St. Rita's Outreach Ministry oversees activities that address needs within and beyond our parish boundaries. 

Outreach activities include:

Weekend Backpack

 Through collaboration with "ReSources Vail Food Bank," The Weekend Backpack Program provides a bag filled with two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinner food items, as well as three snacks, milk, a fruit cup, and a fruit juice to students in the Vail School District experiencing food insecurity. As of November 2023, 417 bags have been distributed weekly. St. Rita's Outreach Ministry purchases ramen and granola bars for the weekly bags and transports the bags to each of the Vail Schools weekly. 

Holiday Food Basket 

Provides families in Vail, Corona de Tucson, and Rita Ranch with the makings of a holiday meal at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Outreach conducts a Gift Card Drive in early November to include it in the holiday baskets so families can purchase their holiday protein of choice. Gift cards are to local grocery stores in denominations of $10, $20, or $30. In 2023, over 500 families received a holiday basket with a gift card. St. Rita's also assists with sorting holiday food received from our local schools and community organizations and helps pack holiday food baskets. 

Back-to-School Backpack Program

Each June, St. Rita's Outreach Ministry purchases backpacks to fill with back-to-school supplies for our Vail School District students who need help. In 2023, St. Rita provided 224 backpacks.

The Sewing Circle is an affiliate of the Outreach Ministry and provides hand-made children's clothing to those in and out of our country, as well as sewing for the Liturgical needs of the parish.

Outreach is supported through the donations of St. Rita's parishioners. Special collections are held three times a year and through the generosity of monthly and quarterly donors.

For more information on the Outreach Ministry, please contact outreach@stritainthedesert.org.