Chairpersons: Kathy Aumiller & Beth Mihmet

Chairpersons: Kathy Aumiller & Beth Mihmet

The Council for Extended Ministries focused their work in 2017 on the following areas:

• Feeding the Hungry Among Us
• Taking Steps to Combat Inequality
• Fighting Disease and their effects

Feeding the Hungry

Community Garden: In 2017, St. Paul’s donated , 767 pounds of produce to the New Hope Ministries food bank. Our crop included carrots, radishes, sweet peppers, onions, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans and potatoes. In addition, St. Paul’s members donated produce from their home gardens. Many thanks to the weekly caretakers and the monthly workday volunteers for keeping our garden going during a record hot and dry summer. Our thanks go out to the Garden Chairs for the last two years: Jenn Martek and Elaine Daly. Update from Jenn Martek on the Garden: We're also happy to share that in 2018 Brenda Kern will return as the garden lead chair, with Eric Dundore as assistant chair. In 2019, Eric will take over as the lead chair and will recruit his assistant chair. The idea is to have the chairs rotate every 2 years but not have both people be brand new at the same time. Thank you Brenda and Eric for stepping up to the plate! We ask that everyone prayerfully consider garden leadership in the coming years.

Ecumenical Food Pantry: For the year 2017 a group representing St. Paul’s spent time on the first Tuesday of each month supporting this outreach mission, located at Messiah Lutheran Church on North Sixth St. in Harrisburg. At most five individuals participate each month, during December St. Paul’s folks took 22 bags of food and other items to the Ecumenical Food Pantry. This brings the grand total donated to the Food Pantry in 2017 to 131 bags. The duties, while at the Pantry, include: delivering items donated by St. Paul’s members, assessing what items are available for distribution, preparing the bags of items and delivering them to families who have been approved for food, and then beginning to replace and bag what has just been given.

The “team” this year has included Sue Mullin, Pat Miller, Cathy Thomas, Sarah Myers, Carol Sizemore, Sandi Ritter-Butz, Margaret Smith and Kathy Gates (friends, not church members), and Betsy Rushong, the coordinator and contact person with the EFP board. Additional volunteers are always needed and male volunteers would be especially welcomed.

Common Ground Café Community Breakfast: St. Paul’s members continue to help at the semi-monthly breakfasts held at Common Ground Café in Allison Hill. On the second and last Saturdays of each , volunteers feed anyone who needs a meal. In addition, St Paul’s collected 865 toiletry items during June and delivered to the Common Ground Community Center. Additionally, In 2017, our Youth took up a special collection in the amount of $ 266.46. Volunteers are always welcome.

In September we collected jars of Peanut Butter for the Central PA Food Bank in recognition of Nation Hunger Action Month. St Paul’s collected over 300 pounds for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

Broad St Community Dinners and Summer Reading Program: St. Paul’s members provided 18 pounds of Macaroni and Cheese as well as 11 dozen cookies to help feed our neighbors during the annual dinner held at Broad St Elementary School. In addition, St Paul’s provided cookies and fruit for 40-50 children to Broad St during June and July for the Summer Reading Program.

New Hope Ministries: Karen & Kevin Allison, the primary contacts for St. Paul’s efforts with New Hope, provided Ninety-four (14 pounds) Gloves, Hats and Scarves were delivered to New Hope Ministries Jan 9th. New Hope’s annual geranium sale in May generated $2,410.00 in profits. Out of 22 churches participating, St. Paul’s was “3rd highest” on the number of flowers ordered. On July 19th, packed lunches for 70 children in New Hope’s summer youth program were provided. St. Paul’s donated 168 lbs. of school items for New Hope’s School Daze Craze, where children of guests were able to shop for much needed school items. September 22nd, Eric Dundore, Floyd Gouse & Don Wood participated in New Hope Ministries Gold Tournament “Golf Fore Hope.” They not only played, they also “purchased a hole” which meant St. Paul’s had its name on one of the greens as a sponsor. In November, the collection of Thanksgiving food items provided 354 lbs. of food delivered to New Hope, including 8 Turkeys and a $25.00 Giant gift card to be distributed to needy families in our area. And in December 424 lbs. of gifts were delivered to New Hope, including 22 small appliances as part of their Christmas Blessings Express. Melissa Cawley and Joan Moyer coordinate this effort. Throughout the year, there is an ongoing donation of food and toiletries. 1,924 lbs. of food and other items were donated by St. Paul’s members to New Hope in 2017.

