Mission Update – Winter 2021

So many of you have stepped up in recent months to donate time, items, and effort to help those assisted by our various mission partners. The story below offers a glimpse at one such unique collaboration. We encourage you to continue reading to the bottom of the page for our Mission roundup, which provides an overview of the many ways you can give back. This includes details of the DPC Giving Tree – for which we are still seeking gift buyers to help make this season special for those in need!

It all started at the Garden Party…

During a recent fundraiser to benefit one of DPC’s mission partners, the nonprofit Americans for Native Americans (ANA), a casual conversation occurred between Alice Perez, the Director of the Community Pantry in Gallup, New Mexico, and DPC member Marty Starner, an attendee of the event.

Alice mentioned that the pantry – which benefits from the efforts and contributions of ANA to help feed those in need – was looking to purchase a van to be paid for with money made available through Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, commonly known as CARES.

She had scoured the Southwest region near the pantry, but could not find the right vehicle for the right price. And her September 30 deadline was fast approaching.

Marty felt local ANA supporters could help.

A text from DPC Member Allen Childs to Mark Banas, a salesperson at Fred Beans Ford here in Doylestown was all it took to locate exactly what was needed.

DPC members, who were volunteering at the pantry as part of their annual Southwest mission trip, returned home with the check in hand, securing the purchase of the van in mid-September.

Alice and another Community Pantry staff member flew across the country with the intent of driving the van back to New Mexico.

But they quickly realized the opportunity that presented itself.

What’s better than returning with a useful new van? Returning with a van filled with school supplies and boxes of clothing! The community serviced by the pantry sorely needs items like these and while ANA frequently sends them, shipping costs can be high.

Several schools were contacted and lists of needs were secured. ANA sent those lists to its faithful shoppers who went into high gear to help fill all the lists. 

The result: when the van left Doylestown on October 8, it was filled with 49 boxes filled with new clothing, underwear, shoes, coats, school supplies, personal care items, and blankets requested by the schools and even included a wood chipper for the Hope Garden!

The van has now made the 2,000-mile trip back to the pantry and all those boxes have been picked up by the schools.

Teamwork, dedication, and kindness made this all happen – but sometimes all it takes to set things in motion is an offhand remark at a Garden Party…

Giving Tree Reminder. We still need sponsors for Christmas gifts for adults and children in our community this Christmas! Click Here to start shopping! All Giving Tree gifts are due back to DPC by Monday, December 6 at 5 pm. Questions? Contact Erin Rizk at erinr@dtownpc.org

Code Blue Trainings. CSSH, which operates our local Code Blue homeless shelters, opens for the season in December at Neshaminy Warwick, with DPC hosting again in February! All volunteers must have attended a training and passed a background test, which can be done online. For more information on the training or the shelter, visit https://co2ssh.org

Red Cross Blood Drive. Wednesday, December 29, 1pm – 6pm in Fellowship Hall. There is a major shortage of blood nationwide, and donations are desperately needed. Please consider giving the gift of life this Christmas! To sign up, contact Erin Rizk at erinr@dtownpc.org or visit the Advent Mission Market tables.

Christmas Joy Special Offering. A Presbyterian tradition for almost 75 years, the Christmas Joy Offering is one of the four special offerings designated by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to provide congregations direct ways of supporting specific causes that help those in need. Your gifts go to support retired church workers and racial-ethnic students at PC(USA)-related colleges. Join your fellow members as we assist leaders of our past and future. This year’s offering will be received on December 19 and throughout the month of December through online giving.

Christmas Eve Offering. This year’s Christmas Eve offering will support the Coalition to Shelter and Support the Homeless, which provides shelter and aid to our homeless neighbors in Central Bucks. The Code Blue shelter will be hosted at DPC for the month of February.

Thank you from Bethel Presbyterian Church. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the Bethel Thanksgiving Meal request with a variety of items including turkeys, fruit, vegetables, water, juice, soda, plates, and baskets to make fruit baskets for their seniors, along with $500 in gift cards for their Thanksgiving guests! We also collected 282 coats and countless scarves and gloves for those in the community Bethel serves.