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Outreach
Committeee 2008
NYU
Canterbury Club.
With several
other Episcopal churches, St. John’s prepares
monthly a Sunday meal for the members of the NYU Canterbury
Club. About 40 to 50 members attend including a few
vegetarians. Pat Hart chairs our committee and plans
the meals that are creative. Three or four volunteers
help her prepare the food.
Food Basket Collection.
St. John’s
has a food basket in the narthex for donations of canned
food that are taken to the Michael D. Fender Food Pantry
at Ascension Church. The basket becomes part of our
gifts at the offertory. Last year Ascension distributed
food to 150 people per week. This year it has risen
to 170 people per week. For more information, see Suzanne
Culhane’s article in the October “The Messenger”.
Disaster Response.
As various
disasters occur in the world, St. John’s will
suggest how we can help. The committee decided that
the best way is to send donations to the Episcopal Relief
and Development (ERD). Check with the St. John’s
office for address.
AIDS Walk.
For the fourth
year St. John’s has participated in the AID’S
Walk on May 18, 2008 at Central Park. The AIDS Walk
raises money for support of AIDS service organizations.
St. John’s is part of the Episcopal Response to
AIDS (ERA) that was founded in 2000. Suzanne Culhane
and Gerry Dilley helped start the group, and are on
the Broad of Directors. Seventy-five percent of what
the ERA raises will be used to support Episcopal groups
such as “The Open Door”. This year St. John’s
donated $8,000. The ERA raised over $57,000, and $35,000
will be used as ERA grants.
Christmas Caroling and the Village Nursing Home.
St. John’s
parishioners donated Christmas, and greeting cards to
the Village Nursing Home. On December 7th and 14th volunteers
wrote cards to the patients at the home. We also sent
cards on Valentine’s Day. Our favorite activity
is Caroling at the home. About 10 people sang carols
at the home on Wednesday, December 17, 2008. Afterwards
the singers were invited to the Rectory for refreshments
and fellowship. Thanks to Dina Mann, and the Rev’d
Deacon Mary Gregorius for organizing things, and to
all who participated in the activities.
Volunteer Needs.
One way to
volunteer is to bring wheel-chair parishioners to church.
Jimmy Lou, at the Village Nursing Home, is our most
consistent wheel-chair parishioner. Some of those who
volunteer are Beth Rake, Pamela Brown, and Stuart Brier.
To help you can sign up on a sign-up sheet on the Bulletin
Board in the Common Room. You can find ways to volunteer
in “The Messengers” for specific jobs. Examples
are help with coffee hour (especially in the summer);
posting photos on the web sight; Ushers; Volunteers
for St. Vincent’s Hospital Pastoral Care Department,
etc. What is good to hear is that parishioners do respond
when asked. Thank you for your help.
Foundling Hospital.
For several
years we have planned activities for the children in
Blaine Hall at the Foundling Hospital. On April 5th
we planned a spring party. Seven children from the ages
of 4 to 11 arrived at 12:30 pm with 4 hospital staff.
Bruce Colin, artist and retired teacher, helped the
children to create murals with cutout shapes, magic
markers, and glue. They were creative, and one mural
went up in the Parish Hall, and the other in the Common
Room for all to enjoy. They were finally sent to Blair
Hall. Richard Lipscomb took photographs, and Rosemary
O’Shansky made cupcakes. Others who helped were
Ellen Wagner, Pam Brown, Maureen Crowe, and Jeanne Sutton.
Margot Shields brought over her two dogs, which was
fun for the children. The children took flower seeds
home with them that they had planted. In the fall when
we called to plan another party we were told the city
insisted that all the children had to be placed in foster
homes. They were all placed except for one or two.
LGBT Teen Workshop.
This is the
fifth year for a program for the LGBT youth between
the ages of 13 to 21. Most of the participants are older
teens. Attendance continues to be erratic, especially
for those who are working. The leaders, Max Shulman,
MacAdam Smith, and Richard Lipscomb are going out to
various agencies to promote the program. It began as
a theater group, but the teens expressed their lack
of interest. The goals have changed to give then the
support they need and to promote self-esteem. This is
done through discussions (which is lively), writing
in their notebooks, sharing with the group, and hearing
LBGT speakers talk about their experiences and how they
have overcome problems. Some of the topics discussed
were civil rights, self-expression, and American pop-culture.
Book Drive.
Under the
auspices of the missionary doctors, Cherian and Kalindi
Thomas, St. John’s had a book drive for elementary
students. We contributed 45 children’s books to
send to some schools in Zimbabwe where materials are
lacking.
Other Activities. Members of the Outreach Committee
chose one group or activity to write up for “The
Messenger”. Look at your “The Messenger”
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