Our next meeting will be on September 11 at 11:30 am at the church. All women are invited to come to help us plan for the coming year. We are wishing everyone a fun, relaxing summer and hope to see you in the fall.
Many thank-yous to all who helped us collect $800 for our mission fund, enabling us to send $65 to each of our 13 mission partners.
Our next meeting will be on September 11 at 11:30 am at the church. All women are invited to come to help us plan for the coming year. We are wishing everyone a fun, relaxing summer and hope to see you in the fall.
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Five women met in the Friendship Hall for our Salad Luncheon on June 12. After discussion we decided to hold all our meetings at 11:30 an each meeting day, either at the church or at a nearby restaurant. Kathy M will no longer serve as treasurer so we are sending her a Thank-You card expressing our gratitude for the gracious way she has helped us in so many ways through the years. Margaret S will carry out the Treasurer’s duties until a new treasurer is elected. Luncheon consisted of a nice variety of salads and cookies brought by Ruth R. Linda R read a poem by Edgar Guest called “The Little Church” as our program.
Mission offerings were collected and will be divided among the 13 charities sponsored by our group. Ruth R wrote an updated summary of each charity we support. This summary will be posted in the friendship hall Bulletin Board and included in the Caller. We plan to give members one more week to add to our collection. Next meeting will be at the church on September 11, 2024. Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful summer and looking forward to seeing you in the fall. MARY’S PLACE: Operates seven family shelters. Whole families, including fathers, can stay together at most locations. Over 600 people can have shelter each night. The newest shelter is in Bellevue. There are plans for the Burien center to open a permanent 90- unit apartment building at the same location as the temporary shelter. Many support services are provided for homeless and low- income people, including a women’s day room, children’s activities, and job training. Popsicle Place, located in Seattle, Burien and Bellevue, offers a safe place for children with special needs and chronic health issues. Help, including financial counseling, is given to families so they can move into permanent housing.
EVERETT GOSPEL MISSION: Provides shelter, job training, addiction counseling, and help with getting employment and permanent housing. Those who want to hear the gospel message of God’s love and salvation can do so. There is a shelter for women and children and another shelter for men. Four family apartments allow whole families to stay together. Four more family units are under construction. Cares for about 145 men and 75 women and children each night. The Passport Program offers assistance to people who need help securing employment, permanent housing and financial independence. People who want this training can either do some work at the shelter or pay a small bed fee while they learn the needed skills to achieve financial independence. NEW HORIZON’S: Provides help for homeless youth, including shelter, day room, job training, counseling, and Bible study and Christian discussion time for interested youth. The “Nest”shelter on 3rd Ave. has 30 beds for youth transitioning out of homelessness. It is animal friendly so a pet is accepted. Youth can get breakfast and lunch and have time for interests and study. Computers are available. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday for day drop-ins, and every day for shelter residents. Laundry services, showers, counseling, clothing and other services help youth improve their lives. Job training for baristas is available at the Street Bean coffee shop at New Horizon’s day- room on Third Avenue. Some outside activities, including a hiking club, are available for interested youth. PREGNANCY RESOURCE CLINIC: Provides pregnancy tests and ultra sounds for women who want them. Offers classes in baby care for expectant parents, including fathers. Class attendees earn points for baby clothes and other supplies. Maternity clothes are also available. New mother’s groups offer a place to socialize and continue earning points for more baby clothes and other necessities. Interested people can hear God’s message of salvation. Counseling and parenting classes are available for new and expectant fathers. COCOON HOUSE: Provides shelter and other services for youth from high school age through age 24. Works to improve relations with parents, helps people overcome addictions, provides a safe place to study and helps older youth prepare for and obtain jobs and permanent housing. Works with school officials to help youth affected by recent homelessness continue their education. Young people age 12 and older can receive counseling. Sometimes counseling improves home situations enough that young people can remain at home. In 2023, 125 teen-agers and 25 young adults were given housing. 