Serving Others in Maryland
Bea Gaddy Turkey Prep Day
Bea Gaddy’s Thanksgiving meal service in Patterson Park is legendary throughout the Baltimore area. To help facilitate this amazing event, much preparation is needed. For the last two years, volunteers from St. John’s have participated in the preparation of the turkeys. Hundreds of prepared turkeys are delivered to the preparation site and volunteers are charged with the task of unloading, washing, and slicing turkeys on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Volunteer Groups from all over the Baltimore region work together to complete this task. www.bea-gaddy-family-center.org
Camp Amazing Grace
For the last several years, St. John’s Vacation Bible School participants have generously donated snack and drink supplies to the children attending Camp Amazing Grace, an oasis of care for children ages 8-12 whose parents are incarcerated. Parishioner Rick Conover has served as a camp counselor for the last two summers. Ask him about his amazing experiences!
www.prisonministry.ang-md.org/camp.htm
Casserole Ministry
Through the generosity of St. John’s parishioners, thousands of hungry people have been fed. Every month, disposable pans and recipes can be found at each Welcome Center. The recipes change each month and a due date for the donation to be returned to the church is indicated on the recipe. Click here for recipes. We have delivered casseroles to The Elkridge Love Mission, The Jericho House of ECSM, The Helping Up Mission, Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, The Route 1 Homeless Ministry, and Our Daily Bread.
Clean Sweep Rummage Sale
Treasure hunters from far and wide descend upon St. John’s for the highly anticipated Clean Sweep Sale, which funds outreach efforts.
Free Market Days at Collington Square
Partnering with The Baltimore Free Store, a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that collects donated items and takes those donations to impoverished neighborhoods for distribution, St. John’s Outreach and youth host Free Market Days at Collington Square. Two market days have produced the largest neighborhood turn outs known in Free Store history. www.freestorebaltimore.org
Holiday Baskets
Each year, St. John’s parishioners provide holiday comfort to the families of Collington Square in Baltimore and the group homes of The Arc of Howard County. By providing baskets and bins with food, personal care items, and small gifts for Thanksgiving and Christmas, the holiday basket ministry not only helps to temporarily relieve the burden of poverty but also illustrates the tradition of the St. John’s community reaching beyond its borders to care for our neighbors. www.archoward.com
Hope Tote Campaign
Each January, St. John’s helps The Helping Up Mission kick off their annual Hope Tote Campaign. The annual Hope Tote Campaign provides an opportunity for caring families, churches, schools and organizations to give tangible help to men struggling to overcome homelessness, chemical dependency and poverty in the Baltimore area. Hope Totes are small plastic bags filled with inexpensive items like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, underwear and socks. A bar of soap or a stick of deodorant can be all it takes to restore a sense of personal dignity and encourage men to take the next step in recovery. http://community.helpingupmission.org
Route 1 Homeless Ministry with Grassroots Day Resource Center
A homeless survey conducted by the Local Board on Homelessness in September 2007 revealed at least 30 and possibly as many as 50 homeless persons living along the Rt 1 corridor without shelter. In December, advocates from the Board organized a pilot Homeless Outreach Project to determine the numbers, locations and needs of this population.
With enthusiastic support from churches, local government and foundations, the Grassroots Day Resource Center was opened in July 2008 to better serve this population. The Center provides showers, laundry, clothing, internet access, phone, mailing address, basic living supplies, conversation and referrals to social services. The Center is operated under the auspices of Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, staffed by volunteers and guided by a project coordinator.
Read more about Route 1 Ministry here. Please visit John’s promotional video, shot by Day School parent Kurt Dutra, at www.completedetail.15four.com.
For more information about this ministry or for volunteer or donation information, please visit http://rt1daycenter.wikispaces.com.
St. James Center for Ministry with Children & Youth
St. John’s joins the Diocese of Maryland and congregations in Baltimore to support our city.
Serving Others Beyond Our Region
The Jamaica Medical Mission
The Jamaica Medical Mission conducts much-needed health care clinics, performs surgery, and distributes medication and medical supplies to residents in and around our sister parish, St. Mary’s Port Maria, Jamaica. Recent missions have included an ophthalmology team who saw over 400 patients and performed 10 cataract surgeries and a medical team who saw approximately 1200 people from Port Maria and the surrounding area. Hundred of pairs of prescription and reading glasses are distributed on each mission trip.
Kenya Connect
Working in partnership with a Maryland nonprofit, Kenya Connect, St. John’s parish and Parish Day School have brought clean water to the village of Wamunyu and renovated the Mbaikini Primary School. We continue this friendship and expand to other Kenyan communities. This summer, we will help them build a chicken coop and tables for their new resource center that we funded last year. In addition, we will teach some classes and interact with the teachers and children.
LEAVEN: Supporting the Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals Committee, also known as Leaven, focuses on International Outreach activities which foster the achievement of the United Nations’s Millennum Development Goals (MDGs), The group’s activities include study, education, prayer, advocacy, fund raising, as well as project initiation, expansion and support. The goals are:
• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Achieve universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a global partnership for development
Outreach Fundraisers
Outreach Fall Fundraiser
Loads of fun, great food, time with friends, raffles, live auctions…..It must be Outreach’s annual fall fundraiser. Through the generosity of St. John’s parishioners, countless organizations have received monetary donations to support their on-going work. Scheduled for the fall, this is a great way to kick off St. John’s program season and support outreach.
