Mission and OutreachMinutes

June 17, 2014

Present: Mother Leslie, Caroline Haynes,Janet Hansen,Linda Kelleher, Helen Hines, Lisa Harkins, Charley Roberts, Jim Burke

Meeting started at 6:33 PM in the Library. Mother Leslie opened with a prayer.

Minutes from January 29, 2014 meeting were approved unanimously.

Disbursements

The following disbursements were discussed and adopted unanimously:

Ministry / Undisbursed Collections from Parish / Contributions from Outreach Fund / Total Disbursement
Arlington Interfaith Council / 0 / $225 / $225
Virginia Interfaith Center / 0 / $150 / $150
Bishop’s Discretionary Fund / $226 / $274 / $500
ASPAN / $423 / $577 / $1000
AFAC / $30 / $970 / $1000
Mission Aviation Fellowship / $801 / $199 / $1000
Reading Connection / $446 / $304 / $750
Solar Cookers for Sudan / $560 / $190 / $750

It was noted that the Yellow Envelope collection for AFAC is not scheduled until July but there is currently a huge need for food assistance so it was decided to send that check ahead of the July collection.

New Volunteer Opportunities at ASPAN:

Linda noted that under the new national standard of “housing first”, there is a new emphasis being placed on integrating client services and providing more one-on-one support and over a longer time frame. She had forwarded an email about new volunteer opportunities at ASPAN to provide more direct support for clients who have been placed in housing, including:

1) Client Companion Program to help run errands, doctor’s appointments, etc.

2) Birthday Program to prepare dinner, a cake and other treats

3) Help provide assistance with reading, bill paying, resume building and financial management

4) Provide bagged lunches during the week for clients using services at Opportunity Place

5) Tag along with the Outreach Team the last Friday of each month to get a better sense of the work they do with clients

Linda will submit an article for the Guardian to determine if there is interest within the parish to participate in any these support activities. We also discussed having Amanda Mark from ASPAN come and talk to the parish at an upcoming coffee hour about these opportunities.

Rebuilding Together

Ed Menoche had provided a write up of April’s Rebuilding Together for the Guardian. Helen provided additional details about the day and confirmed that it was a success and that there was a good turnout from St. Michael’s, along with a smaller group from our partner church, the Church of the Brethern. It was noted that Ed Menoche did a terrific job in organizing the work, with an able assist from John Kelleher.

There was some discussion about the how the homes are chosen, as well as matching the level of expertise with specific projects. Caroline agreed to follow up with Ed on these questions, and see if we want to have a representative from Rebuilding Together join us for a short presentation at a future coffee hour.

APAH School Backpacks Collection and Assembly

St. Michael’s has agreed to serve as the collection and assembly location for the supplies for school backpacks for students living in APAH properties. Mother Leslie suggested that it would be best to wait until after Vacation Bible School is finished (July 14-18) to ensure that we have adequate space for storage. Linda noted that there may be other groups in the community that are interested in helping with the assembly part of this project.

ACT III

Mother Leslie mentioned that she will be meeting with her counterparts among the Arlington Episcopal churches that coordinate support to individuals and families in need through participation in Samaritan Ministry. She noted the sharp increase in need and that she will be making a contribution using the Rector’s Discretionary Fund. She is grateful for the support she has received from the parish and is encouraged that that she is able to leverage these resources with other members of Act III.

Arlington Interfaith Council (AIC)

Jim Burke and Linda Kelleher reported on the recent AIC meeting and reports from the Helping Hands ministries, including the newly renamed Thrive (formerly AMEN). Jim noted that St. Michael’s annual contribution of $225 to AIC is now due (approved in disbursement requests).

Virginia Interfaith Council (VIC)

Jim noted that VIC is the offshoot of Virginia Interfaith Power and Light and now focuses on four key areas: poverty alleviation, health care, environment justice and strong communities. VIC is an advocacy group in Richmond and is supported by Bishop Shannon. The Committee agreed to send a contribution of $150 (see disbursements above).

Doorways

Elizabeth Keys was not able to attend the meeting but sent in the following update:

I've submitted pieces on Doorways for June (yellow envelope) and July (basket). I'll also plan on an August wrap-up piece.

The meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm.

1