559 young people received services at the drop-on center. MATTHEW HOUSE: Provides services to prisoners’ families while their loved ones are incarcerated. Prisoners’ families can find a place to rest, get something to eat, obtain clothing and groceries, and if necessary because of long drives, there is room for some families to spend the night. Prayer rooms are available, and anyone who wants spiritual help will receive it. Their goal is to meet the spiritual and practical needs of the families during a difficult time. It is often hard for children to understand why their father, or other loved-ones, cannot be with them. VISION HOUSE: Provides private apartments for people getting ready to transition into permanent housing. Sometimes clients’ need comes from job loss, medical costs, or domestic violence. Vision House gives child care while parents attend school or work. Furniture and household items are provided when a family is ready to move into permanent housing. Counseling and other needed assistance is given to help insure the move to new housing will be permanent. CONCERN FOR NEIGHBORS FOOD BANK: Donations of non-perishable food and monetary support help the food-bank provide help to needy families. Some stores donate produce and left-over bakery items. Food given to clients is still done by drive-through pick-ups. The number of families served has significantly increased. We made 150 Easter baskets this year, also given by drive-through. HABITAT FOR HUMMANITY, SNOHOMISH COUNTY: Habitat stores help provide income for their housing costs. They are getting ready to build six 4-plexes on a site in Everett. One single home is on the premises. Zoning changes were needed to allow the townhouses. The townhouse project required sewer lines and other amenities to be completed before construction of the townhouses can begin. The foundation has been laid for the single family home at this site. A single-family home in North Everett has been acquired and is being repaired and updated. This home should be ready for occupation later this summer. Each family spends 500 hours of work on their new home. Habitat for Humanity also makes some home repairs for low-income people. OPERATION NIGHTWATCH: Nightwatch helps people find shelter. Street ministers interact with homeless people living on the street. Street workers take clean socks, food, and waterproof blankets to people who do not have shelter. One homeless man told a worker a blanket is for than warmth. He felt safer with his head covered with a blanket, one more layer of protection from danger. Dinner is provided for people who will spend the night outside and for those who will be in a shelter. Those who want to, have a chance to hear the message of God’s love and salvation. Nightwatch has an apartment building with 24 small apartments for seniors. This is often the first permanent home the tenant has had in years. Small things, like new towels and sheets, make these apartments special for people who move in. SUPPORT SEVEN, INTERNATIONAL CHAPLAINS’ MINISTRY: Provides spiritual and emotional help to people facing tragedies caused by accidents, or other difficult situations. Accident victims can find a place to wait or rest in the Support 7 vehicle. Support Seven serves as a Compassionate Care Liaison between first responders and people in crisis during on-scene emergency incidents such as unexpected natural deaths, homicides, house fires, suicides or other crisis incidents. A respite place is also provided for first responders to get quick refreshments and prepare for interviews. Compassionate chaplains from Support Seven are often the ones to bring notice of tragic death to the family, offering prayer and comfort to people who want it. JAN GRIFFITH – OUR HOME-GROWN MISSIONARY TO SWEDEN: Jan grew up in our congregation. Her parents, Bob and Marian, were very active in our congregation for many years. Jan has been actively providing help to a church which operates a Christian school. Some of the students are immigrants. She has been active in ecumenical outdoor Passion Plays and in spiritual development classes. Her health is improving, but she still has to be careful. She works to help improve relations between different cultures and language groups. Jan has been active in promoting the book, “Across the Street and around the World” by Jeannie Marie. The book was published in Swedish last May. Jan says the book gives useful ideas for promoting God’s Word to people of different cultures. Jan was able to meet the author last November when Jeannie Marie was touring and teaching in Sweden. This was a very special time for Jan. WORLD CONCERN: World Concern works to improve living conditions for people living in difficult circumstances. They provide water filters in areas where dirty water can be purified. They provide funds for wells in some areas, such as a village well in South Sudan. They work to prevent malnutrition and sex trafficking. Some young girls are given to sex traffickers by their families who have been deceived, thinking their daughters are being given good jobs. Some young girls are snatched right off the streets in third world countries. World Concern has been able to rescue some of these young women and provide them with a better life. World Concern teaches farming techniques, and provides tools and seeds so people can grow their own food. They also provide other services which improve the lives of people who are living in poverty. The goal is to lift people out of poverty by enabling them to earn enough money to provide a sustainable living. Seven women met for a lunch meeting at the Pancake Haus in Edmonds on May 8. Our last meeting before summer vacation will be a salad luncheon on June 12 at the church at 11:30 AM. We plan to reveal our prayer partners and to elect officers for the coming year which is to start in September. This is the time of year when we collect contributions for our mission projects and make plans for our fall agenda. Do we sponsor a rummage sale this summer? Which other projects would you like to consider?
