Annual Outreach Report 2007

Due to a gremlin creeping into the Ricoh copier, the 2007 Annual Outreach Report was not included in the paperwork distributed at the Annual Meeting. Here it is for your perusal:

I think we can all agree that St. Aidan’s conducts remarkably vibrant outreach considering the size of our Church. It is tempting to bring more needy missions into our fold, but that would require an almost constant request for financial contributions or volunteers that might tip the balance away from the other programs that our Church provides. However, if there is a mission that our congregation thinks we should be supporting, please make this known to a vestry member.

The 2007 outreach efforts have again been directed at the disadvantaged, sick and homeless both in our local community and further afield. These efforts have taken three different forms: 1) “drives” and direct contributions donated by members of the congregation; 2) a financial donation made by Saint Aidan’s from the outreach budget; and 3) volunteer work and community service.

Thanks to the fantastic success of St. Aidan’s “Wine Tasting, Art and Music Festival” we were able to make additional financial contributions in December to the following missions: School on Wheels, Dorcas House, S.O.S., Malibu Labor Exchange.

Drives and Direct Contributions

School On Wheels
This is a Malibu-based organization whose mission is to ensure that homeless children in L.A. and Ventura counties are registered and attend school, and have a chance to get an education in spite of their family circumstances.
In 2007 S.O.W. received a record number of fifty backpacks and stationery supplies, donated by our congregation.

Dorcas House
This shelter for children of inmates in the Tijuana prison has been part of St. Aidan’s outreach effort for many years. Forty three children living at Dorcas House received either pjs or sweatsuits donated by our congregation during December. The Sunday School middle school group made gift bags for each child. Sky Stipanowich organized the drive and Jim McGee, Bonnie Lokrem, Ceci Najar and several high school children transported the items to Dorcas House on December 27th, 2007.

The Malibu Labor Exchange
The Malibu Labor Exchange received financial donations and several of our congregants volunteered their time to teach English to the workers while they waited for employment. M.L.E. also receives sandwiches, fruit and cold drinks left over from the Aids Luncheons whenever possible.

Recipients of St. Aidan’s Annual Outreach Financial Donations

  • School On Wheels
  • Dorcas House
  • Malibu Labor Exchange
  • S.O.S
  • Sierra Service Project
  • Aids Lunches

Volunteer and Community Service Work

AIDS Lunches
Fred Cornett and Mavis Randall, with the help of a core group of parishioners, prepared and provided lunches to approximately 200 adults and 80 children at USC Medical Centre in March, June, September and December, 2007.

Sierra Service Project
S.S.P. invites young people to experience the life changing power of Christ’s spirit through acts of service repairing Native American homes. Members of Saint Aidan’s High School Group, led by Jim McGee and Ceci Najar spent August 4th – 11th at Walker River Indian Reservation in Schurz, NV, home to the Paiute Indian tribe. During their time there they painted houses, repaired and replaced roofs.

African Ministries
Sheila Hill conducted another successful sale in December with the proceeds benefiting The African Ministries.

County Chaplaincy Program
Several members of our congregation signed up to volunteer their services after Dennis Gibbs,Senior Episcopal Chaplain at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, led a forum on prison ministries on November 18th.

- Patricia Clifford


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