Riverdale Presbyterian Church

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• Riverdale Presbyterian Church
• Mission Committee
• May 2006

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• Message from the Committee Co-chairs
• One of the major goals of the Mission
  Committee is to serve mainly the Bronx
  Community. However, we also respond to the needs
  of the larger community both local and
  international such as the victims of Katrina, the
  East Asian tsunami, and, more recently, the
  earthquakes in Pakistan.
• We work with agencies and organizations that
  provide basic human needs, some of which are
  identified in this presentation. The Committee
  supports programs that aid the hungry, homeless
  and people with AIDS. We donate to programs that
  provide youth with educational services, help
  families in need, the elderly and offenders, as
  well as to programs of the Presbyterian Church,
  the New York Presbytery and the Synod.
• The need to help others is very strong among
  the members of the Mission Committee we enjoy
  helping others and this gives us a chance to help
  people on a much broader scale, including the
  World Community. We invite others to join us in
  this endeavor and make a difference.
• Regina King and Pat Gourdine, Co-chairs
• For I was hungry and you gave me food,..thirsty
  and you gave me drinka stranger and you welcomed
  me naked and you clothed mesick and you visited
  me
• in prison and you came to me Mathew 25 35-36

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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Why we are The Mission Committee is the
ministry by which RPCs faith is put into action,
meeting specific human needs in the larger
world. Thus also faith by itself, if it does
not have works, is dead. James 217 Working
with other committees, the Mission Committee
brings to our congregation opportunities large
and small, near and far to share Gods blessings
and love with our neighbours in our community
citynationworld. who we are

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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How we do A committee of Session, the Mission
Committee meets once a month to discuss the
concerns and events that have moved our faith
community and the ways were called to respond,
with attention and generosity, to those
concerns. inasmuch as you did it to one of
the least of these My brethren, you did it to
Me. Matthew 2540 Whether helping to organize
the Midnight Runs or Alternative Gifts, reviewing
Accessibility Campaign Tithe Grant applications
or prayerfully considering how to word appeals
for donations for disaster relief, there is
always place for one more voiceor a whole choir
of voicesseeking to be Christs hands, feet, and
eyes in the community and in the world. what we
do

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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• The programs on which were currently working
• Alternative Gifts
• Midnight Run
• Food Pantry Donations
• Eyeglasses Donations
• Accessibility Campaign Tithe Grants
• Supporting PCUSAs ministries Presbyterian
  Disaster Relief, Presbyterian Peacemaking
  Program, One Great Hour of Sharing
• Blessed are the poor in spirit... those who
  mourn the meek those who hunger and thirst for
  righteousness the merciful the pure in heart
• the peacemakers... Matthew 5 3-9

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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• Alternative Gifts
• A program which offers other ways in which
  holiday or special event gift-giving can be done.
  The donor purchases an item or service that helps
  disenfranchised or under-served communities and
  presents a card to the recipient notifying that
  person of the item or service that has been
  purchased in her/his honour.
• This past Christmas, the holiday Alternative
  Gifts market sold over 4,500 in gifts that aid
  others in need worldwide as well as in our
  community.
• On Communion Sundays, the congregation at RPC
  has the opportunity to buy alternative gifts for
  occasions in each month.
• Mothers Day will bring the chance to buy
  blankets that go to refugees of natural and
  man-made disasters.
• Fathers Day Alternative Gifts will allow us to
  buy gardening tools to aid those struggling with
  subsistence and sustainable organic gardening  in
  order to survive.
• ...Freely you have received, freely give.
  Matthew 10 8

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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• Midnight Run
• The Midnight Run program provides food,
  clothing, blankets and toiletries to the
  homeless. These are gathered/sorted/loaded into
  vans.
• Active RPC participants are Mission Committee
  and Youth Council, and weve been blessed to be
  joined by Riverdale Synagogue members and Boy
  Scout Troop 240.
• The evening of the Run, all gather in RPCs
  auditorium to prepare 100 to 125 brown-bag meals
  (sandwich, sweet, beverage, fruit ) in the
  winter, soup is also prepared.
• At around 9.30 10.00 PM the caravan departs
  from the parking lot and makes assigned stops
  (between four and six) on Manhattan streets where
  homeless are sleeping or assembled.
• All of the food, clothing and blankets are
  distributed and caravans return to RPC within
  three to four hours.
• They desired only that we should remember the
  poor,
• the very thing which I also was eager to do.
  Galatians 2 10

