Communiqué Spring 2021
The Episcopal Church Women are a dedicated resource for many communities. Join us in highlighting several of the excellent food pantries and volunteer programs the ECW sponsors.
Table of Contents
Heaven’s a bit closer in Big Bear
Riverside Food Pantry
Elizabethtown Community Housing & Outreach Services
Ministry Against Human Trafficking
Ministerio en contra del Tráfico Humano
Feeding The Hungry in Rural Colorado
Universal Grant Awarded for Spirituality Classroom and Wilderness Quest
Subvención Universal otorgada
Serving the Community with Love as Christ Teaches Us
Grace Episcopal Impacts City of Alvin
Desmond Tutu: A Spiritual Biography of South Africa’s Confessor
Desmond Tutu: Una Biografía Espiritual del Confesor de Sur África
Columbia Food Bank at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Columbia, PA
Articles appearing within the Communique’ do not necessarily represent the opinions of the National Episcopal Church Women nor the Episcopal Church. The organization strives to provide a platform for women to present ideas and opinions that affect women’s issues. The editor may be contacted for comments or questions at: editor@ecwnational.org
Message from the President
Karen Patterson Episcopal Church Women President 2018 to 2022
Dear Sisters in Christ,
It is an honor, a privilege and a joy to serve as your President.
Karen O. Patterson
National President 2018 -2022
Ladies – as we gather together during this Lenten season, please don’t forget the members who are at home, unable to travel or possibly come out due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is especially difficult for them, mentally and physically. While you may not be seeing your children or grandchildren, you are not homebound. Many are.
There are several programs out there that are offered through Zoom on your computers – from the National Cathedral as an example, or from your local parish, but many don’t have a computer or don’t know how to use one. Make contacting the ‘at home’ members your Lenten prayer offering. You won’t regret it!
Share what the parish is doing, live and on Zoom, Facebook, or YouTube. A call or a written note won’t take much of your time, but it could mean the world to someone else.
Triennial has been rescheduled for July 7th – July 14th 2022
That is when the 50th Triennial Meeting of the Episcopal Church Women will be held in beautiful Baltimore, Maryland.
We will keep you all informed as we know. Triennial is held in conjunction with General Convention and their arrangements have been set for July 2022. All members of the board will stay in place until that date.
Your National ECW board is busy planning a week full of worship, fun, education, and, of course, some work. We will be celebrating our 150th, (it will really be our 151st) year as a women’s organization in the Episcopal Church and the 50th Triennial with a big birthday party.
We will have speakers that review our history and also all the new work that is being done by you, the women of the Church. We are planning workshops that will give you information that you can take back to the women in your church to help you look to the future. We will be worshiping with the delegates and bishops from General Convention along with volunteers and visitors from all over the world.
We hope to see you in Baltimore.
The National Episcopal Church Women website will be updated with registration information early 2022.
Heaven’s a bit closer in Big Bear – Province VIII
by Deacon Jane Jones
St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Big Bear City, California, looks unassuming right now. It is quietly nestled into the mountainside, just off the road on the far side of Big Bear Lake. The parking lot behind and uphill from the church often sees critters skitter across…but, at an altitude of 6,500 feet, Heaven is just a bit closer than to the metropolis down the mountain.
The few major roads serve the seasonal visitors who come to ski, hike, bike, boat, and fish—hence the many rental opportunities, eateries, and shops. There is a seasonal ebb and flow to this idyllic place. But that ebb can also apply to the job market, and that can create hard times for some citizens.
Riverside Food Pantry: Province 2
A little village called Cape Vincent, New York, with a population of just under 1,800 residents, is located along the banks of the St. Lawrence River, where it meets the shores of Lake Ontario. Situated within its borders is a small, one-story red building that houses the Cape Vincent Community Food Pantry, a site that was purchased, refurbished, and generously donated to the pantry and which opened its doors in December 2018. Originally established and organized during the Ice Storm of 1998 to feed those without power or means of getting supplies themselves, the food pantry has also had homes in both the Methodist and Roman Catholic churches in the village. St. John’s Episcopal Church has always been and continues to be deeply supportive of the
Blessing Box: Province VI
The Blessing Box has been an important outreach of Grace Church (Chadron, Nebraska) over the past few months as our congregation has been challenged with meeting face-to-face due to COVID. Congregation members have unselfishly provided food staples and some treats for people in need. Many non-perishable items have been placed directly in the box, and many others just inside the church door and chapel.
