Fundraising Activities in support of Community Ministries
Annual Fundraiser and Grant Program
Tidings of Comfort and Joy is an annual December event where St. Mary’s parishioners raise money for local nonprofits. Each year the congregation raises about $35,000. One-hundred percent of the funds raised goes directly to support grants to community organizations. Components of the fundraiser include the sale of holiday greens and baked goods and a benefactors’ celebration.
The St. Mary’s Grant Team reviews funding requests from local non-profits and allocates money from the annual Tidings of Comfort and Joy Fundraiser. Grant Team members also visit each community organization yearly to learn about the work they are doing and build relationships between the groups and St. Mary’s. Interested? Contact Laura Wharton, [email protected] or John Schlesinger, [email protected].
2019 Recipients
Brainstorm Program – Eldergivers – All Saints Episcopal Church – Ecumenical House SF State – Family House UCSF – Gubbio Project – Oakes Children Center – Raphael House – Rebuild Together – SF School for Deacons SFCASA – SF Night Ministry – Sojourn Chaplaincy – Village Project – St. Dorothy’s Rest Hosp Camps
The Giving Tree: providing Christmas gifts for supportive housing residents
Canon Barcus House, a part of Episcopal Community Services, is a supportive housing program for formerly homeless families. Each December, parishioners at St. Mary’s take home residents’ gift requests which hang as “ornaments” on a tree provided by the SF Guardsmen, and purchased gifts for the residents.This year we will be having a Virtual Giving Tree. You can get more information at https://www.smvsf.org/community-ministries/.
Using “Fill the Ark” calendars, videos, story books and even first-hand accounts, Sunday School children gain an awareness of the underlying causes of poverty and the very significant ripple effects of donations from individuals and parishes like St. Mary’s. A donation of $120, for instance, underwrites the cost of a pig, sheep, or goat. A heifer can be purchased with a $500 donation. St. Mary’s donated money being raised by Sunday School children during Lent. These funds helped provide animals but equally significantly, underwrote training in sustainable agriculture practices, accounting, and community-building for Heifer families. For more information, contact Nancy Clark at [email protected]
