We’re On Our Way

Crossroads of Caring began with an idea, an idea that grew out of my work in a small urban parish in Rochester, NY. At St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church there was a small but mighty contingent of dedicated folks who understood community. They knew they had a part to play in the neighborhood where the church was situated. As the priest-in-charge they offered me the freedom to watch and dream. St. Stephen’s was already a known quantity in the neighborhood when I arrived. The folks there had started a Sunday noon community meal served several times a month that was serving 60-80 people for free. A former pastor was one of the founding members of the local food pantry that had its office in our building. After I arrived, we looked for ways to continue to grow in our connections with the community. We planted gardens on the church lawn, hosted the regional food bank mobile pantry, and our deacon started a sewing ministry to benefit our neighbors. We grew as a host for many twelve step programs. We discovered all kinds of people entering our building … and coming to our doors.

Some folks wanted money - for rent, for food, for transportation, for medications - most needed emotional and spiritual support to help them cope with the stresses of life, with family, with poverty, with illness, with trauma. The gardens and the front steps of the church became my second, and perhaps most important, office. I began to wonder what it would be like to have trained listeners available to the community to provide emotional and spiritual support to people where they were, before they ended up in the hospital, before they called the suicide hotline, before they ended up isolated and alone. That was the beginning of Crossroads of Caring.

I became certified as an ACPE Educator. Community partners came on board, recognizing the need for intentional spiritual care in their programs and organizations. Beginning with East House, these partners have made all the difference. With their insight and support Crossroads of Caring moved from being an idea to becoming an ACPE provisionally accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) center in August 2020. Our first CPE cohort graduated in April 2021. A second will graduate in July. We’re on our way, and CPE is only the beginning of what we hope to offer.

We’re all about community and caring, and we could use your help. Make a donation, bring an idea, share a spiritual need you’ve identified, take a class, volunteer your time. Follow your spirit. Join us in this work of the heart.