Outreach

Outreach takes several forms. As Christians we seek to carry the Gospel to every person we encounter, through our words, our prayers, and our actions. Happily, we had to build a larger church in 2006 to accommodate all those who answered our invitation!

Outreach also means being active in meeting the needs of the community. Hickory Neck’s Parish 2007 Visioning Process indicated a strong desire on the part of the congregation to be a city on the hill, shining forth the light of Christ. The Outreach Committee guides us in fulfilling these desires, but it is the many parishioners who participate in these programs who make the light shine brightly.

We can do it. You can help.
We can do it. If you help.
We will do it with God’s help.

The Financial Grant Team of the Outreach Committee has awarded $12,725 to local Charities from money raised at the 2009 Fall Festival. Members of the team met with every Charity or representative of the Charity to evaluate what the organization does for our community and what their volunteer and financial needs are in the coming year. Grants were awarded to the following charities:

• $3,600 to Housing Employment and Linkages Project (HELP), a collaboration of the government and service agencies working with the faith community to address homelessness in the Williamsburg area.
• $3,000 to Angels of Mercy, a free clinic designed to help patients manage and treat their diseases. This is the 9th year we have supported the clinic.
• $2,100 to Williamsburg Faith in Action, an organization that helps people to continue living in their homes. This is the 4th year Hickory Neck have supported WFIA financially and we have over a dozen volunteers from our church who support the organization as well.
• $2,000 to SpiritWorks, an organization that works to free individuals from the cycle of addition and minister to the children of parents fighting addiction.
• $1,325 is the value of the food donated to Grove Christian Outreach Center which provides meals and other services to those in need in the Grove community. We have also set aside $400 to buy food in 2010 for the quarterly From His Hands meals Hickory Neck parishioners prepare and then serve at Grove. Several Hickory Neck parishioners also volunteer at Grove on a regular basis.
• $The Financial Grant Team also awarded $150 to Williamsburg Walks the Talk and $150 to Good News Jail and Prison Ministries.

The Outreach Committee's Outreach Guidelines for Hands-on Ministry and Financial Grant Guidelines and are available for your review. At the June 2009 meeting, the Outreach Committee adopted a new organizational structure of smaller working committees that will meet on an as-needed basis. See the June 2009 minutes in the right column or this page or contact the Rev. Lauren McDonald with any questions.

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Charity Details

African Team Ministries: This annual jewelry and craft display is usually held in early May--just in time for Mother's Day gifts! Barbara Laroche coordinates this exhibit of beautiful handcrafted jewelry and accessories to benefit African Team Ministries. These items are one of a kind, and the money goes directly to support mission work for some of the world's poorest people. We bypass the wholesalers so that the artisans receive a fair price for their work.

Angels of Mercy—a free clinic designed to help patients manage and treat their diseases. See Rick Garfield for more information.

Eastern State Hospital—with the help of volunteers, the chaplain conducts Bible Studies and worship services in the hospital's new chapel.

FISH:—On the 3rd Sunday of the month we bring grocery bags of food for the FISH Food Pantry. See Linda McGee or John Greenman to assist.

From His Hands—Approximately 4 times a year we prepare and deliver meals to individuals and families living in the Grove area. See Gary Harvey or Chuck Jundt to help.

Good News Jail & Prison Ministry—provides chaplains to America's jails and prisons. Chaplain Harold Dimmitt serves our brothers and sisters in Christ at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail on Merrimac Trail. One small way that Hickory Neck supports this ministry is with book donations. Watch the newsletter and bulletins for announcements of collection times and locations. There are security restrictions on the types of books that can be accepted: paperbacks are preferred; hardbacks can be no larger than a Gideon Bible; no spiral or plastic bindings. Christian titles are most needed, but also quality fiction. Contact Laurie Brown.

Grove Christian Outreach Center—Grove provides meals and other services to those in need in the Grove community. They are currently engaged in a Capital Campaign to raise money for a larger building. If you would like to contribute, please see the Rev. Lauren McDonald.

Historic Triangle H.E.L.P Pilot Project——In an unprecedented collaboration the government and service agencies are working with the faith communities to address homelessness in the Williamsburg area. The Pilot Project will provide some housing as well as various wrap around services to those in need in our community. One of the ways to get involved is by becoming a mentor. See Bob Gay, Gary Harvey, or the Rev. Lauren McDonald for more information. 2009

Kairos: The mission of the Kairos Prison Ministry is to bring Christ's love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families and those who work with them, and to assist in the transition of becoming a productive citizen. Nearly 3 million Americans are incarcerated. The average age of the inmate is 21. Almost 50 percent of inmates are there for drug violations. By some estimates, 90 percent of all inmates are there due to drugs and/or alcohol. The recidivism rate nationally is close to 85 percent, but the recidivism rate for Kairos graduates who stay faithful to the program is 15 percent. You can support this ministry by baking cookies for the next weekend. Homebaked cookies are a tangible expression of Christian love and an indication of God's concern to a group of people who seldom encounter either in the course of their daily lives. Your loving sacrifice will provide the "bread" that will shine the light of God's grace into the darkest corners of the prison. Suggested cookie recipes and instructions are available via parishioners who have served on Kairos teams. (Due to prison regulations, the recipes and instructions must be followed precisely.) Those who've made Cursillo weekends are encouraged to attend the weekend closing. Want to learn more? Talk to some of our parishioners who have been involved with Kairos: Alison Bailes, Bunky Garfield, Joan Forrest, Dave Forrest, Tom Martin, Carol Hearn, Judy Wetta, and Joy Tanner.

Salvation Army Angel Tree:—providing Christmas presents to children in need. We gave 56 Angel Tree Gifts to the Salvation Army in December 2009 for needy children in the area. See Nancy Snyder for more information.

SpiritWorks Foundation:—works to free individuals from the cycle of addiction. See Jan Brown for more information.

Williamsburg Faith in Action—an organization that helps people continue to live in their homes. They coordinate volunteers to help with transportation, respite care, and other in-home needs. See Anne Johansen for more information.

Williamsburg Walks the Talk—an organization that helps people transition out of the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail into productive lives in the community. See John Greenman or Patty Kipps for more information.

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