Dear Friends,

 

This week I went to a meeting hosted by St. Gregory's Pantry, our local community food pantry which our church supports. How blessed we are to have such a wonderful resource to draw upon and how blessed we are to have so many volunteers support the pantry through the giving of their time, energy, food and money.

 

Once again I was reminded of the number of people living right in our midst who would have a tough time making ends meet without help from the pantry. In addition to food, the pantry has helped with rental assistance, payment of utility bills as well as given out gift cards to help with gas and items from area grocery and drug stores. The list goes on and on of those who have been helped over the years in a variety of ways.

 

Thanksgiving and Christmas distributions will be coming in the next two months. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 250-300 families will be helped to have a special holiday meal and something to put under the tree for children on Christmas day because of these distributions. I know that many of you have purchased gifts for children as well as donated food in past years. Thank you and I pray that you continue to do so.

 

This year, one simple way to help out the clients of St. Gregory's is by donating soup. The request for soup from clients has dramatically increased since Hurricane Sandy. Soup is both a comfort food and satisfying. Therefore I would like to suggest that we at PPPC designated now through Christmas as "SOUP SEASON."

 

How easy it is to pick up a can or two of soup each time you grocery shop. Bring it to church and put it in the box in the Narthex designated for St. Gregory's. What is simply a can of soup to you is an evening meal for someone else.

 

See you in church this Sunday with your can of soup.

 Pastor Linda

The Prayer People for the week of October 19 are our new members (see below). Let us be prayerfully aware of these new members, as well as all our members and friends.

Other prayer concerns: Mikki (Joe and Robin DeRosa's grandaughter); Michael Limpantsis; Jim Mcguire; James Clevenger; Tony Coppolino; Margaret Olsavsky; Kathryn Feldman; Trudy Pedersen; Karen Larsen; all those in the military, as well as those struggling with addictions and mental illness.

As we all know, recovering from a natural disaster such as Superstorm Sandy can mean more than just rebuilding a home.  As the Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group Disaster Case Managers are reaching out to assist our community members with their un-met needs, it is evident some of these individuals have un-met emotional and spiritual needs as well.

As the Emotional and Spiritual Support Committee Co-Chair, I would like to ask the members of our Ocean County community to help in this effort by volunteering to accompany a Disaster Recovery Case Manager on visits.  You can volunteer as little as 2 hours per month.

All who are interested in becoming Care Counselors, please contact Pat Greeley of MHA who is coordinating this effort.

Pat may be reached at pgreely@mhanj.org or 908-872-5096.

Thank you,

Susan Calavano

Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group

Emotional & Spiritual Support Committee, Co-Chair

As the Ebola crisis continues to escalate, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) programs are working with its partners, the West Africa Initiative (WAI) and Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance, on the immediate medical crisis as well as the secondary impacts on communities in the region. The response has focused on:

Supplying essential protective gear and supplies to protect medical workers
Raising awareness on the symptoms of Ebola and preventive methods
Improving food security and incomes of families by maintaining agricultural production at the community level "This is not just a public health crisis," said Dr. Margaret Chat, World Health Organization director-general. "This is a social, humanitarian and economic crisis as well as a threat to national security beyond the outbreak zones."

Sento Conteh, a WAI facilitator in the Kenema District of Sierra Leone says, "Ebola is worse than the civil war. In the war you could see and hear the danger, this Ebola is a silent and invisible killer."

In addition to health care, one of the most urgent needs is food security. Many communities are being quarantined, and reports of food shortages abound.

"It is very difficult for the groups to take their produce to the markets in Monrovia. Village markets are closed, and group members have no income coming in," says Thomas Hackor, WAI Country Coordinator in Liberia.

The WAI program has on-the-ground presence, credibility and organizational structure to reach rural communities with necessary information and assistance. Despite travel restrictions, WAI facilitators have been able to get permission to travel to the villages in need of help.

In the United States, a PC(USA) committee is monitoring the Ebola situation and is prepared to provide guidance to congregations should the situation reach a level that requires a substantial response.

As the crisis continues, our partners and the people they serve will need our ongoing prayers and support.

Please stand in the GAP for families impacted by Ebola.

Your financial gifts will provide prevention education, medical supplies, sanitation kits and implements for food security to the people directly and indirectly affected by the outbreak.

Designate gifts to DR000190-Ebola response. Individuals can give through their local Presbyterian congregation, online, or by mailing a check to:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburg, PA 15264-3700

Follow the PC (U.S.A.) response on Twitter and Facebook and share updates with your congregation and others.

Share the downloadable bulletin insert wth your congregation.

Learn more on an upcoming November 3, 2014 webinar. Check Facebook or the website for more information.

Remember those affected or threatened by the virus throughout the world as well as the safety of healthcare workers, families and neighbors caring for those affected. Remember the families who have lost loved ones as well as the quarantine communities. Pray for containment and an end to the spread of the Ebola virus.