It is a small but important ministry for our community. Many thanks to those who have donated throughout the year. It is an important ministry in Jared’s name.
Ann Petersen for Grace Church ECW
Wanted
The National ECW Triennial Planning Committee is looking for the Triennial cross from 1988 (Detroit). A display is being made for the 2022 Triennial as well as a donation shadowbox of Triennial crosses for the Episcopal Church Archives. This is the only cross that we are missing. If you would like to donate your cross from the 1988 Triennial, please contact National President Karen Patterson at 352-567-6254 or president@ecwnational.org. It is possible that there were crosses at Triennials prior to 1988. Any information any one has on this would be appreciated.
Elizabethtown Community Housing & Outreach Services: Province III
ECHOS, Elizabethtown Community Housing & Outreach Services, started with the realization in December 2015 of the need of a winter shelter when a father and son were discovered living in a shed. The community responded to this need by starting a winter shelter at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. They were then serving approximately 13 individuals at the shelter. Within the first month, there was a realization that the shelter was only helping with one need of these individuals and they needed help with so much more; emotional, health, and financial issues were among the needs.
Ministry Against Human Trafficking
A Local Solution for a Global Affliction
by: Unidad (Ning) Bonoan
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)
As I start to pen this article, the joyous season of Christmas 2020 has arrived in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus tide. At church, Sheila Mae and John did a wonderful narration of the birth of Jesus during our Christmas Eve service at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Safety Harbor, Florida. Just the Sunday before, I witnessed and quickly joined a socially distanced, impromptu thanksgiving celebratory prayer being offered by our parish priest, Fr. Ray Bonoan, at our social hall turned thrift shop extension. The service was for Sheila Mae, who had received her nursing degree from St. Petersburg College a few days prior. So, who are Sheila Mae and John? What do they have in common?
TRAFFICKING HOTLINE: 1-888-373-7888
TEXT “BEFREE” (233733)
Other Important Reads/Leads
Polaris Human Trafficking: polarisproject.org
Alliance 8.7 Partnership: Alliance87.org
United Nations: unodc.org
Thistle Farms: thistlefarms.org
Ministerio en contra del Tráfico Humano
Un Solución local para un problema global
Escrito por: Unidad (Ning) Bonoan
Se Jovial en la esperanza, paciente cuando estés afligido, fiel en la oración. (Romanos 12:12)
Mientras escribo este artículo, la jovial temporada de navidad de 2020 ha llegado en el medio de esta situación de la pandemia. En la iglesia, Sheila Mae y John hicieron una maravillosa narración del nacimiento de Jesús durante el servicio de la víspera navideña en la iglesia del Espíritu Santo en la ciudad de Safety Harbor, Florida. Solo el domingo pasado, yo presencié y rápidamente me uní a una oración de celebración (siguiendo los protocolos del distanciamiento social) que estaba siendo ofrecida por el párroco, Padre Ray Bonoan, en la sala de eventos de la parroquia convertida en una extensión de nuestra sala de ahorros. El servicio fue para Sheila Mae, quien había recibido su título de enfermería de la Universidad de St. Petersburg unos días atrás. ¿Entonces, quienes son Sheila Mae y John? ¿Qué tienen en común?
Línea directa en contra el Tráfico Humano:
1-888-373-7888
ENVIA EL TEXTO “BEFREE” (233733)
Otras lecturas importantes
Polaris Human Trafficking: polarisproject.org
Alliance 8.7 Partnership: Alliance87.org
United Nations: unodc.org
Thistle Farms: thistlefarms.org
What does it cost to create the Communiqué?
We are glad you asked. We do not pay to use the articles we print in the magazine. All our stories are donated for our use by other organizations or written by Episcopal Church Women who volunteer their time and expertise. We do pay to have the print magazine designed, edited, proofread, printed, addressed, and shipped.
It cost us about $3.50 for each printed copy
These funds come from our general operating budget and donations made by ECW members to our Communiqué fund. If you would like to help support the Communiqué, check out our online donation page
Feeding The Hungry in Rural Colorado: Province VI
by Samar Fay
Hungry people may not be visible in a rural mountain town where cold, snowy winters drive most of the homeless to more gentle climates. But there is a chronic need for food assistance, which has only increased since COVID-19 threw so many people out of work.
