MISSION OPPORTUNITIES ....

We believe we are called to be the hands and feet and voice of Jesus Christ with our neighbors and in the community, both local and global.  Our mission outreach includes financial support, hands-on volunteer work and projects, and prayer. The Orangewood congregation supports mission outreach programs to help with basic needs such as food, water, clothing, and housing; shelter and recovery from violence and sex trafficking; disaster response; self-development of people; special needs of children and families.

The Mission Committee is open to your suggestions regarding mission. Please let us know if there is a cause/organization of particular interest to you that you would like to see Orangewood Presbyterian Church consider as it carries out its call to mission in the Phoenix area and across the globe.

 We welcome participation by members of the community. 

A calendar of mission activities in 2011 is given below.  If you have an interest in or any questions about the projects and activities described here, please call the church office at (602) 944-1508.

Areas of Mission and Mission Partners:

ICM FOOD AND CLOTHING BANK (formerly Interfaith Cooperative Ministries),  www.icmaz.org/

ICM is an ecumenical clothing and food bank serving the greater Phoenix area.  They are in need of volunteers to help with the following:

·         Infant nursery

·         Sorting clothing

·         Registration and reception

·         Clothing and food checkout

Orangewood collects non-perishable food and clothing items each Sunday on the patio for the ICM food and clothing bank. Take a look in your pantry and bring along some of those canned food items that you aren't using. An annual food drive begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday each year.  During summer vacation, people are encouraged to pick up those handy little soaps, shampoos and lotions as they travel. On Clean-Up and Undie Sunday every September, we donate these items, along with new underwear and socks, to ICM to help them stock up for the fall and winter season.

desert mission food bank  www.jcl.com/content/foodbank/

Orangewood has a long-standing relationship with the Desert Mission Food Bank in Sunnyslope.  Members of the congregation are regular volunteers in the food bank warehouse, and the church organizes groups for regularly scheduled workdays throughout the year.   We welcome friends and neighbors to volunteer their time and help people in need in the community.  Call 602-944-1508 to find out when the next group project is scheduled.

CHRIS BECKER DINING ROOM

Orangewood has supported and participated in the mission work of the chris becker dining room since its inception as martha’s place in 1989.  Orangewood works here in teams once a month.  New team members are always welcome.  The chris becker dining room is an ecumenical food service designed to provide an evening meal to the guests of pocket shelters in the north phoenix area, as well as economically disadvantaged people from the community.  This is accomplished through the generosity of area churches of various denominations and individual families and groups. 

water ministry

Every June we begin collecting donations for water that is distributed throughout the summer, both locally and near the southern border.  In 2010, Orangewood donated nearly 6,000 bottles of water to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, Sunnyslope Community Center, Church of the Beatitudes, and (City of Phoenix) Shadow Mountain Senior Center.

What began as a summer water ministry in 2009 continued all through the year and every Friday a small group of people have breakfast at the Eye Opener restaurant in Sunnyslope and then go to the nearby park offering water, food, and conversation to the homeless people who live there. 

respite shelter for homeless men   www.respiteshelter.org/

Orangewood supports the work of the Respite Shelter for Homeless Men at 7000 North Central Avenue in Phoenix. The Respite Shelter is a one of a kind shelter. They provide shelter and supportive services to homeless men after they have been discharged from a health care facility and need a place to heal. To inquire about volunteer opportunities, call 602-870-4353. 

family promise   www.familypromiseaz.org/

Family Promise – Greater Phoenix is one of 159 Family Promise programs throughout the country temporarily meeting the needs of homeless families.  Family Promise has affiliates in 38 states and the District of Columbia.  Altogether there are more than 5,000 congregations and more than 120,000 volunteers who have assisted 140,000 guests since 1988.  The Greater Phoenix program provides meals, a homelike setting, emotional support and a full range of social, economic, and educational services.

