2023 Outreach Annual Report

The following report was given at the 2023 Annual Meeting of St. John's Church held on April 14, 2024.

2023 was a year marked by socio-political instability worldwide, including in Ukraine, Haiti, Israel and Gaza. The stresses of those conflicts were acute, with impacts felt widely. Our local community saw a rise in hunger, housing insecurity and poverty. The inflationary economy raised the cost of living for families on Long Island and beyond, with the stresses of increased immigration no doubt adding to an already complex picture. St. John’s Outreach looked for ways to use our parish’s human and financial resources to respond faithfully and effectively, especially in underserved areas, focusing whenever possible on gaps unfilled by larger organizations.

2023 — Year in Review

In 2023 we distributed $62,500 in financial grants to Outreach ministries, complemented by in-kind donations and hands-on volunteer support. When added to funds raised and distributed by the St. Matthias Committee and expenditures for the St. John’s Day Camp (which now has it’s own budget line), total 2023 distributions for St. John’s Outreach programs were $86,700. This is a powerful statement of our values as a congregation.

The Outreach Steering Committee met monthly throughout the year to provide oversight for Outreach programs, consider opportunities, and approve financial grants. We were pleased to welcome a new committee member, Becky Bonventre, who has already made many valuable contributions.

One of the OSC’s ongoing objectives is to improve communication with the St. John’s community, encourage parishioners to participate in Outreach work, and offer educational opportunities to help us all better understand the challenges facing our community. This has been accomplished through regular announcements in “At St. John’s”, in-depth articles in our thrice yearly Outreach Newsletter, and open meetings and educational programs at Coffee Hour.

Here is a snapshot of some of the work St. John’s supported in 2023:

• We provided funding and volunteers to Community Solidarity. This longtime partner serves fresh, nutritious food to thousands of people each week across Long Island by repurposing food that would otherwise be wasted. We hosted monthly volunteer nights to offer parishioners a chance to work together in a group. Parishioners have responded enthusiastically and shared how meaningful the experience has been.
• We provided funding to Housing Help, another longtime partner doing tireless and proactive work addressing the housing crisis among low-income families in Huntington Station and beyond. Our funding helped support their Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which has served an overwhelming post-pandemic need, and also provided housing stipends for two low-income college students.
• We supported Gerald J. Ryan Outreach Center in Wyandanch with funding, clothing and food donations. Ryan Outreach experienced a significant increase in demand for social services and food pantry provisions this year. We are in dialogue about ways that we can be helpful in their on-going efforts to respond.
• Community Food Council, TriCYA, and St. George’s Hempstead food pantries all faced increased demand for their services. We have supported the three organizations with funding, as well as food donations. CFC continues to be the recipient of our Blue Bag food collections, which are being well-sported by the St. John’s congregation.
• Eastern Farm Workers has been an important resource for farm workers on the east end of Long Island, many of whom live in camps or sub-par housing. Our financial support continues to be essential to their operation. This year we also helped sponsor a series of pro-bono legal aid seminars.
• Family Service League is one of our longtime partners. We provided annual grants for three of their core programs: Lockwood Preschool, Huntington Interfaith Housing Initiative (HIHI) and their new Family Center in Huntington Station (where Lockwood is now located). HIHI has continued to tweak its post-Covid program model, with mixed success. We are in conversation with FSL as they make adjustments, and continue to look for for direct service opportunities for our parishioners.
• Youth and Family Counseling Agency of OB/EN is an anchor for disadvantaged families in the Oyster Bay/East Norwich community. Our funding helps support the Parent-Child Home Program, which offers early childhood enrichment and parenting training. Our congregation again supported YFCA’s Christmas Adopt-a-Family Program this year, providing over 75 gifts from the wish lists of our five “adopted” families. Close to 50 parishioners participated.
• In its 53rd season, St. John’s Day Camp had a successful summer at its new location at Southdown School. The camp, our longest standing Outreach ministry, is a partnership with the Town of Huntington and provides summer enrichment for young children from low-income families. More than 50 campers were served during the six week season, and almost 25 members of the St. John’s congregation volunteered their talents and caring.
• Despite travel restrictions, the St. Matthias Fellowship has stayed in regular telephone and email contact with our partner school in Haiti, and continues to provide essential operational funding. Conditions in Haiti have deteriorated badly this year due to rampant gang warfare and the collapse of government institutions. Thankfully Deslandes’ rural location puts it out of range of the violence, which has been centered in Port au Prince and the surrounding suburbs. Haitians living in the countryside are, nevertheless, impacted by inflation, food and fuel shortages, supply chain and service disruptions, and restricted access to medical care. Within that context, it is almost miraculous that St. Matthias has been able to operate as usual, continuing to provide a primary education for the children and an oasis of stability for the families of Deslandes. This would not be possible without our steadfast support and accompaniment.

On May 7th, the SMF Committee hosted its annual fete fundraiser, with a new “Musicale” format. The event was uplifting and fun, and connected our parishioners more closely with this important ministry. The fete raised $8,200. Augmented by a $5,000 Outreach grant, St. John’s was able to send $13,200 to St. Matthias in 2023 for teacher salaries, food for the lunch program, and school supplies.

Looking ahead

As we look to 2024, we pray that we can find increasingly effective ways to serve as God’s heart and hands in a world very much in need of healing. We will continue to take a two-pronged approach, supporting our ministry partners with both direct service and financial grants.

The Outreach budget for 2024 is $50,000, which we will be able to augment thanks to parishioner donations. When added to the St. John’s Day Camp budget and funds raised by the St. Matthias Fellowship, we anticipate that total Outreach expenditures for 2024 will again be close to $90,000.

Our sincere appreciation to Gideon, Mary Beth, and, most of all, the St. John’s congregation, for your support, guidance and participation.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Swiggett, St. John’s Outreach Chair