Chaffee County is in central Colorado, 1,000 square miles traversed by the Arkansas River, inhabited by 20,000 people, with one city of 6,000 people, Salida, and two smaller towns. According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income in 2019 was $46,875, with 13 percent of the people living in poverty.
Ways to Stay in Touch with Church Members
Revive the good, old-fashioned telephone tree. Feelings of isolation brought on by COVID-19 are amplified by those in isolation. Never has it been more important for you to ensure that all of your members are being called, checked on, and assisted when needed.
Deliver porch or mailbox treats once or twice a month, just to let your members know you are thinking of them. Snacks, soups, puzzles, greeting cards, and other treats can be purchased very inexpensively at your local dollar store, along with decorative bags to hold them. There’s nothing that can lift the spirits of those who are feeling isolated more than a quietly dropped-off porch card or gift.
Get serious about learning and using technology to keep your members connected. COVID-19 cases are rising. Zoom, Facebook, and other virtual meetings are a simple tool that can allow your group to meet and do everything you would normally do in person.
- Come up with questions to ask when you’re Zooming together.
- Share a meal, do Bible study, have prayers, sing, work on ECW projects, or just share some conversation.
- Tell your faith stories to each other and construct and preserve these stories, as well the history and heritage of your Chapter.
Do some serious thinking about the preservation of your group’s legacy.
Ask your members what they would most like to learn, discuss, or do at your meetings. Find a way to make those things happen.
Got everybody’s birthday – or whatever – in your records? Sending cards for birthdays, anniversaries, illness, etc.
Glen-Ed Food Pantry: Province V
The Glen-Ed Food Pantry is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, is in the Diocese of Springfield, Province V. The Glen-Ed Pantry provides food and other assistance to persons in need within Edwardsville School District #7 in Madison County, Illinois, which includes the communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Hamel, Worden, Midway, Moro, Dorsey, and Prairietown. The Glen-Ed Pantry was established in 1980. It is staffed by more than 500 volunteers annually and serves approximately 200 families each month. The Glen Ed Pantry is funded by local donations of cash, food, and supplies.
2020 brought many challenges. The director of Development and director of Operations began their new positions in February, and the pandemic became real in March. This made for a very large learning curve. The safety of the volunteers and clients impacted the operation. They had to cut down on the number of volunteers in the building per shift, and they tracked “attendance” in case someone became sick and contact tracing had to be done. Curbside pickup became an option, and clients have been asked to call in advance to schedule their visits. A table was set up before the front door to receive donations and as the way to give the clients their food while maintaining social distancing.
When the schools closed in March, they tried to have breakfast and lunch available for pickup, but that did not work, so the Glen-Ed Food Pantry became the location that each child could pick up five breakfasts and five lunches on Monday.
The Boy Scouts usually have a food drive in November, but it was canceled because of Covid-19. Once that was announced, several businesses and organizations had food drives and the pantry received as much food as they had in 2019.
Shopping Model services: This is a trend in food pantries that seek to give clients the dignity and autonomy of being able to “shop” for their food choices, rather than have pre-packaged items or submit a “list” for pantry workers to fill.
Second Chance, the clothing and housewares shop, is upstairs. Clients can shop, but the number of people up there is limited.
Universal Grant Awarded for Spirituality Classroom and Wilderness Quest
By Lisa Bortner
It is obvious that God has moved in Rev. Dorothy Gremillion’s life in many ways. Ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in 2000, she has served churches across four dioceses. She believes that God has created each human being—in this case, each woman—to be not only totally unique, but to have a unique path to holiness according to the gifts and circumstances of each person’s life. In her blog at SpiritualityClassroom.com, she calls that unique path to holiness your “Ultimate Creative Potential in Christ.” Your Ultimate Creative Potential in Christ comes alive when you have discovered and are living into your unique path to holiness.
