Mission of the Month

Help fill the cart! The Jamesville Dewitt Food Pantry provides supplemental food to our neighbors who are food insecure. With grocery prices increasing and the closing of some nearby pantries, more and more people are coming through our door to get enough food to make it through the month.
In addition to financial contributions, we appreciate donations of non-perishable food as well as household cleaning and hygiene products. When doing your weekly grocery shopping, perhaps pick up an extra item or two and put them in the pantry shopping cart in the narthex. Right now we particularly need: coffee, pork & beans, chunky soup, tuna, cereal, and spaghetti sauce. If you have questions concerning the pantry, contact Nancy Barnett at nrosboro@gmail.com.

Hope for Ariang partners with communities to provide inclusive access to quality education and opportunities for children and youth in Ariang, South Sudan. To reduce the barriers to the villagers’ educations, HOPE provides additional social services such as clean water, health education, and economic   opportunities. HOPE for Ariang now supports approximately 3,000 students and 60 teachers in three schools through the Ariang Boma School system. HOPE provides school supplies, uniforms, nutritious lunches, teacher development, funds to support students through high school, as well as programs focused on women and girls, among other initiatives. Most recently there has been an effort to digitize various information as the first step in integrating technology into the schools, a step that will equip Ariang Boma Schools with the resources needed to deliver comprehensive and competitive instruction. Currently HOPE for Ariang’s high school sponsorship program (Scholars Empowerment Program) is able to support 21 students through high school. The graduates of HOPE for Ariang’s Women Empowerment Program (WEP) are now operating small profitable businesses that are mainly involved in making school uniforms. Their impact on communities has been made possible by the financial contributions that HOPE for Ariang receives from its supporters. Every donation given truly makes a lasting difference, and no gift is too small. $1 buys a notebook for a student, $10 provides a full year of school supplies for a student, and $600 pays for a student to attend high school for a year. 

We Rise Above the Streets is an incredible organization established by Al-amin Muhammed to help feed the hungry in downtown Syracuse. They provide a meal every Saturday morning, predominantly consisting of sandwiches, protein bars, bottled water, chips, etc. Plus, they distribute clothing and shoes, children’s stuffed animals and books as available. This is almost exclusively accomplished through volunteer efforts and funding. The sandwiches are put together early Saturday mornings at Lincoln Middle School and compiled into paper bags along with the other items. Then they head to the city to distribute the food and other items directly to those in need. Volunteers are “coached” by Al-Amin to treat each guest with dignity and compassion. Guests are served rather than just taking their own bags or meals. They are met with eye contact and cheerful conversation, creating an atmosphere of belonging and inclusion. Al-amin was homeless himself and takes the treatment of the guests very seriously. The volunteers come from all over- schools, colleges, churches, and just loving individuals. The food and other items are provided by generous donations from the community. Please consider generously donating to this wonderful Mission yourself throughout the month of July and beyond. And please also consider participating in Sandwich Saturday sometime. You may contact Christian Caring Committee Chair, Rick Hall, if you would like more information or assistance in getting signed up at rhrlhall7@gmail.com.