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Mission, Peace and Justice Ministry
2010

Meets 1st Thursday, 7 pm, Library

Lee Johnson	Ike Nwankwo
Carolyn Lehman	Mark Bohe
Genevieve Hathaway	Charlene Mackey
Eleanor Van Noppen	Justine Cantrell
Barbara McLean	Dan Andersen
Lee Johnson	Mark Dowdy

Benevolences 2010

HAITIAN RELIEF – SOME SUGGESTIONS

For those wishing to make immediate contributions to alleviate the devastation and human suffering in Haiti, here is some information we believe may be of use.

For Contributions to Our Denominations or Church World Service

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: contact www.pcusa or (800) 872-3283

United Church of Christ. www.ucc.org/make-a-gift

Church World Service: www.churchworldservice.org/donate or (800) 297-1516. Checks can be sent to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.

Other Organizations

A helpful listing of options for giving can be found in a January 13, 2010 New York Times news blog (“The Lede”) The article can be accessed by going to www.nytimes.com and typing into the search engine:

Haiti Disaster Relief: How to Contribute

A few copies of this listing may be found in the narthex.

Other Information

An insightful blog discussing long-term implications of the Haitian disaster by recognized experts on Haiti may also be accessed through the New York Times search engine (www.nytimes.com) and typing in The Help That Haiti Needs.

Some Thoughts from MPJ and Lee Johnson

We find that, at the moment, Church World Service – and perhaps our denominations – are still assessing both the situation in Haiti and their capacity, along with that of their partners, to provide immediate relief. However, contributions will undoubtedly go to ameliorating Haiti’s plight over the longer term.

Other recognized organizations may be in a better position to provide immediate emergency aid on the ground (e.g., Red Cross: www.redcross.org/en/donatemoney. World Vision: www.worldvision.org. Doctors Without Borders: www.doctorswithoutborders.org -- or to any other organization about which you have knowledge of its specific capacity to provide immediate emergency relief).

The purposes of Mission Peace and Justice (MPJ)

I. To assist the congregation and its members understanding and participation in local, regional, national, and world mission needs.

II. To develop and recommend church mission budget and promote other opportunities for financial contributions towards church mission goals.

III. To foster Christian unity and ecumenical relations between the United Churches and other local and area congregations and groups,

IV. To identify, study and provide for congregational education and action vis a vis social, moral, environmental and ethical concern.

MPJ Missions and Projects

Denominational MPJ Proposed Budget for 2010

Alternative Gifts that Give All Year

Bread for the World: http://www.bread.org/issues/

Costa Rica Experiences

Mission Offerings

Service and Fellowship Opportunities

Community Links and Resources

Community Soup Kitchen

Crop Walk

Facing the Future Project

Food Bank Weekend

Homeless Shelter Project

Choice Regional Network

WA 211 WA Information Network

Community Soup Kitchen

Every second Tuesday of the month, a group of loyal United Church members, including some of our middle school youth, prepare and serve a hearty dinner meal for homeless and less privileged folk who visit the Salvation Army kitchen and dining facility at 5th and Plum Streets in downtown Olympia. This outreach which also involves other churches and groups is conducted under the auspices of Catholic Community Services.

Costs for these dinners are financed through contributions from the United Churches’ congregation. Our diners are treated respectfully as our “guests” on these occasions, which provide a wonderful opportunity for service and for conversation with these folk.

For persons who would like to participate in preparing and serving these meals or to otherwise assist in this outreach, our sign-up chart is posted on the Mission, Peace and Justice Ministry bulletin board in the church, located in the hallway leading to the Fireside Room. In addition to the information and directions to the Kitchen on the chart, Bill Edmundson (491-8964) and either Jo or Lee Johnson (866-2972) are always pleased to respond to your questions and comments.

Food Bank Weekend: the first weekend of the month is staples are collected and donated to the Food Bank.

Dinners still go on as before but meals through Bread and Roses are now under the management of Catholic Community Services. Bread and Roses is still a very active organization with a Guest House, Women's Shelter and an Advocacy Center with mentors volunteering at all of these. They also provide chits for laundry and showers and supply bus passes.

The idea is to treat the homeless as worthwhile people and to help them to help themselves, Survival alone is not enough. It is the unmet costs of these current programs that are in need of support. United Churches makes a dinner monthly and has a line item donation for which we are grateful.

There is a real and urgent need for new cooks and servers, especially cooks with strong arms to lift heavy pots in and out of the ovens. The current crew is burning out and would welcome willing hands every second Tuesday at 2:00 for cooking or at 5:00 for serving. For questions or if you want to participate , please call Ruth Shearer of Mission, Peace and Justice who is also on the Board of Bread and Roses at 438-5682 or Jo Johnson ,our licensed food handler at ------ . Donations to the feeding program should be written to TUCO with a notation that it is for the food program-Jo Johnson. April 2007.

Homeless Shelter

For a period of time every winter we open our church to serve as a homeless shelter. This is part of a larger effort in the Olympia community to be sure individuals and families are comfortable in the winter months. This event happens every winter. Please watch The Voice for more details.

http://www.salvationarmyolympia.org/CommunityMeals.htm

http://www.salvationarmyolympia.org/

http://www.salvationarmyolympia.org/community.htm