Social Ministry update, up to mid-January, 2010.
We have around 25 ministry partners, with new suggested ones. I comment only on those where there is new information OR something happened.
-Bayshore Christian Ministries
Norm visited BCM in E. Palo Alto on 1/5/01, took a tour, and talked to Rolando Zeledon, their director. This is a wonderful facility and staff, very nicely equipped. They are in need of about a dozen volunteers in their after-school elementary tutoring and literacy program. Looks very organized, tidy, and used. Goal is redirecting young lives facing poverty and lack of role models in a path toward success.
-Ecumenical Hunger Program, E. Palo Alto - also visited 1/5
There were several volunteers at work and both room and work for still more. Main emphasis is food distribution, but they provide clothes, home furnishing, new toys, a community garden, & a community computer room with almost a dozen stations, etc. Also need volunteers for intake goods, setups for distribution same, some repairs, etc.
-South Palo Alto Food Closet
Was in acute need 3 months ago for more and younger volunteers to staff their food supply-distribution at Covenant Presbyterian Church, and many churches responded with help. Ann Hadden-Cornelius and Joanie Caroon from Grace will be new volunteers there. Mary Carlson will replace Mary Glendinning on their BOD. She and Paul will continue to pick up food.
-INCH
Still looking for a replacement executive director.
BOD meets 3rd Tuesday each month (next is t'row 1/20) and is looking for new members. Might be just a phone conference (what could be easier?), so Contact
Bruce FitzGerald, board chair.
-Habitat for Humanity
The present local building site is still only that in progress in San Francisco. A new startup is envisioned in Daly City this spring, not much closer than SF. We (GraceLuthPA, PW: Cameroon) are on a waiting list (their website, as of 12/28/09) as "building volunteers."
-Green Pastures-Debbie Lillo
Debbie Lillo now does workshops and Saturday respite events through her new
association with "JoniandFriends.org." She envisions inter-church cooperation to make congregations "more welcoming to those with developmental disabilities." She now offers half-day workshops, introduction-training to respite care, rather than just the introduction as done on our first Grace Respite Saturday, which was so successful 2 years ago. However, she emailed 1/10 saying she would do just the respite Sat for us "soon" = early 2010.
-Environment
Grace was one of 7 Palo Alto Congregation, possessing, carillons to participate the 350 Campaign in bell ringing (35 gongs) 11/14/09 for CEAP (Community Environmental Action Partnership, a local environmentalist group trying to return atmospheric CO2 to 350 ppm). Wyatt Ritchie was recently appointed to lead a committee on developing plans to update our infrastructure/landscaping. Adult Forum on 1/24/10 will be a discussion of this.
-Poli Bible School.
Continued efforts to get names of 10 presently enrolled students. No response
from the acting director there, though he always answers phone and says he will sent them.
-Bright Stars of Bethlehem/Dar al-Kalima - Palestine relief work
Dar al-Kalima dinner-auction at Grace raised $52,000. A Palestinian trip is planned March 2011. Another fundraiser-auction is planned in the courtyard, Sept 2010 (Martha Meyer). Major 2-day conference 3/5-6/10 in San Anselmo with many speakers.
Continued support, along with other Lutherans, of justice in Palestine
-Global Health Ministries
Norm has had considerable difficulty in trying to facilitate a stronger relation between the NY Metro Synod and their designated Companion Synod (New York Metro) with NW Diocese's Ndolage Lutheran Hospital in NW Tanzania.
InnVision-UMPA-Breaking Bread Hot Meals
Still looking for new, younger volunteers.
-Lutheran Social Services
Has a new CEO.
-Bread for the World 2010
This fall, 3,000 churches celebrated BftW Sunday, 1/3 more than last year.
Present emphasis is to support S.1524, the bipartisan legislation to reform U.S. foreign assistance, by personal advocacy/writing, to improve efficiency.
-Samaritan Free Clinic in RWC
There are now 3 people from Grace volunteering, with Miriam Teeter joining Rusty Winterstein and Norm Olson there this fall, each working once or more weekly.
-Global Health has a malaria project in Cameroon, offering the opportunity for participants to purchase bednets at only $6-10 each. The Grace youth and Elizabeth Hood envision a fundraising initiative to buy bednets and dig wells for Africa. The ELCA and LCMS are going to partner with "Nothing but Nets," a United Nations Foundation malaria initiative, and the ELCA and Grace Sunday School kids will also be working with GHM - our kids will direct their Sunday offerings over the next few month to this GHM project. The older youth will be supporting safe drinking water bore hole placement in developing countries. The net project was presented to the SS kids 1/10/10.
-Voice of the Children
More domestic emphasis now, especially on caring for families/children of hispanic farm workers in Santa Clara County.
New initiative to bring the Gospel to Cubans.
Fund-raising for a $700,000 twin turboprop aircraft, a plan for disaster aid - Alex is a pilot.
-Community Lutheran Church of Watsonville - Wunderlich fund aid.
Norm attended the 10 am bilingual service there 1/3/01 and went out to lunch with Pastor Susan Birkelo (their half-time but only bilingual pastor since 2006) and her husband Joe, also ordained, who does seminars throughout the U.S. in confronting racism. They both have many skills and done a great deal of community work in many places throughout their careers. It would be interesting to have them visit Grace and speak on Hispanic and immigrant ministry sometime, not easy for us to go there to help.
-Adult Forum 1/17 was on Health Care Reform. Pr. Matt appealed to the generosity of the attendees in soliciting personal donations for disaster relief in Haiti, especially through ELCA Disaster/Lutheran World Relief.
-Website & Internet Communications
Craig Cornelius will soon find time to finish designing a Google polling tool to help those involved in Social Ministries to vote their partner priorities and level of support for those we support financially. This would also be handy for other decision making and in involving more Grace members.
Hope I haven't left anything unrecognized that should be posted on this website, under Administration. Norm Olson