Since March 15, the Community Hope Center has served 8532 heartbeats, 2831 people visited service center, and 2505 households received food assistance with reduced operation hours. In June, the Hope Center began reopening the 192 facility on M-Tu-Th for 3-4 hours each day.

Requests for the following pantry items: Vienna sausages, canned ham or chicken, tuna and peanut butter. Must be unopened. (No clothing or housewares needed at this time.) Drop off cart in the narthex during service hours, or basket located outside church office door. Purchase from Amazon wish list here to ship direct. Volunteer opportunities weekly, click here to sign up.

Their greatest need at this time is for flexible rental assistance dollars that can be utilized to pay rent and utilities to keep families from becoming homeless.

  • $50 can cover a rental application fee for a family to move into permanent housing
  • $100 can provide 100 nutritious meals for families in need
  • $150 can provide 20 bus passes
  • $500 can provide a new home move-in kit for one family
  • $1000 can provide identification services for 4 individuals
  • $5000 can move one family from a hotel to a permanent home. The $5000 gift could include security deposit, first month’s rent, utility deposit, any applicable rental application fees and a new home kit (bedding, linens, crockpot, small appliances, pots & pans, utensils, etc.)

Contribute Online by going directly to the Giving page here. Volunteer opportunities available here. 

 

Kenya

Founded by Paul and Debbie Scott-Robinson, this amazing ministry not only provides food, shelter and education, but also offers a loving, caring, nurturing environment for children in need.

The Kenya mission’s greatest need is for 45 more sponsors for the 2021 school intake. The second highest need is for funds to finish the Celebration High School building.

  • $50 could feed 5 children on the feeding program for a month
  • $100 would pay for 10 students to receive a raincoat each
  • $1000 could sponsor 2 students for a year or 1 student for 2 years at Celebration High School (CHS)
  • $1000 will equip the library/training room with shelves, books, white board and t v
  • $1200 will buy 30 desks and chairs for the new intake (the furnishings are locally made)
  • $3000 will equip the computer room at CHS with 20 computers
  • $5000 would build half of the new worship center planned for the 3rd floor of CHS.

 

Friends of Utange Newsletter, February 2021

 

Celebration High School reopened last month to a loud hurrah! COVID-19 kept doors closed for 9 months. The new year brings new hope and the students have embraced the opportunity of learning again. The teachers took advantage of their enthusiasm and gave them all tests their 2nd week back to see what they remembered! Apart from social distancing, wearing masks and setting up hand washing stations around the field, life’s finally back to normal at CHS, much to the relief of students and staff.
 
Celebration Health Care has remained open during the pandemic as it’s a public service. Hats off to our medical staff who have kept everything ticking over!   

Casuarina seems very empty now the borders and university students have gone back. It’s lonely for the few left behind after being together as a family during lock down last year. Angelina our oldest girl at 23 is the first to fly the nest. She’s landed a job in Shanghai as a Community Social Worker and is due to leave for China next month on a 2 year contract. Who’d have thought the shy little girl skipping up the steps of Casuarina 11 years ago would be flying away to another country for work. Quite amazing!

We continue Feed500 in it’s new form whilst COVID restrictions are in place. By distributing a month’s maize flour in 6 different locations in the village it allows us to control numbers. For the families who’ve taken these orphans in, the maize flour they bring is now mostly all they have to eat. Folks were struggling before the pandemic hit and now with the drought they are lucky to afford one meal a day. The orphans rather than being a drain on resources have become contributors of food, so are highly regarded.
 
Lastly, for those in the U K, kindly consider switching your energy provider to Utility Warehouse. You can save money on your utilities plus 5% of your monthly bill will go to help our orphans. Please call the number and quote reference in the ad below.

For more information check out our charity website: www.utangeorphans.org

          Contribute Online by going directly to the Giving page here.

Haiti

International Christian Development Mission (ICDM)

Located in Bayonnais, this organization provides school for children, medical clinic, food and clothing plus training for adults. For more information, visit: http://icdm.us

The Haiti Mission’s greatest needs at this time are for the medical clinic and the feeding program.

  • $400/month feeds the entire school (800 students)
  • $100/month donation buys $200 worth of life-saving medicines/medical supplies
  • $500/month covers the salary for a Nurse for a month
  • $1000/month pays the salary for one of the 2 Doctors
  • $3000/month helps cover basic Clinic costs to save lives

Below is an update from Reverend Yvan Pierre in July 2020, and click here for how you can bring Christmas year-round for Haiti.

For the past 30 years International Christian Development Mission has served the people of Bayonnais, Haiti by:

  • Educating and feeding 800 children per week.
  • Providing free medical care to the community.
  • Offering services and community to senior citizens.
  • Building houses for the most vulnerable residents.
  • Teaching entrepreneurship to local businesspeople.
  • Educating pastors/community development workers throughout Haiti to build a better future for the entire country.
Dear friends of ICDM,
 
There is still time to make a difference in the lives of the people of Haiti! With the calendar year drawing to a close, I want to remind you to make your gift to ICDM by December 31.
 
If you have been following our work throughout the year, you will know that each day we feed over 800 children a hot nutritious meal. Each year we educate those same 800 students, laying the foundation for the future leadership of Haiti. We see some 2,000 patients a year in our medical clinic. We build houses for people in desperate circumstances. We provide micro-loans and training for small businesses so that people can build their own streams of income. Most importantly, we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through outreach in our own community and through our School of Evangelism which trains pastors from all over Haiti.
 
All of these activities make a profound difference in the lives of individuals, in the future of Haiti, and in the eternity of many, many people. You can be part of making a difference by partnering with us in prayer and in donating to our ministry. Find out the various ways you can make an impact by visiting us at https://icdm.us/.
 
There are even some taxation benefits to contributing to this important work. Due to the COVID crisis, each taxpayer is allowed to claim up to $300.00 in charitable deductions in the 2020 tax year even if they do not otherwise itemize deductions.
 
I also want to remind you that any contributions from IRA’s directly to ICDM are tax free and help reduce your overall tax burden. This is especially important to remember in the coming year when RMD’s (Required Minimum Distributions) will be reinstated for everyone over 70 ½. Please contact your financial adviser about making this sort of direct contribution.
 
Apart from any taxation considerations, investing in the people of Haiti through ICDM is a great move because it equips and empowers people for now and for eternity. Won’t you help us make a difference?
 
Sincerely,
Yvan Pierre
ICDM Directo
 

I want you to know I believe in this project. I have been to Bayonnais several times over the last ten years. I have met the children. I have met the entrepreneurs. I have taught at the annual leadership conference, and I want you to know ICDM has made a huge difference in the lives of the Haitian people. They have often made do with cramped spaces. They have done a lot with a little. Now is the time to help them do even more.

Contribute Online by going directly to the Giving page here. Contact our Missions Elder Carol Carbrey for more information and upcoming missions trips.