Missions and Outreach

If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, contact the church office at 978-526-7661

Committee Members:
Alice Eastland, Chair
Lauren Gudonis
Peter Katsoulas
David Lumsden
Doris Milne
Holly Potter

Here are some of the many projects and people that we support;

Action, Inc. is an emergency homeless shelter for men and women. Their employment and training center provides job training. Their goal is to help low income residents become self-sufficient.

Beverly Bootstraps Food Pantry is not only a food pantry; it’s a community outreach program that supplies clothing and many other necessities. They also run the “Adopt a Family” program and a Women’s Support Group.

Des Veaux House is a family continuity program for mentally ill individuals who would most likely be homeless if they were not in a Des Veaux group home or in apartments under their supervision. Their entire program is treatment based to assist their residents in achieving and maintaining stability.

Emmaus House, located in Haverhill, MA, is a shelter for homeless families. In 2002, their new facility opened. It has apartments that allow family units to stay together. They also provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent affordable housing and job training for adults. They offer compassion and services for homeless families and individuals.

HAWC: Healing Abuse Working for Change, every day HAWC provides safe shelter to women and children who have had to flee in secrecy; leaving their homes, schools, communities, and even their jobs, in order to escape domestic abuse. HAWC staff and volunteers provide a 24-hour hotline, individual and group counseling and advocacy in courts and health care settings. Their three-month emergency shelter program includes parenting support, housing advocacy, employment assistance and aftercare for families ready to leave the shelter.

Lifebridge (formerly The Salem Mission) is working to offer men and women the opportunities they need to end their homelessness. Their mission is to solve the crisis of a lack of affordable housing and the persistance of poverty in our

community one person at a time. Lifebridge provides housing and supportive services that foster stability in physical and mental health, and encourage personal and income development.

The Manchester Fund to Prevent Homelessness helps working families in our area remain in their homes when, due to unexpected life events such as lay-off or illness, they fall behind in their bills and are faced with foreclosure or eviction.

The Open Door/Cape Ann Food Pantry distributes free emergency food supplies, offers free meals at the Open Door, promotes volunteer services that allow people of all incomes to help themselves by purchasing food at lower prices and operates The Second Glance resale shop. Our Church regularly serves meals, donates food supplies, and. provides weekly volunteers. Sign-up sheets and requests are made in the weeks leading up to the dates we serve.

 

MACUCC is the Massachusetts Council 01 the United Church of Christ. Of its many donation opportunities, our Church collects funds twice a year: at Easter for “One Great Hour of Sharing” for worldwide aid, and at Christmas for “Veterans of the Cross” to benefit retired clergy.

Northeast Behavioral Health (formerly CAB Health and Recovery) provides quality substance abuse and related health treatment and prevention services. Programs include outpatient, inpatient and community outreach and education.

Plummer Home for Boys cares for boys who have been removed from their homes by the Department of Social Services, due to neglect and/or abuse. These boys arrive in need of major doses of stability, nurturing and skills to better deal with the realities they face at home. Our Church provides these boys with Easter baskets and Christmas gifts yearly.

Wellspring works to meet basic human needs and participates in social change through the provision of shelter, affordable housing, local economic opportunity and education rooted in community needs. Every year, our Church supplies Thanksgiving meals to local families.

Ginger Bread Cookie Mission, each December the Missions Committee partners with the youth of First Parish to make and distribute gingerbread men cookies to shut ins and those in need.