Subvención Universal otorgada por El Salón de Clase Espiritual y la Búsqueda de lo Salvaje
Escrito por Lisa Bortner
Es obvio que Dios ha promovido la vida de la Rev. Dorothy Gremillion en varias formas. Ordenada sacerdote en la iglesia Episcopal en el año 2000, ella ha servido diversas Iglesias a lo largo de cuatro diocesis. Ella piensa que Dios ha creado a cada ser humano -en este caso, cada mujer- a ser no solo totalmente única, pero a tener un camino único hacia la santidad de acuerdo a los dones y circunstancias de la vida de cada persona. En su blog SpiritualityClassroom.com, ella llama a ese camino único hacia la santidad su “Creatividad potenciada en Cristo.” Su creatividad potenciada en Cristo sale a relucir cuando tú has descubierto tu camino único hacia la santidad.
El Salón de la Espiritualidad tiene esta misión especifica: “Empoderar a las mujeres que han sido abusadas espiritualmente por alguien en sus Iglesias para descubrir su camino a través de la sanación y así poder desatar su “Máxima creatividad potenciada en Cristo.”
Serving the Community with Love as Christ Teaches Us
My name is Monica Elias-Orellana. I was born in California and moved to Chelsea, Massachusetts, when I was 11 years old. It was then that I was introduced to the Episcopal Church, where I found myself embraced by God’s call to “serve thy neighbor.” I was taught early in life that I must help others even if I possess little.
As a teenager I volunteered at the soup kitchen and pantry at St. Luke’s-San Lucas. I also got involved with the youth group at what I began to call my church. The Rev. Edgar Gutiérrez -Duarte, who is the priest there, encouraged my sisters and me to reactivate the youth group, and with his support we were incredibly happy to lead it.
Grace Episcopal Impacts City of Alvin: Province VII
by the Reverend Suzanne Smith
How one small church has made a big impact in her community by feeding souls and hungry bellies…
It started with a little blessing box beside the church and has become a major ministry to the community, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The blessing box evolved into a weekly Houston Food Bank distribution site. Then, in the middle of the third month of operations, the pandemic hit. At this time, the organizers pivoted to a drive-through distribution, which at its peak has been visited by over 400 families a week. The parish hall, previously used for Christian formation and fellowship, became a food storage warehouse for pallets upon pallets of non-perishable food items.
Desmond Tutu: A Spiritual Biography of South Africa’s Confessor
The Rev. Michael Battle, Ph.D.
I would be remiss in offering this reflection on racial reconciliation if I did not promote a primary Anglican agent of racial reconciliation. I do so not out of the aggrandizement of selling a book; rather as a sort of introductory article to the subject of racial reconciliation. So many of us have waded through an apocalyptic era of COVID-19, racial unrest, and political polarity. One prominent leader among the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) wrote me that she worked as a court-appointed guardian for the mentally ill and therefore saw firsthand grave situations of inhumanity in need of healing and reconciliation. And yet, some of us, due to our socioeconomic status, are more “sheltered” from these apocalyptic storms but want to be part of the solution rather than the problems of our world. Well, the Anglican agent I mentioned above is a wonderful guide to educate us all about such topics, especially the ministry of reconciliation.
Desmond Tutu: Una Biografía Espiritual del Confesor de Sur África
Rev. Michael Battle, Ph.D.
Seria hipócrita de mi parte si no ofrecería esta reflexión acera de la reconciliación racial si no promoviese a un agente anglicano de la reconciliación racial. Lo hago, no porque quiera ufanarme de vender libros; en cambio, como una manera de ofrecer un artículo introductorio acerca del tema de reconciliación racial. Muchos de nosotros hemos pasado por la era apocalíptica del virus COVID-19, agitación social, y la polarización política. Un prominente líder dentro entre las mujeres de la Iglesia episcopal me escribió que ella había trabajado como una guardiana designada por la corte de aquellos con discapacidades mentales y por consiguiente observo de primera mano situaciones graves sobre la humanidad en necesidad de sanación y reconciliación. A pesar de ello, para algunos de nosotros, debido a nuestro estatus socioeconómico, nos damos cuenta de que estamos “resguardados” de estas tormentas apocalípticas, pero queremos ser parte de la solución y no del problema. Bueno, el agente anglicano que mencione arriba es una guía maravillosa para educarnos en lo atinente a estos tópicos, especialmente sobre el ministerio de reconciliación.
Columbia Food Bank at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Columbia, PA – Province III
Over 60 years ago, in the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Women served free, hot lunches to the community six days a week. It quickly became evident that many of the people who came in for lunch did not have food to start or end the day. Community members were living in hunger. The ECW started sending groceries home with them after each lunch. And the food bank was started.