Mission Opportunities – Spring 2023
Let’s Get Involved!
Bethel Presbyterian Church
The outpouring of support for Undie Sunday was impressive! 467 pairs of underwear, 403 pairs of socks, 6 t-shirts, and 5 knit hats were collected. These will be used for members of the community Bethel serves in its weekly hand outs.
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
Caring For Friends
You are invited to make and provide food for each month’s third Tuesday packing or come volunteer to help pack the food. Watch for the sign up link. For more information on this, please contact Erin Rizk at erinr@dtownpc.org.
Looking ahead: we will be taking a group to help at the Caring for Friends warehouse – watch for date and details.
Third Sunday Community Meal and Food Drive
On Sunday, March 19, you are invited to join with our congregation and neighbors in Fellowship Hall at noon for a Community Meal. The gathering is a fun way to connect with your church family and others in a casual setting. If you would like to volunteer at the meal or provide food, you can sign up here.
DPC’s monthly Food Drive is also on the third Sunday from 9:15 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 Spring Fling!
Wrapping Presence, a DPC mission partner, invites you to learn about its efforts while enjoying a festive atmosphere in the church parking lot on Saturday, April 29 from 1 pm to 4 pm! This very special event will serve as a thank-you to current volunteers, a fundraiser to help keep operations moving, and a chance to educate people about what exactly Wrapping Presence does and why it has become such a cherished and valued organization to so many.
Lunch will be served and there will be fun, games and a 50/50 raffle. Bring your friends!
For those who may not be aware of Wrapping Presence, organizer and DPC member Cheryl Paradiso sums it up this way.
“Most people will say that giving is always more rewarding than receiving. But what about the people who have come to a point in their lives where they have lost the ability to give? That’s where Wrapping Presence comes in. We work to give nursing home residents the dignity and joy that comes with giving Christmas presents to their loved ones. Basically we bring a department store directly to them! They select gifts and our volunteers wrap, bag, and tag the gifts along with wonderful cookies for their loved ones.”
To learn more about Wrapping Presence, stop by the Spring Fling on April 29 or visit their website HERE.
Southwest Mission Trip – Save the Dates!
Let’s join together and pray for the group headed out to volunteer at the Food Pantry in Gallup, NM on March 8.
The next Cultural Trip is set for September 16 to 23.
SPECIAL OFFERINGS
One Great Hour of Sharing Offering. Your generous gifts provide relief to those affected by natural disasters, food to the hungry, and help to empower the poor and oppressed. Recognizing that the hope we have in Christ is lived out in our acts of compassion for one another, we respond with gifts that help our sisters and brothers around the world find the hope for a brighter future. The Presbyterian Hunger Program receive 36% of undesignated gifts, while the Self-Development of People and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance each receive 32%. We will receive this offering on Easter.
Pentecost Offering
Received in May, 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!
Code Blue – Thank you!
The Code Blue Shelter moved from Doylestown Presbyterian Church to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on March 1. While the shelter was at DPC it was open for 15 nights, with a total of 43 nights since the shelter opened on December 1 – clearly a warm winter. The shelter has housed 38 different individuals so far this season.
A very grateful note of appreciation to all the volunteers who helped while the shelter was at DPC. The shelter requires 14 volunteers each night to run, meaning 210 positions were filled this month (645 for season). In addition, 3 volunteers are needed each night the shelter was open at DPC to provide and serve dinner, so 45 positions were filled. 22 members provided groceries and donations to support all the items needed to operate the kitchen during the month. It truly takes a village!
