Walking Out of Poverty
Walking Out of Poverty (WOOP)
“When you pray, pray with your feet”
--African Proverb
What is WOOP?
Walking Out of Poverty (WOOP) is a hands-on community outreach project and a way for members of Trinity to serve and impact the lives of our neighbors and reveal the person and message of Christ in all of us. Trinity is a vibrant and diverse community committed to helping children, youth and adults. Our church is a place where the reach of God to the world is made plain through our service to people, neighborhoods, to our city and to communities around the world. We, like many others, understand the damage that poverty causes to the bodies and souls of individuals, families and neighborhoods.
It is for that reason, that we began WOOP. Now in its creation stage, we see WOOP forming real and practical ways our members can contribute to positively impacting the lives of our neighbors and revealing the person and message of Jesus Christ to the world. WOOP helps members of our congregation make life transforming connections that support a full life and equipped them to impact the world through service.
How You Can Get Involved
There are a few main ways that you can get involved in WOOP. Please take a moment to browse through our current Support WOOP areas below and see if there is an area that is calling to you!
Support WOOP Areas
Be Interviewed- We are interviewing Trinity members and friends to find out about their experiences, resources, skills and interests in making a difference.
Be an Interviewer- Help the WOOP Core Team collect important information to understand what we have to offer and
Interested in donating or sponsoring our Community Development efforts? If you have resources or skills and are interested in becoming part of the WOOP initiative please contact Erickson, WOOP Co-Chair, at ehc at buffalo.edu
Contact Us:
If you are interested in getting involved in WOOP, if you need additional information or if you have ideas about WOOP, contact Erickson at ehc at buffalo.edu
Who on Trinity’s WOOP Core Team?
Zoe Hollomon, WOOP Co-Chair
Zoe was formally trained as an Urban Planner at Cornell University and found her love for community organizing in Buffalo while training neighborhood leaders at United Neighborhoods Block Club Incubator. Zoe received an M.S. in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University in 2007. Zoe has attended Trinity Episcopal for two years and has experience in urban housing development and youth organizing. Zoe currently works at the Massachusetts Avenue Project for the Growing Green Urban Agriculture Program and teaches a youth enterprise course to local teens. Contact Zoe at hollomon at mass-ave.org
Cynthia Lehman, WOOP Co-Chair
Cynthia has a long history of involvement in social justice projects ranging from women’s concerns to improving education and health to peace and international cooperation. She has been involved professionally and as a volunteer in developing and organizing projects, fund raising, hands-on service, volunteer recruitment and training, and advocacy. Recently, she accepted a position teaching English to newly settled refugees. Her current volunteer commitments at Trinity include the Vestry, Healing Ministry, Study Pod facilitator and the cooking team for meals for Trinity members/friends. She also volunteers two afternoons a week at the FLY After School Program for 6th-8th grade immigrant and refugee students, and is a Lead Facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Program. She’s the proud mother of Matthew who lives in Cleveland. Contact Cynthia at lehman.cynthia at gmail.com
Erickson Contreras, WOOP Co-Chair
Erickson is a firm believer in Trinity’s Mission which call us to “gathering the wisdom and resources of the community of faith to name and heal the wounds of injustice”. In addition, he is a strong supporter of building community within Trinity. Recently Erickson completed a 3-year term in the Vestry where he was involved in the early stages of WOOP. Other volunteer commitments have included: Check Out Coordinator for the Starlight Auction and Holiday in the Avenue, Chalice Bearer, Greeter, initiatives aimed at new members and serving as translator in El Salvador. Erickson holds two undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Political Science and an MBA from UB. Currently he is a Senior Accountant for BlueCross BlueShield. Erickson and his wife Jennifer have attended Trinity since 2003. Contact Erickson at ehc at buffalo.edu