Several times a year Orangewood hosts a family for a week or participates in hosting a family with another congregation.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEX TRAFFICKING

Orangewood supports the work of the following agencies who provide rescue, counseling and healing to victims of violence in our community.

CHRYSALIS    www.noabuse.org/

Chrysalis operates a residential crisis shelter. They can house up to 50 adults and children at once. During their stay (up to 120 days) residents can receive individual and group counseling and case management. Assistance with job development, housing and financial referrals, medical services, parenting information, etc. is provided based on the needs of the individual. Counseling can be provided to children living in shelter.

Chrysalis maintains a 24-hour domestic violence hotline at the crisis residential shelter.  For services at the Chrysalis Shelter call 602-944-4999

sojourner center  www.sojournercenter.org

Since 1977, Sojourner Center has provided shelter and support services to thousands of individuals affected by domestic violence. Through empowerment families discover hope and have the opportunity to build a new future free from violence. As the nation's largest domestic violence shelter, Sojourner Center is a tireless advocate for domestic violence victims and survivors. With the continued support of the community, Sojourner Center can help women and children overcome the impact of domestic violence, one life at a time.

If you are in a crisis and need immediate help, please call the Sojourner Center 24-hour hot-line at 602-244-0089.

streetlight phoenix  www.streetlightphx.com

The mission of StreetLight Phoenix is to eradicate child sex slavery. Streetlight has many resources for educating people about this serious issue and is opening a new facility to help victims heal and return to society.

church world service   www.churchworldservice.org/  

Church World Service (CWS) works with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world.

Each February, Orangewood holds an event called Blanket Sunday in support of the CWS Blankets+ program.  For over 60 years, Church World Service has worked in partnership with local communities to identify their needs and access the resources they need to build the foundation for a more viable future, including:

In the fall Orangewood youth participate in the annual CROP Hunger Walk to raise funds to end hunger at home and around the world.

agua fria food and clothing bank

Orangewood holds an annual school uniform drive in May to help children who live in the Avondale school district. 

The Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank serve families and individuals in the Southwest Valley by providing food, clothing, counseling, and pastoral care for those facing a crisis.  Communities served include Arlington, Avondale, Buckeye, Cashion, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Tolleson, and Tonopah.

To make donations or volunteer, call 623-932-9135.

angel tree ministries

Each Christmas season we decorate an Angel Tree with the names of Arizona resident children of prison inmates.  We purchase gifts requested by the children, wrap them, and deliver them on behalf of the absent parent.  For more information about Angel Tree Ministries, visit  www.angeltree.org

habitat for humanity   www.habitatcaz.org

As part of a coalition of metro Phoenix Presbyterian churches, Orangewood helps finance and build a Habitat for Humanity home for a family each spring.  Volunteers are encouraged to help in the building process with Orangewood.  Contact the church office for more information.  A list of all current construction projects and volunteer information can be found on the Habitat for Humanity Arizona website.

Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) Mission Trips
Orangewood works with AMOR Ministries building simple homes for families in Mexico.  Our youth and adults participate in these mission trips on a long weekend in the spring and fall and bring together people from all walks of life to help the poorest of the poor in Rocky Point.

While workers are always needed to help build a house for an impoverished Mexican family, there are several other ways you can participate in the Rocky Point Mission. Did you know that the materials to build a house cost nearly $4,000? You can contribute tax deductible donations for building materials, tools or to help defray workers’ fees; provide food to keep the workers fed; or participate as a prayer partner, the foundation for effective mission work.  Our next trip will be November 10-13, 2011.

honduras mission work trips

Since 2008, Orangewood has sent workgroups to Western Honduras.  These groups have included members of the congregation, members of the community, and volunteers from Washington, California, Colorado and North Carolina.  Under the care of The Presbyterian Church/USA and Heifer Project International, the 2-week  trips have included building block houses, providing medical clinics and nutrition education, constructing furniture, and teaching craft projects.  The underlying mission of the trips is to accompany people in the process of self-development.  This is a transformational experience for the volunteers as well! 

alternative gifts

Late fall brings opportunities to purchase alternative gifts that support the self-development of people.  We currently support the following during our annual alternative gift season:

Heifer Project was founded on the simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief. This idea has been in practice for over 65 years. Today, millions of families in 128 countries have been given the gifts of self-reliance and hope.

