Dear Families:
Chrysanthemums in pots and pumpkins crowd the steps of the brownstones in our Brooklyn neighborhood and cobwebs stretch across iron gates. I was delighted to hear that on Monday, the preschoolers here will come in costume to the second-floor offices to trick-or-treat. The scary news is that the National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend a record $5.07 billion on costumes, cards, candy and decorations for Halloween, with the average consumer spending $64.82 compared with $59.06 a year ago. What if we were to spend just a fraction of that on the hungry and the homeless?
 We can mark this holiday in our own way here. It is, after all, All Hallow's Eve, the day before the Feast of All Saints, which we will observe at St. Bart's on the following Sunday, November 6. Following the 11 am service, you are invited to join us for an All Saints Family Day! We'll meet at the high altar at 12:15 where the children leave the food they bring up during the Offertory, and we'll carry the food downstairs to the Pantry, so we can see where it goes and what happens to it each week. We'll have lunch (RSVP so I know how much to order) in the Community Ministries Room, help stock the pantry shelves, and hear from Edward Sunderland and two of his volunteers about how we can support the ongoing work of Community Ministries. Stories of the saints who did (and do) God's work in the world will be interwoven throughout our time together.
Please consider making a counter-cultural donation of $60 or another amount on All Saints Day to Community Ministries or UNICEF... and if all that Halloween candy has been around your house long enough, the Pantry would love to give it away for you!
This Sunday, October 30, we are welcoming new members at the 11 am service, and all are invited to the festive reception that follows the service. If you are new, it's not too late to join! Click here for more information. Blessings, 
Wendy Claire Barrie
Director, Children, Youth and Family Ministries
325 PARK AVENUE @ 51ST STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022, 212-378-0222
ST.BARTS.ORG
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