Social Outreach

Current Outreach

April 19 - Golf Outing in Crofton to Raise Funds for Habitat-Thrivent Builds House
A new Thrivent Builds-Habitat for Humanity home is scheduled to begin construction soon, and members of St. Paul’s will again be invited to help work on this project on Clay Street in downtown Annapolis. A work schedule and volunteer days should be announced in April. eanwhile, any golfers ready to enjoy a round of golf to help support construction of this Thirvent-sponsored home are invited to a fundraising event at the Crofton Country Club on Monday, April 19.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Annapolis is conducting its Fifth Annual Golf Outing to help meet its congregation’s commitment for this new Thrivent Builds-Habitat home. The cost is $100 per golfer with a Continental Breakfast and a Catered Lunch. It will be 4-person scramble format. Registration and breakfast will start at 8:00 am. Golfing will start at 9:00 am. Players can register individually, and congregations also are invited to register a team. Please contact Dave Schultz of St. Paul’s-Annapolis if you have any questions: david33.schultz@comcast.net

Thanks from Grassroots for “Souper Bowl” Donation
Updated 3/29/10

A “Thank You” letter to the St. Paul’s Sunday School came from the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center in appreciation of a special donation that totaled $375. The money included $275 from the “Souper Bowl of Caring” collection in February and a $100 matching grant from the Howard County chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Andrea S. Ingram, executive director of Grassroots, sent this letter:

Dear Friends of Grassroots:

Thank you so much for your most generous “Souper Bowl of Caring” contribution of $275 and for the $100 matching grant from the Howard County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. These past few weeks of unprecedented snow in Howard County have reminded us how fortunate we are for the homes and support systems we have. I am so proud of the staff who volunteered to be here many extra hours to ensure continuous operation of our crisis services and coverage for our shelter programs. I am grateful to our many residents who shoveled our parking lot and sidewalks, and dug out our cars. We weathered the storms beautifully. Just another example of the Grassroots spirit.

However, there were also people in the cold weather shelter during the storms whose situation was even more challenging. Fortunately, the hosting congregation, First Presbyterian Church, truly extended themselves and allowed guests to stay at the church throughout the bad weather.

Volunteers and staff who operate the Route One Day Resource Center provided for the folks who are living outside, to ensure their safety during the storms. Howard County showed its compassion towards those in need during this intense weather emergency.

Thank you again for thinking of Grassroots and those we serve as recover from this challenging winter.

A Million Dollar Challenge from Thrivent to Help Haiti

Updated 2/4/10

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has generously helped St. Paul’s over the years with matching funds to support our activities to improve our church and our outreach to needs in our community.   Now Thrivent is offering another opportunity to leverage assistance to Haiti by establishing a matching fund for contributions from Thrivent members. The following information comes from the Thrivent website: ou want to help those affected by the Haiti earthquake. Thrivent wants to join you.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will add $1 to every $2, up to a total Thrivent Financial contribution of $1 million, when our members donate to one of the following:
·    Lutheran World Relief.
·    ELCA Disaster Response.
·    LCMS World Relief/Human Care.
·    WELS Committee on Relief.
Thrivent Financial will add a maximum of $250 per member donation, and donations will be accepted through March 31, 2010. Donations can be made online using a credit or debit card, or by a secure electronic transfer from a bank account.
The website for making contributions is: https://www.thrivent.com/helpinghaiti/
For questions or to make a donation over the phone or via U.S. Mail, please call 800-236-3736 from 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central time, Monday – Friday. When prompted, please say "directory" and enter ext. 83003. Turning $2 Million into $3 Million. e expect that this response will result in more than $3 million to support the earthquake survivors: $2 million donated by members and an additional $1 million from Thrivent Financial. Be a part of the Helping Haiti effort and make a difference for the victims of this natural disaster.

St. Paul’s Volunteers Help Habitat Build Houses
Updated12/1/09

Habitat for Humanity had a busy year building homes for families in the Baltimore-Washington area during 2009, and members of St. Paul’s were part of the volunteer effort that made those efforts succeed. A work team from St. Paul’s participated in the “Nine Houses in Nine Days” project to build nine new homes using modular units near Patterson Park in East Baltimore, and other teams pitched in on five of the work days at a joint Habitat-Thrivent Builds project in Anne Arundel County. With those efforts now completed, a new schedule of Habitat work is being prepared for 2010. No special skills are required for this very rewarding work. Contact Randy Arndt if you want to get involved.

Fred Reno (second from left), a Habitat project manager, got some help from Ed Schukraft, Jerry Frankenfield and Randy Arndt during workday that brought nearly 60 volunteers together as part of the “Nine Houses in Nine Days” project in the Patterson Park neighborhood of East Baltimore.

Shari Jones (second from left) has now moved into her new home in the Freetown Road area south of Glen Burnie, along with her mother and daughter. Randy Arndt (far left) and Ken Christie (second from right) were part of a volunteer crew working for Pete Cox (center) the Habitat project manager and Ruth (far right), a Habitat project assistant.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans took an active role in helping to build the Freetown Road home for Shari Jones’ family, enlisting volunteers from Lutheran congregations in the area and also contributing a $5,000 cash grant to Habitat to help fund the project.