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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• Food Pantry Donations
• Begun in 1980, the Kingsbridge/Riverdale/Marble
  Hill Food Hunger Project is an inter-faith
  cooperative "...not-for-profit organization
  dedicated to alleviating the problem of hunger in
  our communities where, perhaps, we least expect
  to find it... sponsored by participating
  religious institutions, supported by community
  and financial institutions, and individual
  donations.
• The KRMH Food Hunger Project provides
  supplementary kosher grocery packages for the
  most homebound elderly through the YM/YWHA of
  Riverdale's Friday hot meal program and also
  distributes food supplies to individuals and
  community agencies via the Church of the Mediator
  which houses the organizations Pantry.
• Distributes holiday gift packages to children,
  needy families, recent immigrants, and the
  homeless, and brings special cheer to homebound
  seniors, women, men and children in shelters.
• HELP! Volunteers are needed to collect, pack and
  re-distribute boxed food pack 100 grocery bags
  once a month at the Y contribute food, cash or
  in-kind support by providing a site to hold a
  fundraising concert or do our holiday gift bag
  preparation.
• ...Happy the onewho gives food to the hungry.
  Psalm 146 5, 7

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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• Eyeglasses Donations
• Initiated about two years ago following Ron and
  Toni Meekins trip to Africa, RPC collects all
  types and prescription-strength eyeglasses. Were
  aided in this by Boy Scout Troop 240 which also
  collects and provides eyeglasses for this
  program.
• The eyeglasses are carefully packed and mailed.
  To ensure that the package(s) arrive unopened and
  complete, the package contents are identified as
  containing religious pamphlets.
• Eyeglasses are then distributed by doctors to
  people who have never had any eye care.
• Donations can be left in the box located at the
  auditorium entrance.
• ...we know that when He is revealedwe shall see
  Him as He is.
• 1 John 3 2

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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• Accessibility Campaign Tithe Grants
• Session has tithed (10) funds from both the
  Capital and Accessibility Campaigns to the
  mission work of this congregation these are
  administered by the Mission Committee.
• Criteria for the granting of these funds were
  established and include, but are not limited to
• Programs that benefit Bronx residents but will
  also consider programs that serve populations
  outside of our borough
• Requests that will have a financial impact on
  the program being supported
• Programs that have RPC volunteer involvement and
  will foster on-going contact between RPC and
  grant recipients
• Programs that use its financial resources
  effectively
• You are the body of Christ and individually,
  members of it.
• I Corinthians 12 27

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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• PCUSA Ministries
• Presbyterian Disaster Relief Swift response to
  humanitarian needs caused by disasters of all
  kinds. In recent times, RPC assistance has
  supported recovery after the East Asia tsunami,
  Hurricane Katrina in the southern US, and the
  earthquake in Pakistan.
• Presbyterian Peacemaking Program 25 of this
  annual offering (World Communion Sunday in
  October) remains in the local community for
  peace-making work of the congregations
  designation. The balance is sent to support
  peace-making efforts nation- and world-wide.
• One Great Hour of Sharing This offering
  supports human needs and community projects
  throughout the nation and world which provide
  hope, health, and healing.
• But do not forget to do good and to share,
• for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
• Hebrews 13 6

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006

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• Mission Committee Members
• Regina King, Co-chair
• Yvonne Armstrong
• Joyce Beverley
• Becky Dyasi
• Marc Feldman
• Jo Cameron, Pastor
• to serve Him with one accord.
• Zephaniah 39

• Patricia Gourdine, Co-chair
• Sixto Medina
• Bertrade Ngo Ngijol Banoum
• Marion M. Stone
• Meg Rosenberg Wilde
• Nancy Thomson

• Riverdale Presbyterian Church Mission Committee
  May 2006