Introduction:
We’re sure you are curious about specific items in the budget so we are here to talk about the Community Donations Committee. We are a small committee of 4 people, who meet 2 or 3 times a year to decide on how to allocate the funds we have been given in the annual budget. The CDC have been a part of St. Mary’s for many years, and many of you will remember when we used to have a separate line for Outreach on the annual pledge form. In recent years it has been decided to include Outreach with the Ministry and Mission of the church. So when you make your pledge every year you are including -along with paying for clergy and staff, programmes and upkeep of the church - reaching out to “help those in need” (as it says In our Mission statement). It was decided three years ago by the Trustees and Parish Council that, based on historical data, 7% of income from pledges and other donations would go to Outreach – which includes Alongside Hope (previously PWRDF), Cristosal, and Care and Share as well as Community Donations. How that 7% is divided between the four agencies is decided each year by the Social Action Council. This year it was 45% of the 7%, for a total of $13,097.
Allocations:
How do we decide where to direct our donations? Over the years, the CDC has supported numerous agencies, suggested to us in a variety of ways - by direct requests, a relationship with parishioners, for example. But a few years ago, we embarked on a strategic planning exercise, to ensure that donations are dispersed in a fair and objective manner, consistent with the values of St. Mary’s and taking into account current community needs.
As a result, the CDC determined that 8 issues are of deepest concern and will be given funding priority. These are: Teen parents Children/youth who are in, or recent graduates, of foster care Children/youth with mental health and addiction problems Children living in poverty Adults who have suffered abuse Adults with mental health and addiction problems Seniors living in poverty Seniors with mental health problems
In the Lower Mainland there are many great non-profit organizations offering services addressing these needs. We research each organization to ensure that they are well governed, that they are inclusive in their services, that they provide a direct service to individuals or groups, and that they are not supported significantly by any level of government, the United Way or the Salvation Army. In other words, we support those that do not have widespread financial support, and will benefit from a small donation of 1 or 2 thousand dollars.
From time to time, the CDC may decide to fund agencies that are not on their usual list, but which have a high and immediate need. For example, if an agency has lost a grant through no fault of their own, or they are fundraising for a special one-time project, or there is a new community need such as an influx of refugees. These agencies should still meet all the eligibility criteria that we apply to our regular recipients.
One of the long-time recipients of CDC funding is the First Nations House of Learning at UBC. For many years, we have provided bursaries of $1,000.00 each to two students who have a demonstrated need for assistance with their tuition. As well, over the past year we have sent donations ranging from $1000 to $2500 to the following organizations: Aunt Leah’s, ASK, Coast Mental Health, the Dugout, WISH, Avalon, Battered Women’s Support Services, and the Boys and Girls Club, which now operates the activities of Kidsafe, which St. Mary’s has supported for many years.
And we are so pleased that today at Coffee Hour you’ll be able to meet with representatives of three of the agencies we support: Coast Mental Health, Aunt Leah’s, and ASK (Arbutus Shaughnessy Kerrisdale Friendship Society). We hope that you’ll visit each of the tables set up in the Parish Hall and learn more about the needs and activities of each of these important organizations.
Christmas Tree Fundraiser:
Apart from these allocations that Gail has explained, of course the Community Donations Committee hosts a Christmas Tree fundraiser every year. Members of the congregation who have been coming to St. Mary’s for a while will probably remember that for some years we made up Christmas hampers in the Narthex, which were delivered to schools. A few years ago we changed to putting up a little Christmas Tree in the Parish Hall. Every year our Committee chooses one or two agencies that especially need our support – for instance last year (and then again this year) the recipients of everyone’s generosity will be the LookOut Society who run the warming shelter here at St. Mary’s, and Mathew Johnson’s Street Outreach Initiative. We are really looking forward to hearing Mathew preach on Dec 14th, and donors will as always get to hang a beautiful ornament on the tree!
Closing:
We hope that you’ll feel moved to consider everything we’ve told you when making your pledge this year. Although many of you have probably already submitted your pledge, it’s never too late to add an additional amount, should you wish, and to keep the Community Donations in mind next year when pledging. And we know how generous you’ve all been in past years with the Christmas Tree fundraiser, so watch for the notices in the Messenger about how to donate, beginning on Nov. 30th, through to Dec. 14th. We’ll have our donation table and Christmas tree in the Parish Hall at Coffee Hour after the services on Dec. 7th and 14th, but you can always donate online or by sending a donation to the office at any time. To close, I’d like to remind everyone of the St. Mary’s mission statement: “In Christ, we are welcoming and inclusive community that knows and shares the love God, and serves those in need.”