Taking Steps to Combat Inequality:

Open and Affirming: In keeping with our May, 2003 covenant, St. Paul's continues its faith journey, discovering what it means to be an Open and Affirming congregation. Activities include:

• Participation at this year’s Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania
• Active membership on the ONA Ministry, Penn Central Conference…assisting other congregations on their ONA Journey (ONA 2017 Winter Gathering - GENDER CONVERSATIONS: Welcoming the T in LGBT! Saturday, March 4, 2017. COLONIAL PARK UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST)
• Transgender Remembrance Day – Nov 19th Service display in sanctuary of those killed during 2017.
• Participation in Transgender Remembrance Vigil and Candle Lighting, Nov 20th on Capitol steps. World Day of Prayer Vigil: March 2016

• Planning meeting to celebrate St Paul’s 15th year as ONA on May 20th 2018.

Adoptive Child Sponsorship: Members of St. Paul’s sponsor 8 (eight) children from the Tibetan Refugee Center in Darjeeling, India, the Philippines and Jerusalem.

Collection of toiletry items for Gather the Spirit Ministries to distribute at the Common Ground Community Center each Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 10:00 AM to Noon.

A group from St Paul's traveled to Wash DC, Jan 21st, 2017 and participated in the Women’s March on Washington to show "a stand on social justice and human rights issues ranging from race, ethnicity, gender, religion, immigration and healthcare".

St Paul's participated in the Aug 12th, Mechanicsburg Community Day by enabling everyone free access to the Mechanicsburg Swimming Pool, offsetting the cost by $150.00.

Fighting Disease and Its Effects

St. Paul’s On A Mission: 2017 season of fundraising for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. St. Paul’s on a Mission team walked together, Saturday, October 14th in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on City Island. With the team’s personal fundraising, along with donations from the congregation and all the above fundraising, St. Paul’s on a Mission turned in $5,000.00 to the Making Strides effort. Brenda Kern organizes soup, egg, and cinnamon bun fundraisers. Melissa Cawley sets up all the restaurant fundraisers. Mary Runkle and Jonne Dunmore organize the cookie walk.

FUNDRAISERS:

• January 30th - Chicken Corn Soup Sale - took orders inside the church
• March 11th & 18th - Peanut Butter and Coconut Easter Egg sale, took orders from inside and outside the church
• April 6th SPOM had a fundraiser at Isaacs (Isaacs gave SPOM 25% of sales during lunch and dinner the day of fundraiser)
• September 21st had a fundraiser at TJ Rockwell’s (Rockwell’s gave SPOM 15% of sales during lunch and dinner day of fundraiser)
• October 21st SPOM walk – Making Strides for Breast Cancer.
• October 29th SPOM Cinnamon Roll fundraiser
• Cookie Walk on December 4th, church members donate cookies/candies. SPOM and St. Paul’s Youth split the profit from this fundraiser.

Thornwald and Todd Homes: Thornwald and Todd Homes are our UCC retirement centers in Carlisle, PA. Members of St. Paul's participate at the centers in a number of ways: visiting residents, becoming volunteers at the centers, working on craft projects, supplying transportation for residents, helping with Operation Santa Claus. This year gift cards totaling $735 (Thornwald Home - $330.00, Sarah Todd - $405.00) were collected for the residents at the holidays.

Support of Special Mission Offerings

One Great Hour of Sharing: Giving Help, Hope and Life
Supports partners in more than 70 countries with ministries that fund development projects, feed the victims of famine, provide services for displaced people, and respond to natural disasters. These ministries are the responsibility of Wider Church Ministries, Global Sharing of Resources. Received annually on the fourth Sunday in Lent. (Special Call to help victims of Hurricane Harvey - $2,740.00 provided to PCC)

Strengthen the Church: Faithfully Building the Body of Christ
Supports church growth and leadership development in the conferences and through the national offices of Local Church Ministries. Received annually on Pentecost Sunday.

Neighbors in Need: Justice and Compassion Like a Mighty Stream
Supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, including ministry carried out by the Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM) and by the national offices of Justice and Witness Ministries. Received annually on World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of October.

The Christmas Fund: Remembering Those Who Serve Our Church
Provides financial aid to retired and active ministers and their surviving spouses and children who face overwhelming financial demands, a ministry carried out by the Pension Boards. Received annually on the Sunday before Christmas.