In Service at Arlington Street Church

There have been so many wonderful ways that Arlington Street Church has reached out this year to serve each other, our community, and needs beyond. Let's give a big thank you to everyone who donated their time and/or resources to make these efforts happen!

Villages without Walls

Villages without Walls anti-violence work has been supported by Arington Street Church since Jubilee began. In 2008 and 2009, ASC provided partial funding for Villages's summer employment and training program for gang involved youth in Dorchester, MA. The program is now operating year round on a shoestring budget, provided this year by the Boston Foundation.
Arlington Street Church members have provided service as part of our Jubilee project, in the form of technical assistance, board support, community dialogues, food pantry support, and sheetrock work days. In 2011, $1,250 of the Fund-A-Need money donated to Jubilee is supporting the production of a documentary by Villages program participants.

"Secure Communities"—Not in Massachusetts!

Arlington Street Church in conjunction with New Sanctuary Movement and a broad group of immigrant rights and community groups worked hard this year to defeat the frightening "Secure Communities" program from being implemented in MA. In response to our activity, Governor Patrick recently announced that his administration would not endorse this federal program aimed at finding and deporting undocumented immigrants. The work continues! We are now actively engaged in opposing hateful budget amendments targeting undocumented people.

More Support for New Orleans

The New Orleans Style High Tea fundraiser and $1,250 from Jubilee Fund-A-Need donations helped our volunteers travel to New Orleans in May and purchase and install a drip irrigation system for the Lamanche Community Farm in the Lower 9th Ward.

2011 Haitian Coalition Trip to Haiti

Jubilee Fund-A-Need donations of $1,250 and funds raised at the International Gala for Haiti are helping Arlington Street Church to work again with the Haitian Coalition. Our trip to Haiti this summer is two-pronged. First, we will replace the deteriorating tent school in Camp Caradeux with a new 4-classroom school outfitted with amenities that foster learning. Second, a team of medical volunteers will provide assistance to earthquake victims by holding medical and psychological clinics in the camp, while outreaching to other areas. The team will deliver workshops on health education, substance abuse, skills building, and other topics.

Only A Child

Only A Child is using the $1,390 it received this year from Jubilee Fund-A-Need to pay for a year of university for Marvin, a youngster in the program. He became an orphan at 8 years of age and became homeless at 10, when his grandmother died. He was a hard core street kid on drugs until he turned his life around after coming to Only A Child. He works full time in the carpentry shop, cares for his 9 year old son with help from George Leger, the founder and director of Only A Child, and goes to university at night. Arlington Street Church's support for many years has helped to make successes like this possible.

Service Learning Trip to Arizona Borderlands

New Sanctuary Movement is using its Jubilee Fund-A-Need donation of $908 for expenses related to the church's delegation which will spend one week of learning, witness, service, and reflection in southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. During the trip, the delegation will work with the interfaith humanitarian-aid organization, Tucson Samaritans; the bi-national border ministry, Frontera de Cristo; and the immersion-education organization, BorderLinks.

School Backpacks for Homeless Children

As part of annual MLK National Day of Service, Arlington Street Church raised $809 to provide K-12 homeless children with new, high-quality backpacks filled with school supplies. This spring we purchased 32 backpacks and the contents. Our children filled the backpacks during Sunday CRE, and they will be distributed by School on Wheels of Massachusetts in time for the start of the school year. Thanks to all who gave so generously to make this possible.

Coffee Hour Is Not Magic

Week after week, our dedicated team of hard-working volunteers, headed up by Sharon Pressly-Fiero and Jon Ellertson, manage to nourish our bodies deliciously and provide a forum for us to visit with each other after worship. They do the menu planning, shopping, cooking, cleaning, AND their efforts and your donations helped contribute over $5,000 for church operations this year. We thank the team for taking such good care of us!

And How We Served Each Other!

You bought Fair Trade coffee and gifts for the holidays and supported not only the producers, but the work of the Social Action Committee. You ordered pies at Thanksgiving from Community Servings, a non-profit that prepares and delivers daily lunches and dinners to homebound individuals. You sang in the choir and delighted us with your voices. You helped clean the sanctuary at the Dust-A-Thon. You contacted folks to remind them to support the church with a Covenant Renewal pledge. You helped put on the splendid Indulge Gala to raise money for all sorts of good works. You sang carols at Brighton House; you lead a class, a course, or a workshop at the church; you helped get Inside/OSS ready; you were part of the worship team; you worked on a committee and helped do the business of the church; you reached out to newcomers; you came to worship together!