Each Sunday the Book of Common Prayer reminds us of the following:
Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
These words are drawn from the Gospel of Mark and here at St. George's Episcopal Church we take very seriously the call of Christ to provide love and assistance to the needy. Outreach is one of the hallmarks of our parish as we strive to engage the Salinas community in the Good News of Jesus Christ. Below you'll find a few of the many concerns with which we are involved.
Episcopal Relief & Development:
Working with the worldwide Anglican and Episcopal Churches, Episcopal Relief &
Development reached more than two million people in forty different countries last year.
Episcopal Relief & Development supports local, long-term initiatives that address poverty, hunger, disease, economic development and disaster response where the need is greatest.
Hope with Sudan:
A ministry of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in San Jose, CA, Hope with Sudan is
an organization which assists a community of Sudanese resettled in San Jose.
Operating since 2001, the program also supports children, youth, and young adults
in their home countries of Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda providing
medical, educational, and living expenses.
Operation Christmas Child:
Operation Christmas Child is a program of Samaritan's Purse International.
Samaritan's Purse aims to meet the physical and
spiritual needs of people suffering from war,
poverty, disaster, disease, famine, and persecution
with the purpose of global missionary work attendant on humanitarian aid.
Each November Operation Christmas Child
collects shoeboxes filled
with toys, school supplies, personal items, and other
gifts. These are then distributed as Christmas
gifts to millions of children each year. Gift boxes are
collected in North America, Europe, and Australia.
From 1993 through 2008, some 69 million gift boxes
have been handed out in more than 130 countries.
Community Garden of Salinas:
Growing out of a parish-wide strategic planning conference a group of
volunteers proposed a community garden to better utilize a 1.5 acre parcel
owned by the church. The parcel has been sitting fallow for decades but
will soon be available to the neighborhood for agricultural use.
We are planning on a first planting
in the Spring of 2010.
Relay for Life:
Each Spring we are proud to partner with the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.
We support Relay with various fundraisers including a Mother's Day Luncheon
and increasingly raucous auction, a mystery dinner and silent auction, and a
unique 'calendar raffle.'
Shelter Outreach Plus — I-HELP:
St. George's along with thirty other area-churches supports this vibrant concern
which focuses on ending the cycle of homelessness by providing
housing, support, and counseling services. Participants in the program are fed
and housed at St. George's on the third and fifth Thursdays of each month.
Miles of Pennies:
Administered by our local contingent of the Epicopal Church Women (ECW),
this ministry focuses on our youth — Pre-K through 12th Grade.
The children raised over $200.00 in pennies in 2008 to help support worthy
causes.
