Category Archives: Outreach

St. Mark’s Paints, Scrapes, and Panels at the 2011 Great Days of Service

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On Saturday, March 26, 2011, and intrepid group of St. Markians joined volunteers from other Irving Churches and charitable organizations in the 2011 Great Days of Service event.

The St. Mark’s crews scraped, painted, and helped affix new siding at homes in the local neighborhood.

Great Days of Service is a faith-based, interdenominational association of Irving churches which are united in serving God and community by renewing neighborhoods and aiding homeowners in the restoration of their properties.

Warm Hands – Warm Hearts THANK YOU!!!

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A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who participated in Bodybuilding’s Warm Hands-Warm Hearts hat/glove/blanket drive.

St. Mark’s collected a WHOPPING 115 pairs of gloves/mittens, as well as 37 blankets, 9 coats, 65 hats and 25 hat/scarf/glove combos.

We divided the proceeds between the Austin Street Shelter and Captain Hope’s Kids, which will provide gloves and hats to other homeless agencies as needed.

As always, the generosity of this church is overwhelming, and is such a blessing to those in our community who have so little. The Bodybuilding Committee is so grateful to all your support to this, as well as all the other efforts of this past year.

‘Tis The Season – A Call For Clothing and Donations

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A message from Dee M.:

It is that time of year again! I want to thank everyone that donated clothing or money last year for the disadvantaged children I work with.

Through my work with the Early Childhood Program, I encounter many children in our community who are in desperate need of clothing.

As winter approaches, the need increases. I need clothing for boys and girls, mainly sizes 12, 18, and 24 months.

Anyone wishing to help can contact me directly.

Please bring donations in gift bags with tags stating gender and size. Tags help me sort and distribute the clothing more easily.

Again, many thanks for whatever help you can provide.

Best,

Dee

Visit of Executive Director of BTI, Haiti

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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.

The Second Annual Fall Festival for Captain Hope’s Kids

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The Second Annual Fall Festival for Captain Hope’s Kids will be held on Saturday, October 9th from 10:30am to 1:00pm.

Donations of children’s books and individually wrapped candies can be left in the parish hall. Cookies and brownies are needed the day of the event.

If you would like to participate, please sign-up in the Parish Hall and/or contact Wende B. or Patricia S. for more information.

New St. Mark’s T-shirts Are Coming – Order Yours Today!

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New St. Mark’s T-shirts will be going into production Monday, October 18. All shirts are 100% heavyweight cotton pocket-Ts and will be screen printed in two colors.

Cost: $15 each.

These T-shirts are a great way to share your faith with people around you. Ministry and outreach participants are encouraged to purchase a shirt so we can wear them when working together in the community.

T-shirt order forms will be available in the Parish Hall. Payment must accompany all orders. Orders must be received by Jeff G. no later than Monday, October 18, 2010.

Please speak with Jeff G. directly or contact him if you have questions.

Three St. Mark’s Haiti Fund Scholarships Awarded!

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Earlier this year, Saint Mark’s established a Haiti Fund following the devastating earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010.

Donations were received from parishioners and a fund raising event was held in February. A Committee was then established to determine how to make the best use of the donations and contributions from Saint Mark’s fund raising efforts. After exploring various options, the committee decided to contribute the funds in support of the Bishop Tharp Institute of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti (BTI).

Three scholarships were awarded to students entering the September Term of the 2-year business program offered by the BTI. Photos and bios of the three award recipients have been posted on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall. Be sure to have a look!

Pere Kesner Ajax, the Executive Director of BTI, will visit St Mark’s for an after-church briefing on Sunday, November 21. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Thanks to all who contributed to this worthwhile cause. Your generous donations will enable these three young people to continue their studies and help rebuild Haiti in the years ahead.

Please contact Paulette A. for more information.

St. Mark’s Volunteers Help Students Return To Class Equipped To Learn

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A whopping twenty-three volunteers represented Saint Mark’s this past Saturday at the Captain Hope’s Kids Tools for School Drive.

The Saint Mark’s crew helped stuff over 250 backpacks with school supplies – notebooks, rulers, folders, pens and pencils, crayons, markers, and more!

The backpacks will be distributed to children receiving aid from the different agencies that Captain Hope’s supports. These agencies service homeless families in the Dallas area including domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, and others.

In addition to Saint Mark’s volunteers, youth groups from several other area churches also participated – all working together to benefit this worthy cause.

Bodybuilding Committee Meets August 22nd

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The Bodybuilding Committee will be meeting in the Meeting Room (Education Wing) on Sunday, August 22nd, right after the 9:30 am service.

Anyone is welcome to attend. We will be planning for and working on the details for the Fall Festival (October). If you are interested in participating, please let Wende B., Patricia S., or Rachel H. know.

All adult volunteers must have completed “Safe Church” training in order to participate.

Please grab your coffee after the service Sunday and head straight for the Meeting Room so we can get started! There is much to do and October will be here before we know it!

Help Keep the Pantry Full at Irving Cares!

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Fr. Greg’s birthday is August 22nd. Our annual food drive for Irving Cares in his honor is being held now through the end of August.

Your support helps keep the pantry full! Canned foods are desperately needed, so please do what you can to help. Contributions of canned food items can be left in the Parish Hall near the Outreach bulletin board.

Irving Cares provides assistance to Irving residents experiencing a temporary crisis and relies on the generosity of the community for contributions.