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SOCIAL EDUCATION & ACTION
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Donation Station
Notice
the unit in the hallway for donated items. We will
continue collecting pull tabs for Ronald Mc Donald
House, eyeglasses, cell phones, and toiletries for
Downtown Daily Bread. Thank you. |
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FOOD
PANTRY.
What
else can we do for the hungry in our community? How about when
the supermarket has a “Buy one, get one free” bring in the
“free” item and place it in the food barrel in the hallway near
the office. Or just buy a few extra items when you are shopping
to donate. We send volunteers to the
Ecumenical Food Pantry at
Messiah Lutheran Church in Harrisburg and they will take the
donations with them for distribution to those in need. Canned
goods, cereal, pasta, etc. are used to fill the bags. Also
needed are personal care items such as toilet paper, toothpaste,
shampoo, soap, etc. Please be generous and remember to bring in
items and place in the barrel.
Food Pantry
Help needed!
Here is an opportunity to help feed the hungry who are desperate and
grateful for any help they receive. We need additional
volunteers to distribute food at the Ecumenical Food Pantry on
the second Monday of the month from 12 - 2. Regular and
substitute volunteers are needed. In addition, occasional
substitutes are needed for the second Friday from 9:30-12. If
you can help, please notify the church office (737-0051) or Jean
Dankosky (774-6642).
A Call to Advocacy
God calls us to be full participants in civil society, to make a
difference for the common good in the public square. We are looking for
members of the congregation who are interested in visiting their
legislators to establish a relationship and an ongoing dialogue on
topics such as legislative reform, transparency in government and other
social issues... When we advocate for justice, we translate the
church’s convictions about justice, peace and freedom into reality.
If you are interested in receiving information about issues currently
being considered in the state and national governments, we have an
advocacy list which will send you e-mails form the PA Council of
Churches and the Presbyterian Church USA. See the links for these
organizations below.
If you would be interested in participating with others to visit your
legislator, or receiving e-mail about issues under consideration, please
notify the church office or call Jean Dankosky at 774-6642.
Goodwill’s Wheels for Work Program:
Did you know that reliable transportation is a barrier people face in
finding and maintaining a job? Sometimes a car can make the difference
between keeping and losing a job. Through the Wheels for Work program,
Goodwill provides donated vehicles to working parents who cannot afford
to buy a car or utilize public transportation. Goodwill believes in
giving “a hand up, rather than a hand out”. Goodwill accepts cars from
individuals and businesses. Car donations are tax deductible and the
donation process is easy. Contact Marsha Banks at Goodwill at
mbanks@yourgoodwill.org or
717-525-6207.
Downtown Daily Bread Volunteers
Help
Wanted!
Our current base of support for Downtown Daily Bread
is shrinking due to a decreasing number of volunteers, many of whom have
given many years of faithful service. If you are willing to give 2
hours on a Wednesday afternoon, no more than 5 times a year, please
contact the church office or Jean Dankosky at 774-6642.You are promised
a very rewarding experience serving the hungry in downtown Harrisburg.
Thank you to all the volunteers who have served. Your help is greatly
appreciated.
Also, a
request has been received from DDB to please notify the kitchen at
238-4718, ext. 125, if you are having difficulty finding servers.
Prayers for Peace
Lord, strengthen our resolve to live in harmony with all
people.
Give to us:
Understanding that puts an end to strife;
Mercy that quenches hatred, and
Forgiveness that overcomes vengeance.
Empower all people to live in your law of love.
Amen.
Mission in a Mug
Around the world, coffee and fellowship come together, a warm pot of
coffee is often the centerpiece of fellowship, and gatherings.
Yet the small
coffee farmers who grow our coffee often struggle to make a simple
living. As world coffee prices have collapsed to their lowest
point in decades, farming communities from Latin America to Africa and
Asia are facing a crisis. Many farmers risk losing their land
because of debt, families are going hungry and children cannot attend
school because their parents cannot afford enrollment fees.
But,
through the Presbyterian Coffee Project, over 1600 congregations across
the country are making a difference. By purchasing fairly traded
coffee, they are ensuring that farmers receive a fair price, have access
to affordable credit and are able to invest in their families and
communities. Starting in September, Christ Presbyterian is joining in
this mission. Through the Presbyterian Coffee Project our congregation
can enjoy delicious coffee while helping small scale farmers in Latin
America, Africa and Asia build a better future for themselves and their
families. Please show your support by stopping by for coffee, tea and
fellowship each Sunday down by the kitchen.
MISSION
TRIPS FOR 2010
SWAP Mission Trip:
Please take an opportunity to speak with the Mission
Committee about the trip that was completed this October with the
SWAP
(Sharing With Appalachian People)
organization. It was a productive and blessed time for all those
involved. Thank you to all who supported this effort with your time,
talents, prayers and financial support. The Mission Committee is
planning trips to West Virginia in the Summer and the Fall.
The CPC Mission Trip Committee will be sponsoring another
SWAP trip this fall. The dates of the trip are October 10 to 16 and we
will again be travelling to Elkhorn, WV. Several people are signed up
for the trip, but there is still time and room for more people. Please
consider this opportunity and contact the church office if you are
interested. If this trip or the dates do not work for you, please
consider one of the other opportunities that are being organized by Lend
A Hand. Lend A Hand is sponsoring trips to Haiti, Tennessee and Iowa.
For more information please see the list on the Mission Trip bulletin
board.
If you are
interested in joining in any future ventures please contact Cathy in the
church office or ask any of the committee members (Galen Martin, Deb
Davis, Karen Robbins, Dave Duke, Diane Myers) for
more information. For more information on SWAP please click
HERE
Mission to Honduras:
Christ Presbyterian and friends were again in Honduras. The trip was scheduled from March 20-27
and was in the
northern part of the country, in the Copan area. We helped
build homes and install eco-stoves in two villages where indigenous
Mayan people live. We worked with Tim and Gloria Wheeler,
Presbyterian missionaries, who work with villages in this area.
It was our goal to build several stoves while we are there. The
stoves cost $110 to build and will help improve the people’s health by
venting the smoke outside their homes. Presently, they build fires on
the ground in the middle of their huts and vent them through a hole in
the ceiling. The new stoves have an enclosed firebox and chimney pipe
that vents to the outside. This protects young children from falling
into the fire pit and vents harmful smoke outside to protect their
lungs. The new stoves will provide a flat cooking surface and radiate
heat to warm the inside of the home.
We want to thank all of you who became a part of this mission,
through your donations and prayers. Vacation Bible School also donated the daily offering to
this stove project. They were able to fund five stoves!
The Honduras Mission Team: Karen Robbins, Dave Duke,
Tom Rogers, Matt Meadow-Rogers (Tom’s grandson) and Cindy Sproat (from
Market Square church) would love to share their experiences with you.
Lend A Hand:
Over the years many members of Christ
Presbyterian have contributed to and travel with the
Lend A Hand group to Florida, Iowa, New
York, and Mississippi. In 2010, Lend A Hand has trips planned to Iowa,
Georgia, and Louisiana
to help with the
rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Katrina and flooding in Georgia and
Iowa. For more information on the Lend A Hand please click
here. Thank you!
~~~ from the Mission Trip Committee
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