Emphasizing community involvement distinguishes Heifer’s work from that of global relief organizations. When Heifer steps in, communities are provided with a values-based planning and management model to guide their development projects.

This model has its foundation in Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development. The Cornerstones stimulate group wisdom and personal insights, and they keep the group’s actions balanced, focused and productive. The model is highly participatory and emphasizes:

·         Local ownership of the decision making process

·         Commitment of local resources

·         Participation of all people regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion

·         Inclusion of traditional, indigenous knowledge

·         Understanding that community development is a process

·         Outsiders as facilitators of change

Since 1963, The Medical Benevolence Foundation (MBF) has worked to provide hope and healing to those most in need. Working with our international church partners, MBF supports healing ministries in more than 100 hospitals and clinics throughout the world. The work of MBF includes:  funding to give medical care to the needy, fund medical mission works and build, maintain and operate hospitals; provide medical supplies; staff the mission service program with healthcare professionals and others; community development, including training and education; awareness and education of donors.

Bead for Life eradicates extreme poverty by creating bridges of understanding between impoverished Africans and concerned world citizens. Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads. Women in Northern Uganda gather shea nuts and press them into shea butter for cosmetics and soaps. 

trans world radio   www.twr.org

TWR broadcasts the Good News in countries around the world. Orangewood supports the Paul Cox family who are missionaries with TWR in Benin, Africa.  You can also support Project Hannah, a radio ministry geared toward women in oppression, with prayers for women around the world.  You can sign up to receive the monthly prayer list at www.projecthannah.org/prayer/team.html

orangewood friendship garden

The Orangewood Friendship Garden was founded in an unused corner of the church parking lot in 2009.  Participation is open to all in the community, with a small fee to rent a garden plot.  Go to the Garden

pRAYER sHAWL mINISTRY   www.shawlministry.com

A dedicated group of people at Orangewood participate in the ministry originated in 1998 by Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo, two graduates of the 1997 Women's Leadership Institute at The Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut. Compassion and the love of knitting/crocheting were combined into a prayerful ministry and spiritual practice which reaches out to those in need of comfort and solace, as well as in celebration and joy.  Whether they are called Prayer Shawls, Comfort Shawls, Peace Shawls, or Mantles, etc., the shawl maker begins with prayers and blessings for the recipient. The intentions are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. Upon completion, a final blessing is offered before the shawl is sent on its way. Some recipients have continued the kindness by making a shawl and passing it onto someone in need.

duet

Volunteers from area congregations provide support services at no cost to homebound and/or disabled individuals in the community.  These volunteer services can include: friendly visiting, phoning, shopping, business help, transportation within 10-12 miles of your home, in-home respite care or handy person for minor home repairs. Orangewood is always in need of individuals willing to become a DUET volunteer.  A trained volunteer can be assigned to people in need in our congregation.

sky harbor Interfaith CHaplaincy, Inc.  www.skyharbor.com/community/interfaithchaplaincy.html

Orangewood supports the work of the Sky Harbor Interfaith Chaplaincy to provide a place of comfort and aid to travelers at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

·         All-Faiths chapel on level 3 in Terminal 4

·         Emergency assistance through Travelers Aid

·         Hosting of A.A. meetings every Friday in the chapel conference room

·         Interfaith Chaplaincy (602) 244-1346

phoenix interfaith counseling     www.phx-interfaith.org

Orangewood supports the work of the Phoenix Interfaith Counseling organization that provides:

·         Mental Health Services that Empower and Strengthen Individuals and Families

·         Professional Training

·         Public Outreach and Education

2011 Orangewood Mission Calendar