Social/Fundraising Ministries
Angels Among Us - is an annual dinner auction designed to offer an elegant evening among fellow parishioners and friends. It was created in the year 2000 by several dedicated parishioners to assist the church as a fundraiser to benefit St. Stephen Catholic School. It is a "heavenly evening" that offers a lovely atmosphere to bid on theme baskets and live auction items donated by our fellow parishioners and community. The auction has been successful in its fundraising efforts and has been able to provide funds for the educational needs of our school. We are always looking for "Angels on Earth" to support our efforts. Donations can be from businesses such as services, or merchandise that can be auctioned in the theme baskets; special talents such as sewing classes, piano lessons or yard work, donation of a theme basket, advertising in our evening program and monetary donations. We also invite you to participate in the production of the event such as greeting, check out, decorations or event set up and recruiting donations from local businesses. For more information, please contact Co-chairs Bonnie Rose (813) 677-6257 or Jeannie Lewis (813) 689-5777.
Bingo - Bingo is played from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room on the second Thursday of each month except April (Spring Jubilee). The charge is $15 for 20 games. There are also Jackpot and 50/50 games. We have a Bingo machine and board, and concessions are available. Michelle Greene (813) 689-3962 will be happy to answer your questions and we always welcome new volunteers.
Community for Women - The Community for Women (CFW) at St. Stephen is an organization that focuses on Church, community, and social activities centered around women and their families. CFW is very active and sponsors the St. Stephen Easter Egg Hunt for parish families and the Annual Yard Sale. There's always room for new members who are interested in becoming more involved in the Church community. Our members are quite diverse and represent a variety of family backgrounds. CFW monthly meetings are typically held in the evening on the 1st Friday in the multi-purpose room (No meetings during the summer). Baby-sitting is available. If you are interested in becoming a member of need more information, contact co-presidents Mary Owens (813) 654-0748 or Paula Tam (813) 685-2398.
Crafts Group - The crafts group meets every Tuesday, beginning in January from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and works on crafts, in preparation for their Annual Bazaar, usually held in October. Two weeks prior to the Annual Bazaar a raffle is held. All monies raised from the raffle and Craft Show are used to reduce the parish debt. A member need not be a "crafter" nor is a weekly commitment necessary. We welcome crafts made by parishioners who cannot attend the Tuesday workshops. All help is appreciated. Join us on Tuesdays for fun and service! Call Caren Smith (813) 654-4442 for more information.
Crocheting & Knitting Club
- “Another Way to Pray with Your Hands”
St. Stephen Crocheting & Knitting Club makes items to help raise money in the annual Craft Bazaar and provides prayer shawls, afghans, and infant/preemie/chemo caps for St Stephen’s Parish.
Anyone with a willingness to make the items is welcome to join us …no experience necessary! We’ll teach you how to do basic stitches and you’ll be well on your way. We have yarn, knitting needles and crochet hooks available. We also have patterns if needed. We meet the first and third Tuesday of every month in the Nursery at the church from 9-10am. If you have children, they are welcomed. We offer fellowship, friendship and fun. Please join us today!
If you are interested in hand-made items for yourself or a family member in need, please contact us so we can have the item blessed before it is presented as a gift from us and the parish.
Knights of Columbus-Our Council is #14084. We meet the first and third Wednesday at the church at 7:00 pm. Please join us; you must be a practicing Catholic man and at least 18 years old. Contact: Membership Director, Julio Alvarez (813) 662-1845 or the Grand Knight, Rick Hughes (813) 657-0343. 
Men's Club - The St. Stephen Men's club is a very active organization withinin our parish. Our goal is to be a large part of the fabric that holds our parish together and helps it grow to meet the needs of its parishioners. We have one fund raiser, which is a golf tournament held in the fall of the year. The monies collected are used to provide one four-year scholarship each year of $500 (a total of $2,000) and various other internal expenses. We also provide a Mother's Day breakfast (free of charge) to the parish. We support St. Vincent de Paul by collecting food and putting on a benefit where all proceeds go to that organization. At times we are called to perform many other duties, cleanup, setup, painting and other odd jobs. The men enjoy the fellowship of helping and the friendship of each other. It's not all work and no play, we meet on the second Friday of each month (excluding July) for prayer, business and fellowship. Contact Tom Gross or (813) 299-6415 for more information.
Spring Jubilee - Spring Jubilee is St. Stephen's largest fund raiser for our parish. This is a community event that you will not want to miss. Spread out over 8 acres on st. Stephen Catholic School property, this festival is entertaining for your and old alike! Come prepared to ride all of the rides, see all of the shows and enjoy some of the best food and beverages the area has to offer. Tickets usually go on sale approximately one month before the Jubilee. For more information contact the church office.
|
