Parish Hall.  All are welcome to come and help out.