St. Peter's Outreach Committee

Helpers in the kitchen - Dcn. Katherine Snelling, Dorothy Osboken, Ginny Woods

Purpose:
This committee is St. Peter's conduit to meet needs in Sitka, Alaska, and around the world. Through fund-raising activities such as the Fair Trade Fair, a booth at the ECW Christmas Bazaar, operation of The Bishop's Tea House in the summer, a gift counter in the parish hall, and generous donations from the St. Peter's parishioners, this group is able to send funds to individuals and organizations who have particular needs.

Giving:

Our Fair Trade Fair each year and our Gift Counter provide outlets for people's arts and crafts from around the world (through the organization, A Greater Gift).

As an example, here is a list of the activities and donations
of the Outreach Committee in 2006:

The Bishop’s Tea House had another successful summer taking in almost $1000.
The Fair Trade Fair in October was again a rousing success and we had a table at the ECW Christmas Bazaar that did very well. $3,184.71 was made at the Trade Fair and $367.25 was taken in at the Bazaar.

Donations given this past year:

Young Life $200
Sitka’s Faith in Action $600
Alaska Correctional Ministries $500
Florence Prison Christmas Trip $500
Hansen House $200
Tanzanian Orphanage $1,000
Fr. Gordon’s Discretionary Fund $500

Through generous donations on the first Sunday of each month, the Salvation Army was given $1,423 for emergency housing. St. Peter’s also contributed generously to their food pantry.

Shoppers at the Fair Trade Fair

The sales made of Fair Trade items by the Outreach Committee helped many villagers worldwide by providing a market for their arts and crafts. The Outreach Committee is hoping to extend this opportunity to Alaskans in the coming year.

Children receiving shoeboxes with gifts inside

At Christmas, the Outreach Committee spearheads collection of Shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Participants fill a shoebox with gifts for children depending on age and boy or girl. These are added to other shoeboxes from around town and delivered to children worldwide. Here are two children who recently received their boxes.

Participate:

Would you like to be a part of the Outreach Ministry at St. Peter's? Below are some websites that provide outreach opportunities to organizations or causes we support or wish to help:

All Saints' Episcopal Church in River Ridge, Louisiana

This church was hard hit by hurricane Katrina. In their fund-raising efforts to restore their church and buildings, the parish has produced for their 25th anniversary year three ECW cookbooks featuring cooking New Orleans Style. These are award winning cookbooks. Your purchase will not only help All Saints', but they are donating a dollar from each book sale to the Episcopal Relief and Development fund. To find out more about this or to order one of their three cookbooks, visit their website:
http://www.labonnecuisinecookbooks.com

Fair Trade Shopping

If you wish to shop for Fair Trade items, visit:
http://www.agreatergift.org/

Brave Heart Volunteers

If you would like to support the hospice and respite services of Brave Heart Volunteers:
http://www.ptialaska.net/~sfia/

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

Anyone who would like to contribute to the Holy Trinity Juneau rebuilding fund will find information and a donation site at:
http://www.trinityjuneau.org/

Episcopal Relief and Development Fund

A world-wide helping hand is available through the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund. You can be assured that the bulk of your gift goes to the relief effort and not to overhead costs! A special life-giving effort can be found through the ERD's Gifts for Life opportunities. These gifts make a lasting difference for children and families living in extreme poverty.

Microloans - KIVA

If you've been hearing about the wonderful success of microloans, here is an organization that puts your loans into the hands of small entrepreneurs world-wide. It's called KIVA and you can read about how it works on their website.

The Outreach Committee at St. Peter's thanks you for all that you do to reach out to others with loving help.

Volunteer:
Would you like to volunteer at St. Peter's? Fill out the form below and let us know you're interested and/or tell us how you would like to volunteer.

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