Mission Opportunities – Summer 2023
Let’s Get Involved!
Bethel Presbyterian Church
Our mission partner in Philadelphia, runs a food outreach from their church two times a week. They are in desperate need of help replenishing certain items, including jelly, peanut butter, canned vegetables, and cereal. If you are able to contribute, please drop off at our food drive on the 3rd Sunday of the month or in the Narthex of the Sanctuary building under the bridge. If you are interested in volunteering at Bethel, please visit bit.ly/DPC-BPC. Questions? Contact Erin Rizk at erinr@dtownpc.org.
On two Saturdays each month, DPC volunteers travel to Bethel to help with their Community Meal. You can join in this effort by signing up here: bit.ly/DPC-BPC
For an overview of our relationship with Bethel, we invite you to watch (or re-watch) this heartfelt video created by the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia is hosting its annual fundraiser at the Michener Art Museum on Wednesday, June 7 at 5 pm. It will be a great opportunity to learn more about their work. Admission is free, but they will be asking for donations at the end of the event. The museum will be open late for those who would like to look around afterwards. Jay and Barbara Belding will be attending, and we hope to get some other DPC members as well to show our support. Please reach out to Erin Rizk at erinr@dtownpc.org if you are interested in attending or would like more information.
Good Stuff Thrift Drive
Saturday, June 10 (8 am-12 pm)
DPC is hosting a drive for Good Stuff Thrift and will be accepting donations of clothing, household items, tools, decor, and gently used toys and books. The proceeds will go to assist organizations helping children, including Hunting Park Christian Academy. Drop off is on Mechanics Street under the bridge, and large item pick-ups can be arranged.
Third Sunday Community Meal and Food Drive
Our Community Meal will continue through the summer. Meant to create a true sense of “community,” our monthly lunch is a time to for church members, neighbors, food-insecure individuals, homeless friends, or those just looking for good company and fellowship. Please note that the time will move to 11 am for the summer (June, July, and August). To sign up to help with the June 18 Community Meal, Click HERE.
DPC’s monthly Food Drive is also on the third Sunday from 9:30 to 11 am. The Doylestown Food Pantry currently needs cereal, sugar, coffee, hygiene items, detergent, soap and condiments. Volunteers will be collecting near the bridge. Items can also be left in the box inside the church entrance under the bridge.
Wrapping Presence Update
Wrapping Presence is in its 29th season. The mission of bringing joy and dignity to residence bound seniors has been fulfilled time and again over the years. Marne Dietterich saw a need and envisioned a solution. From that vision, Wrapping Presence was born. After 25 years she hung up her apron and passed on her wrapping supplies and the entire program to Cheryl Paradiso. Cheryl agreed to take the program for three years with the goal of streamlining everything and putting information online. Pandemic created new challenges and at each turn volunteers and friends helped address each challenge successfully. This is now Cheryl’s fourth year, and she will be stepping down as the Director of Wrapping Presence at the end of this season. She will still be a participant in the program, but her family and personal life need to take precedence. Wrapping Presence will need several organized volunteers to step into roles that will allow the mission of Wrapping Presence to continue on for another generation. Below is a list of roles that Wrapping Presence hopes to fill and duties we wish to assign as we move forward together.
- Email communications and scheduling with nursing home activity directors.
- Email communications with volunteers to coordinate and schedule work sessions.
- Hospitality Coordinator to arrange cookies for events and for nursing homes.
- Community Engagement Presenter who will visit various groups to present the mission of Wrapping Presence and engage new groups of volunteers.
Thank you to those who have already stepped into new volunteer rolls for social media updates, Community Liaison for white bag decorating, and with the Procurement Team for gathering items for fundraising raffles!
To learn more about Wrapping Presence, visit their website HERE.
Rolling Harvest
Rolling Harvest has expanded the land it has to grow fresh produce for food-insecure families in our community at Gravity Hill Farm in Lambertville! More land means more food – but also the need for more volunteers to plant, weed, and harvest. You can volunteer any Wednesday or Saturday from 9am-11am, and all ages are welcome! Interested in lending a hand to this great mission partner? Please reach out to Erin Rizk at erinr@dtownpc.org.
Southwest Trip – September 2023
Join with DPC’ers for the 2023 Southwest Mission Cultural/Work Trip from September 16-23. We will fly from Philadelphia to Albuquerque, New Mexico and from there travel to our destinations by car. Our work experience will be at the Community Pantry in Gallup, which DPC has generously supported for almost 20 years. Cultural experiences will include Acoma Pueblo, Zuni Pueblo, El Morro National Monument, Canyon de Chelly, Window Rock, and Mariano Lake Elementary School. We will be staying at hotels in Gallup and Albuquerque, NM, and the total cost is estimated to be between $1,550 and $1,750 for single room and between $1,200 to $1,400 for double room occupancy. The DPC Mission Committee will provide some funding to help defray costs. Brochures and registration forms are available in the Church and Andrew Hall entrances. Please respond by July 1 with your interest in participating. For more information, email dpc@dtownpc.org.
Hunting Park Christian Academy
HPCA has been one of our biggest mission partners for the last 10 years. In addition to several volunteer projects, we have been strong supporters of their scholarship fund, which assures that children living in the Philadelphia neighborhoods around the school can have access to a quality education regardless of their ability to pay.
On June 4, Jen and Kevin Deane, two of the school’s leaders, visited DPC to share more about what has been happening at HPCA as they wrap up their year. After worship, they shared information about how you can receive a 90% tax credit on your PA tax liability that will go towards their scholarship fund. If you are interested in individually supporting HPCA’s scholarship fund, this is an amazing way to make your donation go so much further.
Click here for more information.
SPECIAL OFFERINGS
Pentecost Offering
Received through the end of June, the Pentecost Special Offering unites us in a church-wide effort to support young people and inspire them to share their faith, ideas, and unique gifts with the church and the world. A portion of the offering is designated to a local organization helping foster children’s faith and development in our community. The majority is used by PC(USA) to assist efforts nationally and around the world.
THANK YOU!
Feed My Starving Children Review
Our session packed 188 boxes, which was 40,608 meals and will feed 111 kids for a year!