Kathy M has faithfully served as our treasurer for several years, but now is unable to continue in that position. We thank her for the many years of faithful service and support. Margaret S, Moderator The January meeting was a noon luncheon at the Pancake Haus in Edmonds on January 10. Winter colds are making the rounds, so only 3 women attended.
The February meeting will be a Valentine’s Party in the Friendship Hall at the church on February 14. We plan a business meeting at 11:30 am with a luncheon to follow. Our speaker will be Molly Meyers from Homage who will tell us about their programs for the elderly and the handicapped (they are the sponsors for Meals on Wheels). We plan to have a soup luncheon so everyone is encouraged to bring a can of some kind of vegetable soup and we will mix them all together. Mary C volunteered to bring rolls, and dessert will be a surprise. Feel free to bring valentines if you wish. All the church members are invited to attend and to bring a guest. Margaret S, Women’s Association Moderator Six women and one guest attended the meeting held in the Friendship hall of Edmonds Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, November 8. After secretary and treasurer reports, Mission Chairman Ruth R named the mission recipients and read some of the thank-you-notes and updates we received from them. One update we received was from Kathy Gieske who works with Middle East Partners providing help to Christians from Iran, one of whom told a compelling story.
It is time to gather all the white socks we have collected and send them to Operation Nightwatch. Ruth also contacted YWCA-Pathways for Women and they are matching us with a needy family for a Christmas project. We enjoyed a delicious luncheon provided by Linda R and Ruth R with an exotic dessert provided by Mary C. The program was presented by Shannon Sessions, who grew up in the Meadowdale area and remembered having Jerry G and Kathryn G as two of her teachers. Shannon is executive director and chaplain of Support 7, a non-profit organization with trusted trained and compassionate volunteers who serve along with first responders assisting victims and survivors of emergencies such as fires, floods, or sudden deaths in Snohomish County. They have a camper van equipped with emergency food and water supplies which provides a place for clients to get out of the weather and relax while making necessary contacts and filling out paperwork involved with their emergencies. Support 7 also supplies needed refreshments to firefighters and police who are present for the emergencies. Support 7 volunteers often stay with the affected family after the emergency workers leave in order to provide additional support as needed. Since the organization is non-profit, accepting no government money, selling calendars is one way of supporting their operation. They put out a yearly calendar for $25 each with pictures of their operations and include safety tips which all of us should know. Please contact the Women’s Association if you would like to have one of these calendars. Best wishes to Bev F’s son Douglas hoping he has beaten the COVID bug, condolences to Kathy C on the passing of her mother, Esther, and to Kathy F hoping she is happily settling in to her new home in Texas (we miss you, Kathy). December meeting will again be at the church on the 13th and will be a salad luncheon. After which we will present Christmas stories and sing carols. Everyone is invited and encouraged to bring a friend. Margaret S, Women’s Association Moderator. The October meeting of the EPC Women’s Association was an informal lunch at the Pancake Haus in Edmonds. It is always a joy to have an opportunity to socialize with friends from the church.
