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Outreach Programs The First Church has an active charity program called The Social Outreach Committee. The program is run by a small group of First Church members, who on the advice of the Minister, donates to needy families and individuals. Donations are usually in the form of food, clothing, heating oil or money. Donations to private parties are made as discreetly as possible. Beside our First Church Mission program, the Church also makes a number of donations to local charities, such as the YMCA, HAWC (Help for Abused Women and Children), the Salvation Army and the Crombie Street Shelter.
The First Church dinners at The Salem Mission The First Church serves dinner once a month at The Salem Mission, usually on the last Saturday of the month. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the church office at 978.744.1551, or by email.
Thanks to everyone who helped with our monthly dinners at The Salem
Mission during the last church year. You efforts, as always, were
sincerely and deeply appreciated!
* March 22 |
The Salem Mission at 56 Margin St in Salem provides food and shelter to the area's homeless and needy people. On the third Saturday of each month volunteers from The First Church directly support this worthy work by preparing and serving dinner to residents and other visitors at the Mission.
One or two of us do the shopping, and then the rest of the team meets
in the late afternoon in the Mission kitchen and prepares the dinner.
We then serve it through the kitchen window to all comers. In general
we end up serving about 50-75 people each time. For most volunteers it
is a 2-3 hour commitment of time that is its own reward. We become better
acquainted with one another and with people in our community with whom
we might not otherwise cross paths. The First Church's turnout is usually
between 5-10 volunteers.
Among the regular volunteers, special acknowledgment must be given to
Paul Madore, who plans the meals and supervises most of the cooking; Charlene
Long, whose diligent research and organization has saved the church budget
considerable food shopping expense; and Chris Finn, kitchen manager of
the Salem Mission. Chris is a lucky connection for us. As a member of
The First Church and an active worker in the Mission kitchen, he knows
the facility backwards and forwards, and knows the routine of the Mission.
Just by letting us know what is already in stock in the Mission kitchen
before we go shopping, Chris have been able to reduce our shopping expense
considerably. The savings we have been putting towards milk, which is
always in short supply at the Mission, and towards reducing the strain
on The First Church annual budget.
Duncan
Cox, First Church Liaison to the Salem Mission