Outreach Committee

Chair:

Mission Statement

St. George's parishioners are engaged with the world and find many ways in their daily lives to reach out to those in need. The Outreach Committee is made up of parishioners who look for ways for the parish as a whole to work on issues and projects that reflect our parish's commitment to help others in our communities and the world beyond. To accomplish those goals, the Outreach Committee:

Identifies volunteer opportunities and provides financial grants to local organizations especially in the areas of families affected by poverty and people confronting crisis and need.
Learns about, discusses and participates in events related to current local and global issues of suffering, poverty and social justice.
Provides relevant information on these issues to the congregation.

Outreach Grant Program

Each year, a portion of St. George's budget is allocated to Outreach grants to social service and other organizations in the local community, the Episcopal Church and beyond. We identify opportunities for parish-wide participation in organizations and projects that reflect our goals of helping families affected by poverty and people confronting crisis and need. We work with organizations in our local communities that need volunteers as well as financial assistance. Our grants generally range in size from $500 to $2500. We also prefer to support direct service projects to increase the potential impact of our grants.

If you would like more information about our mission or the grant program, please contact the Outreach Committee at . You may also download the Grant Request form in PDF format below.

Grant Request Form

Grant Request form

= PDF Document (download free Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Submit the Grant Request form via mail or fax to St. George's Church, Attention: Outreach Grant Request (address: 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, NJ 07040; fax number: 973-762-9213).

Grants Awarded in 2007

The Outreach Committee had a total budget of $22,016.00 in 2007, which was a combination of our grant from the parish and income earned on funds dedicated to outreach. As of December 31, 2007, the Outreach Committee awarded $22,000.00 in grants to projects and organizations based on our goals to (i) help families affected by poverty; (ii) aid people confronting crisis and need (iii) and offer opportunities for broader involvement by our parishioners. Our gifts included:

$2500 to St. Philip's Academy in Newark
To equip their new Gymnasium.
$2500 to North Porch Women & Infants' Centers.
Parishioner Lindsay McHugh is President of the Board.
$2320 to Habitat for Humanity/Newark
Support for Abraham House, a cooperative project of the faith communities of Maplewood and South Orange.
$2250 to Broadway House
A residential care facility for adults infected with HIV.
$1250 to Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
Support for the Mary Rankin Scholarship and operations of the ECW.
$2000 to the Diocese of Newark – Prison Ministry
Support for the Learning by Experience project for children of inmates.
$150 to the Interfaith Holocaust Memorial Service
$1000 to Church World Service CROP Hunger Walks
Matching fund for parishioner gifts.
$1500 to Crossroads Camp and Retreat Center
Support for camp scholarships.
$750 to the Parenting Center of the Maplewood and South Orange School District
For its holiday toy drive.
$500 to GLESN North Jersey
Support for the Hank Dwyer Scholarship Fund.
$1600 to Trinity Episcopal Church, Kearny
Support for the Tri-County English Language Education Project.
$1680 to Mary and Martha Soup Kitchen and Care Closet
$2000 to Turning Point Community Services
Emergency housing and support services.

Volunteer Opportunities

Several of the organizations supported by St. George's Outreach Grants also regularly seek volunteers to help them further their missions. If you would are looking for new ways to put your faith in action, or if you would like to learn more about the organizations we support, please consider some of these volunteer opportunities:

Christ Episcopal Church in Belleville
There are many ways to help including providing donations to the closet, helping with the shopping and packaging, etc. Christ Church also runs a soup kitchen. Members of our youth group have volunteered for Mary and Martha's Kitchen, and you can too. For more information about these programs see www.christchurchbelleville.org/jubilee.

Community Food Bank of New Jersey
The Food Bank has a large volunteering program on site for sorting donated food. If you would like to participate in a St. George's food-sorting afternoon at the Food Bank, please contact . For more information about the Food Bank see www.njfoodbank.org. You may also help solve the problem of hunger by leaving canned and dry goods in the food collection barrels next to the Parish Hall entrance.

St. Philip's Academy
St. George's has supported St. Philip's for several years. Additionally, the Dragons selected the school for their service projects and raised money for students affected by Hurricane Katrina by "flocking" parishioners with hot pink flamingos! If you are interested in volunteering at St. Philip's Academy, a private Episcopal elementary day school in Newark, please contact the Development Department at 973/624-3684 or via .

St. Philip's offers tutoring to its students after school for about an hour a day. Tutors work with students in both groups and individually as needed. Volunteer tutors should be able to commit to tutoring for at least one hour a week on a regular basis. Local adults may volunteer to read to a class during school hours.

Seamen's Church Institute
SCI advocates for the personal, professional and spiritual well-being of merchant mariners around the world. Volunteer opportunities include welcoming visitors, visiting seafarers on their ships, and joining the Purls in knitting scarves, hats and vests for the Christmas-at-Sea program. Parishioner David Cates currently volunteer with SCI and can share his experiences with anyone who is interested. For more information see volunteer opportunities.

Food Barrel Ministry

Every week throughout the year, the Outreach Committee welcomes contributions of non-perishable, non-breakable food items, which we give to local food pantries at St. Joseph's (Maplewood) and Turning Point Community Services (Irvington). We also accept NEW infant items, formula and foods on behalf of North Porch Women and Infants' Center. Please place the food items in the barrels in the hallway outside the parish hall.

List of needed food items

= PDF Document (download free Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)

IHN Coordinator:

St. George's is a long-time supporter of the Interfaith Hospitality Network program (IHN), which brings shelter, meals, and support services to families without homes. Several times a year St. George's hosts IHN families for a week, or assists Wyoming Presbyterian Church in Millburn in hosting families by providing volunteers to prepare meals or act as evening or overnight hosts.

To sign up, contact .

St. Georgians at a Habitat build

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat Coordinator:

St. George's is an active partner in Abraham House, a single family home to be built by Habitat for Humanity Newark with funds and land donated by the faith communities of Maplewood, South Orange, Irvington and Newark. Abraham House was launched in January 2007 at the Martin Luther King Day service sponsored by the Community Coalition on Race. St. George's hosted that service and has been an active supporter of the Abraham House project contributing through grants from the Outreach Committee and additional funds donated directly by parishioners. Many St. Georgians will participate as volunteer builders as Abraham House becomes a home in 2008. If you would like to volunteer to help build Abraham House or find out more about the project, please contact or .