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 7:30-9 p.m. Contact Karen at 281-486-4403 or Roberta at 281-486-9673 for information.
 

   
Newsletter:
Click here to view CIA’s 2019 newsletter, with photos and information about group activities and community outreach.
 
 Projects/Events through September:

The annual School Supply Drive, which helps children of low-income families, began in July, as CIA members handed out lists of needed items (shown below) after all masses the weekend of July 20-21. Donations may be dropped off in specially marked bins in the hallway to the Conference Center, through 10 a.m. on Aug. 12. Your gifts help ensure that needy children who attend Queen of Peace and St. Pius V Catholic schools have a good start to their education year. For information, call Marla at 281-480-1231. Thanks for your participation.

School Supply Drive List

Items are listed in order of most to least needed: Plastic pocket folders no brads, (red, blue, green, yellow & purple); Plastic pocket folders with brads, (red, blue, green, yellow & purple); Black marble composition books; Glue sticks (Elmer’s, Scotch or Avery brands); Washable classic markers, broad or fine tip; Filler paper, wide rule; 3 X 5 white index cards with lines; 3-ring binders, 1 inch; 3-ring binders, 1-½ inch; Binder dividers with 5 tabs; 3-ring zipper pencil pouches; Facial tissues; Colored pencils, 12 count; Scissors, 5” blunt or pointed tips; Backpacks; Latex-free block & cap erasers; Spiral notebooks, 1-subject, wide rule; Crayola brand crayons, 24 count; Construction paper, 9”X12”, assorted colors; Black ink pens; #2 pencils; Elmer’s brand school glue, 4 oz.; Plastic pencil boxes; Paper pocket folders with brads, (red, blue, green, yellow & purple); Water color sets; Highlighters; 12” rulers, standard & metric; Hand sanitizer

Spring Accomplishments:

Thanks for making the Hospitalized Veterans Project a success. Through your generosity, we donated 24 large boxes full of toiletries, socks, underwear, books, puzzles and games for the use of hospitalized veterans and the family members who accompany them at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.

During the Lenten Box Project, you donated about 120 small boxes filled with toiletries, clothing and other essential items. These donations are helping grateful clients served by Casa Juan Diego, a local Catholic shelter. Thanks again.
 
In February, members completed the Valentine Senior Services Project, which is funded by parishioners' financial donations through the CIA monthly envelope. Boxes of chocolates were given to 50 elderly clients of Catholic Charities.
 
 
Thank You So Much:
St Clare’s Christians In Action members gratefully thank all parishioners for support of our many outreach projects last year. Your caring and generosity allowed us to assist the most needy. Below are some of the ways you helped others during 2018.
 

• Provided 282 needy families with financial help to pay monthly rent, utilities and other aid, at a cost of more than $58,000.
• Presented gift bags for 72 elderly clients identified by Catholic Charities, in the Valentine Senior Services Project.
• Donated 175 boxes of essential items for those served by Casa Juan Diego Shelter, through the Lenten Box Project.
• Contributed an entire truck full of underwear, socks, books, toiletries, puzzles and games in the Hospitalized Veterans Project.
• Raised $1,750 in the annual CROP Hunger Walk, to help the needy through three local organizations and the international Catholic Relief Services.
• Gave enough school supplies to meet the needs of many under privileged children served by St. Pius V and Queen of Peace Catholic parish schools.
• Adopted--and provided food for--49 needy families and donated enough food to fill almost 100 boxes for pantries at St. Pius V Parish and Casa Juan Diego Shelter, in the Thanksgiving Adopt-a-Family Project and Food Drive.
• Gave gifts of clothing, shoes, toys, and essentials to the needy: 75 children and 25 seniors identified by Salvation Army, and many clients of Casa Juan Diego Shelter, in the Spirit of Christmas Project.
• Helped feed the homeless of Clear Lake, through the Mercy Tree project.
• Supported our parish weekly food basket, and donated eyeglasses, education box tops, Sunday coupon circulars and stamps to help others.

 
 
Ongoing Support:
Did you know your contributions to CIA’s monthly envelope (Aid to the Poor and Needy) pay for nearly all of CIA’s financial outreach assistance to the needy?  CIA receives donations from two grocery store programs (see paragraph below) and St. Clare’s Knights
of Columbus, but no additional funding comes from the church for outreach aid.  The amount that you decide to include in your envelope the fourth weekend of each month is what helps the local needy who come to us with immediate, critical, short-term needs--like assistance with rent or utility bills. Typically, CIA spends about $4,500-$6,000 each month, to help 20-35 families. We appreciate your generosity. After all, donations from St. Clare parishioners keep Christians in Action “in action.”
 
Enroll in these community programs to benefit CIA assistance efforts each time you shop.
In the Kroger Community Rewards program, link your Kroger card to CIA's number, KM540. Log on at Kroger.com to register. Link your Randalls Remarkable Card to CIA's number, 8313. Apply at any Randalls Customer Service Desk. For both programs, your enrollment remains unless you change it. These programs involve no cost to you and the CIA receives a percentage of what you spend, to benefit the needy in Clear Lake. If you need help, please call Yvette at 281-480-1330.