Past Social Outreach Successes

White Christmas and Warm Hearts
Updated 12/29/09

The beauty of a White Christmas scene at St. Paul’s was no more wonderful than a generous spirit of sharing that brought the joys of the Christmas to nine needy families in Howard County. There were food baskets filled with all the ingredients for a festive Christmas dinner and two truckloads of gifts donated for the children on our Angel Tree. And while the snow glistened all around outside on Sunday, December 20, Pastor Cathy and Prue were busily at work in the church kitchen putting together a fresh-baked ham supper which we delivered for more than 50 residents at the Grassroots Crisis Shelter on Freetown Road in Atholton. Along with all of the wonderful generosity of our St. Paul’s families, we also were blessed with the support given by Cub Scout Pack 1702, which meets at Fulton Elementary School and is chartered by St. Paul’s. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans also provided matching funds for our Grassroots meals though Thrivent’s “Care Abounds in Communities” program. The Social Outreach Network team wishes to express our thanks and appreciation for all of the generous support that has made these activities possible and so wonderfully successful.

Thanksgiving Baskets

Updated 11/11/09

St. Paul’s Social Outreach Network (SON) is now collecting canned food and monetary donations to be used to create Thanksgiving food baskets. These baskets will be delivered to needy families in Howard County this Thanksgiving. Please take a moment to buy a few things during your next visit to the grocery store. We will be collecting food through Friday, November 20th. Items needed are:

Canned Vegetables
Canned Fruit
Canned Soup
Gravy
Canned yams
Mini marshmallows
Hot cocoa mix
Instant mashed potatoes
Instant stuffing mix
Cornbread or Muffin Mix
Spaghetti & sauce
Jell-o
Cake mixes
Frosting

Monetary donations to help purchase the turkey, butter & eggs can be left at the church office (please indicate “Holiday Baskets” on your check or cash donations).

FROM THE QUILTING GROUP

10/27/09

The Quilting Group delivered 112 quilts to the Church of the Brethren Distribution Center in New Windsor, MD on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 for Lutheran World Relief.
If it wasn’t for all the fabric that people in the congregation contributed to our group, we wouldn’t be able to make all these quilts, so thanks so much. If you ever have clean fabric large or small during the year, please mark it for “Quilting” or Mary Hart and put it in the new part of the basement across from the yard sale table.
They no longer accept small new soap (motel & hotel samples), but only new bath size. If you wish to contribute this size soap during the year, we will take them to New Windsor too.
Thanks for all the clothing etc., for the Thrift Shop, it is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mary Hart

Backpack Donations Fill the Bins
Updated 8/25/09

Collection bins in the Parish Hall were filled to overflowing with donations for this year’s “Fill the Backpacks” campaign for needy schoolchildren. Donations of school supplies, schoolroom supplies, brand new backpacks and other items will be distributed to schools in the Baltimore-Washington area by students at the Lutheran Campus Ministry and the University of Maryland in College Park. Plans call for assembling the backpacks and school supplies during the last week of August. Donations will be welcomed into September to meet continuing needs.

Last year more than 150 backpacks were provided to Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School and our Lutheran mission La Sagrada Familia,” said Pastor Elizabeth Platz, who leads the Campus Ministry. “We would like to continue to provide this encouragement to the many children that lack adequate resources for their education. May God continue to bless your ministry. You have been a blessing to ours.”

St. Paul’s Meets St. Paul’s to Build for Habitat and Thrivent
Updated 8/25/09

A work team from St. Paul’s in Fulton teamed up with a work crew from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Crofton for a day of framing and other construction work at a home being rebuilt in Anne Arundel County by Habitat for Humanity. The home on Freetown Road in southern Glen Burnie is also being sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Jerry Frankenfield, Bob Peters, Ken Christie and Randy Arndt joined up with half a dozen volunteers from St. Paul’s in Crofton, along with some other Habitat volunteers. A cold-cut platter for sandwiches was provided by the Crofton members, and basket of ripe “Cal Ripken” peaches from Mike Heyser’s fruit stand made for a great summer picnic lunch for everyone.

Additional volunteer work dates will be available on Saturdays and Wednesdays for this Thrivent/Habitat building project. Youth between age 16 and 18 can participate at construction sites with adult supervision. Both men and women are welcome as volunteers, and there are jobs for all skill levels, with tools and guidance provided by Habitat’s professional staff. Please contact Randy Arndt 301-776-4816 or email to arndtran@gmail.com for more information.

The Sunday school held bake sales and fresh squeezed lemonade throughout the summer.
Updated 8/13/09

All proceeds from the sale go to the Baptist School & Orphanage in Ghana. Thanks to all who have supported our very popular bake sales! We have almost enough money to send 2 more students to school in Ghana.
There are 9 students in total that are ready for High School at $750.00 per child!

Any monetary donations to helping the Sunday school raise more money for the 7 remaining high school students, should be made out to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, with “Ghana” in the memo line!!
Please let Debbie Marston know of your donation, I have to wire the money to Ghana and am keeping track of all donations!

Cell phone collection box

Updated 2/3/09

A cell phone collection box for donations of used cell phones for use by Domestic Violence Center is located in the Church Hall. Please think of giving your old cell phone when you come to Church.