All parishioners are invited to join the Women’s Guild at their Christmas celebration on Tuesday, December 13th. In addition to dinner and good cheer, attendees will enjoy arranging Christmas baskets for extending the spirit of giving to the less fortunate. On Saturday morning, December 17th, gift certificates and fresh fruit will be added to goodie packages in time for distribution to pre-qualified recipients. For more information on what donations are needed, contact Paulette A.
Category Archives: Episcopal Church Women
St. Mark’s Women Host Safety Awareness Presentation
Officer Brian Crum, Crime Watch Coordinator of the Irving Police Department’s Community Services Division will offer a power point presentation on Safety Awareness on Tuesday, February 22, at the monthly meeting of The Women’s Guild.
In addition to the address by the speaker, there will be a potluck dinner, starting at 6:30PM.
Women’s Guild Annual Christmas Party
Tuesday night, December 14th, the Women’s Guild will hold their Annual Christmas Party!
This year, in addition to the White Elephant Gift Exchange (bring a wrapped gift for this under $10), the guild will be supplying a list of “gifts” for the Homeless Advocates group to give out to some of the students in that program. Paulette will be supplying a list of items, but gift certificates to Wal-Mart or Target are always a hit with kids.
This year’s dinner will be a POTLUCK, so please sign up in the Parish Hall for what you want to bring! Don’t forget to bring your wrapped gifts. This is always A LOT of fun! The women of St. Mark’s look forward to sharing the Advent Season with you! See you there……
Visit of Executive Director of BTI, Haiti
The Episcopal Church of Haiti was established in 1861. The Diocese of Haiti runs the Bishop Tharp Institute (BTI) in Les Cayes, Haiti’s third largest city.
You are invited to join us for a briefing to be presented by The Rev. Kesner Ajax, Executive Director of The Bishop Tharp Institute (BTI), at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, November 21, immediately following the 9:30AM service.
Haiti’s higher education system was severely impacted by January’s earthquake. Twenty-eight of Haiti’s 32 major universities were completely destroyed and the four remaining universities were severely damaged.
The Executive Director will provide information on the multiple efforts among Episcopal dioceses and organizations, committed to the rebuilding of the Diocese of Haiti. The devastating earthquake destroyed some 85% of the institutions in the Diocese. Efforts are being coordinated by The Rt. Rev. Jean Zache Duracin, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, and are geared to put into effect a Diocese’s Master Plan for Recovery.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, through the Women’s Guild, has established a Fund to cover scholarships to the 2-year technical training program offered at the Bishop Tharp Institute. Thanks to the generous contribution of our parishioners, three scholarships were awarded for the academic period commencing on 6 September 2010.
Hugs & Quiches For A Successful Fall Food Take Out!
Our first attempt at the Fall Food Takeout was a smashing success! The sale raised over $1100 in just over 30 minutes!
Thanks to everyone for cooking and purchasing your friends’ dishes. HOWEVER, Julie E. got the feeling that several folks did not get the Quiches they were hoping for. We did not have that many to sell…. so here is Julie’s offer….
On November 7th, she will have Quiches available to those folks who wanted them IF YOU PRE-ORDER AND LET HER KNOW THIS WEEK – Cost: $12 ea.
They will be uncooked and frozen, so you will need to thaw them in the refrigerator and then bake. Please choose what you would like from the following: Quiche Lorraine, Ham & Cheese, and Broccoli Mushroom.
Please let her know if you were unable to participate in the Take Out and be sure to ORDER your Quiche this week. She will only take orders until 10/31 – and only by email or phone. She will not be at church on the 31st, so please let her know as soon as you can.
Again, thanks for all your support of the other FABULOUS food!
Promoting Outreach Through The Women’s Guild
The Women’s Guild of St. Mark’s hosted two members of the Advocates for Homeless Teens, Dr. Lori Davis and Judy Smith, at their meeting of September 28, 2010.
The Advocate group has been appointed by the Mayor of Irving, with the task of recommending action which would lead to the provision of a safe and stable environment in which homeless teens can live while attending high school in Irving.
Homeless children are entitled to protection under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of youth experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools. The term “homeless” applies to children sharing housing due to economic hardship or loss of housing; children living in motels or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations; or to children awaiting foster care placement.
While the city of Irving does not have emergency or transitional facilities to accommodate homeless teens yet, alarming statistics attest to the following facts:
- Less than one in four homeless teens graduates from high school.
- Over twenty percent of girls become pregnant.
- One third of homeless children are forced into sexual exploitation within 48 hours.
- More children are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Texas than in any other state.
- Texas had 337,000 homeless children as of 2009. In 2008 a count found there were 1,273 homeless children on any given night in Dallas County and the numbers are growing.
- Texas received the lowest ranking in the nation in a state report card on child homelessness.
- Texas has no long-term planning to address homeless children
- Homeless children are invisible.
IRVING FIGURES
In May 2010 at IISD there were 135 active homeless students in 9th-12th grade and 30 active homeless students in Winfree Academy Charter School. Last year, there were over 1000 homeless children in IISD schools.
Given the enormous task of dealing with the entire homeless population, the Advocates decided to focus on a smaller group – these homeless teens who were trying to stay in school.
POVERTY vs. POVERTY PLUS HOMELESSNESS
Studies have shown that homeless youth have a higher risk of academic failure than those students who live in dire poverty, but have stable housing. It was therefore obvious that housing was a critical problem.
PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL
Children living in homeless situations usually perform two to three years below grade level.
HOMELESS TEENS MORE LIKELY…
To experience physical abuse and low self-esteem, health problems and malnutrition, sleeping problems and low levels of language skills and learning disabilities attention deficit disorder, and developmental delays.
To exhibit anxiety, withdrawal, depression, restlessness, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, inappropriate acting out and immature motor behavior.
Attendees were apprised of the services being provided to homeless teens under the Pass Program (Program for Assisting Students in School), and of plans for establishing group housing for boys, initially, in Irving. The consensus was reached that this was an issue worthy of support under St. Mark’s Outreach Program.