Our November meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 8 at 11:30 AM in the Friendship Hall in our church. Our speaker will be Shannon Sessions who will tell us about Support 7, sponsored by the International Chaplains Ministry. They support local firefighters, emergency responders and police who make calls to emergencies in our community by giving support to families in need. They provide a camper filled with emergency food water and snacks for the responders and a warm, quiet place to rest for clients having an emergency. Shannon will tell you much more about their program. All women are invited and we encourage you to bring a friend. Lunch will be provided. We are continuing to collect new white socks for Operation Nightwatch to give to their clients who are homeless and often out in cold weather. Operation Nightwatch is also grateful for contributions of coffee, cocoa and snacks which they in turn give to their clients. Ruth R is looking into adopting a Christmas Family for our church for whom we provide gifts and Christmas dinner. This actually becomes a project for our entire church because even though there are few of us we want to show our love for those less fortunate and are in need. Margaret S, EPC Women’s Association Moderator Women’s Association met on September 13 in the Friendship Hall at Edmonds Presbyterian Church with 7 members present. Secretary Ruth R reported that $710 was contributed to the mission fund, enabling us to send $75 to each of our 13 designated mission recipients. Prayer partners were revealed in June and we kept praying for the same prayer partners through the summer. We currently have over $1,000 in our checking account at US Bank to be used when needed.
Ruth also gave the mission report with fall plans listed: October is when we collect new white socks for Operation Nightwatch. These are given out as needed during the year to their clients they meet during their street ministry and their shelter occupants. We voted to again sponsor a Christmas Family whose name we receive though the YWCA and Pregnancy Resource. Ruth will contact them and acquire the needed information so we can provide a small family with what they need at that time of year. We usually collect money to provide gift cards so the mother can purchase what is needed for a Christmas dinner and gifts for the family. Our program was readings of thank-you notes from our mission recipients as well as a letter from Rochelle Holm telling of their activities and prayer requests for their mission in Malawi. Jean G presented a story from the book Simple Acts of Faith by Margaret Feinberg and Ruth R read a short story from a book of devotions. After a luncheon provided by Ruth R and Margaret S, Prayer partners were selected by drawing signed bookmarks from our basket. Today’s contributions totaled $40 which will be added to our savings account. Our October meeting will be at the Pancake Haus in Edmonds at 12 noon on October 11 and all women are invited to attend . Respectfully submitted by Margaret Smith, Women’s Association Moderator. The March Women’s Association meeting at the Pancake Haus was postponed until March 22 at 12 Noon since 1 member is recovering from a fall and is not driving yet and another member is recovering from COVID.
In case you missed our report, Souperbowl Sunday netted 48 food items and $106 which were delivered to the food bank. Everyone is invited to assist in filling 100 Easter Baskets for the food bank at 10 AM on April 1 in the Friendship Hall. Mission chairman Ruth R will supply details. Our April meeting will be at the church at 11:30 AM on April 12. A speaker from Everett Gospel Mission plans to tell us of changes made to their programs during the past 3 years. Margaret S, Women’s Association Moderator Eight women met in the friendship hall of the church on February 8 for a business meeting and Valentine’s Day Luncheon. Minutes of the December meeting were read and approved, treasurer report of $ 1337.37 in our bank account was approved, and Ruth R reported on our Christmas family. Ruth called Carla at Concern for Neighbors Food Bank in Mountlake Terrace, who requested 100 Easter Baskets this year. We are in need of more baskets to fill and small plush animals to put in the baskets we are encouraged to visit thrift shops and dollar stores to try to find these items.
Ruth also reported she attended a meeting where she met the new commander of Support 7 which was founded in 1981 by Ken Geydos who has spoken to our group several times in the past. (Sadly, he passed away a few years ago). Festive decorations were provided by Kathy M and a lovely lunch was served by Kathy M, Ruth R and Jean G. Valentine candy and cookies were provided to each person attending. A motion was passed to provide funding of up to $200 for items needed to fill the Easter Baskets. Since Easter falls on April 9 this year, we plan to meet in the Friendship Hall to put the baskets together at 10 AM on April 1. We invite anyone who is interested in helping with this project to come. March meeting will be at the Pancake Haus in Edmonds at 12 noon on March 8. April meeting will again be at the church at 11:30 am on April 12 and we plan to have a speaker for that meeting. We hope everyone is well and able to come join us. Margaret S, Women’s Association Moderator |
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