|
Mission: The Outreach Committee reaches beyond the FUUSE walls by providing meaningful ways to connect, support, and enrich others through service, spirit, and financial contributions. We:
- Research the needs of our community
- Call or personally interview service agencies
- Invite speakers to discuss their program needs
- Conduct surveys to determine FUUSE priorities
The third Sunday of each month has been designated as Give-It-Away Sunday when the general offering will be distributed to the groups shown in the schedule to the right.
Goals
Educate the congregation and provide support for the local agencies providing services to our communities. Two local agencies FUUSE actively supports are the St Vincent d Paul Community Assistance Center, which provides food and emergency assistance to local needy families, and Seacoast Family Promise, which provides temporary housing and assistance to homeless families.
Facilitate a volunteer connection between these agencies and the FUUSE congretation.
Provide financial assistance to these agencies.
Collection of needed items: children's clothing for WIC, the Santa for Seniors Program with Meals-on-Wheels, food for the Exeter Food Pantry, and CROP Walk for Hunger.
Priority areas identified Include:
The working poor
Youth at risk
Seniors
Exeter Community Assistance Center (formerly Exeter Food Pantry)
The Exeter Community Assistance Center, an outreach of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, distributes free food to those in need. This food is primarily acquired from parishioner donations, contributions from the US Department of Agriculture (usually quite limited), local merchants, and purchases from the New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester.
The Pantry provides over 100,000 lbs of food each year. It also assists in the Exeter holiday food basket program to families in need.
Along with providing emergency food for the needy, the program often supplements existing public and private assistance programs through their own finances. This assistance may include home visitations, life skills support, education, transportation, medical assistance, and legal aid.
Money and food donations for the pantry are greatly needed. FUUSE has set up a food donation bin in our hall and lists a monthly donation suggestion. To mention some specifics, items most needed are:
canned meats, pasta sauce, canned vegetables,
cereal, juice, peanut butter & jelly, coffee, sugar,
toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, diapers
In addition, when money contributions are made, the Exeter Food Pantry can shop at the Manchester Food Bank where every $20 purchases approximately $200 worth of items.
[Back to top]
Seacoast Family Promise
This program provides a safe place and services for homeless families. Local faith-based institutions open their facilities to serve meals and provide sleeping arrangements for up to 14 guests at a time. Professional staff operate the Family Resource Center by day where families receive information and services including housing, employment, training, and education. The center also provides a kitchen, children's play area, computers, and telephone. FUUSE volunteers will be able to assist a host church when it is their turn to provide for the families or assist with the Family Resource Center on an ongoing basis.
You can make a difference. . . please call Helen Kruppa at 603 772 3387.
Volunteer to: cook or serve a meal, provide evening or overnight staffing, read to children, distribute donations, assist office staff.
Seacoast Family Promise can be reached at PO Box 233, Stratham, NH 03885, 603-658-8448, http://sfpnh.org.
[Back to top]
Many Years of Generous Giving to Our Community
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007= $20,877 (4 year total)
2008 = $6,863 (monthly Give-It-Away Plates plus donations to CROP)
2009/2010 = $7,976 (Church Year monthly Give-It-Away Plates)
2010/2011= $11,290 (Church Year monthly Give-It-Away Plates)
2011/2012 = $2,430.11 (Church Year monthly Give-It-Away plates - Through October 2011
Recipients of our support include:
- Great Bay Workforce
- Seacoast Family Promise*
- New Outlook Teen Center
- Rockingham Nutrition Meals-On-Wheels
- St. Vincent de Paul Community Assistance Center*
- Squamscott Community Commons
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Family Support Program of Rockingham Community Action
- Meals-On-Wheels for Seniors
- Meals-On-Wheels (Santa for Christmas)
- Cooperative Middle School Outreach Program
- The Sad Café
- Waslala Water Project
- Minister's Discretionary Fund*
- CROP Hunger Walk*
- Crossroads House*
- A Safe Place*
- NH National Guard Children's Camp
- RCA Family Literacy Programs
- NH Community Loan Fund
- Seacoast Outright
- Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Greater Seacoast area
- Richie McFarland Children's Center
- Malley School for Boys
* signifies ongoing/annual support
|
