Category: Community Service

Wilburn starting school year; help with supplies is needed

On: By: David Both

As a year-round, single-track school, Wilburn Elementary will begin the 2017-’18 school year on Monday, July 31. If you are interested and able to contribute school supplies to Wilburn for the school  year, please check the school’s official list.

Leave new school supplies in the box in the St. Mark’s Concourse. All supplies are due by Sunday, Aug. 14. Please provide only items listed and the brands indicated.

As always, you are tremendously appreciated. Questions? Contact Linda Bamford at lindabamford@yahoo.com or 919-630-7045.

What’s needed

Medium and large boy’s and girl’s underwear, large backpacks (no wheels), Fiskar student scissors, headphones or earbuds, reams of white printer paper, clear sheet protectors, plain plastic folders with pockets, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, facial tissue, sandwich- and gallon-size Zip-Loc bags, wide-ruled loose-leaf paper, protractors, index cards, Post-it notes, one-subject wide-ruled spiral notebooks, primary journals (half blank pages and half ruled), No. 2 pencils without designs, Play-Doh, Magic erasers, 24-pack Crayola crayons, glue sticks (not jumbo), big pink erasers, black Expo dry-erase markers, black wide-ruled composition notebooks (no spirals), one-inch view binder (any color with clear front pocket), plastic dividers, pencil pouch with holes (no boxes), colored pencils, three-ring, plain colored binders with two pockets (no zipped binders).

Meals on Wheels delivery is July 24

On: By: David Both

It is that time again. Meals on Wheels delivery is Monday, July 24.

As promised, I am sharing the total amount received at our celebration of Meals on Wheels and Carmen Reeve on May 21. The Reeve Fund contributed $1,000 and contributions from individuals was $1,527.69, for a total $2,527.69.

Thank you again for all your dedication and hard work.
Joanne Bass

Support group forming for ex-prisoners

On: By: David Both

Yavneh and St. Mark’s seek to help released women

St. Mark’s and Yavneh plan to form a pilot reentry support circle with Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women.

Many women – particularly those for whom drugs and substance use led to their convictions – risk re-engagement with their previous lifestyles if they return home. Some choose to stay in Raleigh for that reason. However, according to a March 2014 report on the impact of incarceration on families and the women who sustain them, cost and discrimination Interfaith Prison Ministry For Womenare the top barriers to finding housing after release from prison, and in Raleigh, much of the low income and affordable housing that formerly incarcerated women depend on is being sold to private developers.

Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women (IPMW) and Catholic Charities of Raleigh have joined forces to address this important issue. We need eight to ten persons to be in  relationship with a woman for 12 to 18 months. At present we have five people from St. Mark’s and one from Yavneh.

This provides an opportunity for us to practice our faith in a tangible way. Through a Reentry Support Circle we will share ourselves and cooperate with other congregations as a part of an effort to reduce recidivism and assist women, one person at a time, build a new life.

Meeting set for Aug. 23

A first meeting (combined information session, lunch and first training) at St. Mark’s is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 23, from 10am to 3 pm in our Community Life Center.

To become a part of this support group or for additional information, contact Sara Stohler at 919-821-4338 or Stohler00@gmail.com. You may come to this first meeting just to learn more without making a definite commitment.

 

Wilders Grove work to begin; money and sweat are needed

On: By: David Both

The faith communities of the New Hope Road Alliance will rehabilitate the restrooms at Wilders Grove Youth Center in June and July, and you can help.

Wilder's Grove ClubhouseWe will need financial contributions; your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the alliance. Please contribute before June 20, as we need to pay for supplies. Make out a check to New Hope Road Alliance and give it to Jessie Maeck, or you can send it to the Alliance in care of its treasurer, Don Betts, CPA; 2624 Leighton Ridge Drive, Suite 100; Wake Forest, NC 27587.

Skilled assistance is needed with plumbing, carpentry and tile for the first phase of the rehabilitation. Less-skilled labor is also needed; if you can swing a paint brush, we need you for the second phase.

Contact Jessie if you can help; jsmaeck@aol.com or 617-549-7285

Paul Bamford

Opportunities to volunteer at upcoming New Hope Road Alliance projects

On: By: David Both

Saturday, May 20: help clean up Wilder’s Grove Youth Center, both indoors and outdoors. Two “shifts” – 9:30 to 12:00 noon and 11:30 to 2:00, with pizza at lunchtime. We’ll be cleaning out buildings, power-washing them, and pruning shrubs and bushes. Contact Jessie Maeck if you can help.

Wilder's Grove Fellowship Cookout May 1, 2017.
Wilder’s Grove Fellowship Cookout April 1, 2017.

June: repairs to Wilder’s Grove Youth Center bathrooms; need help with putting in new stalls and tile floors, and with painting. Exact dates to be determined. Carpentry and tile expertise needed! Contact Jessie Maeck if you can help.

2017-18 School Year: Tutors needed for “Read and Feed” program at Wilburn Elementary. Beginning in late August or early September, the program is held once a week, either Tuesday or Thursday, from 4:30 to 5:30; volunteer tutors need not attend every session, although they will be expected to participate at least three-quarters of the time. Volunteers must undergo a simple background check and will receive a free, 1½ hour advance training from Read and Feed staff.

October Yard and Craft Sale: need help planning the event, contributions for yard sale, and crafts for sale: craftspeople will be able to rent a table or share the proceeds of their sales to support New Hope Road Alliance projects.

The NHRA (New Hope Road Alliance) is an alliance of 6 congregations along New Hope Road which have united together with the common goal of serving our changing neighborhood. Next meeting: Mon May 22, 1:30-2:30 p.m., New Hope Baptist Church. All members of the 6 congregations are welcome!

Wilburn Elementary School is the K-5 school on Marsh Road which serves our neighborhood. Wilder’s Grove is the all-volunteer Youth Center right next door to St. Mark’s.

Center for Volunteer Caregiving needs help delivering produce

On: By: David Both

My agency, The Center for Volunteer Caregiving, has been fortunate to partner with The Produce Box for a summer project. Aimed at serving low-income seniors and adults with disabilities, The Center will receive free produce twice a month for June, July, and August. These Care Receivers have difficulty affording fresh produce, and often cannot get transportation to grocery stores regularly. If you are able to help distribute boxes of produce, please email or call me. I will have more specific delivery dates later in the month.

My email is rpollock@ctrvolcare.org – phone number is (919) 460-0567.

Robin Pollock

Bring socks to our Hop, and dance away the night

On: By: David Both

Put on your dancing shoes and join us for a Spring Sock Hop in our Community Life Center on Saturday, April 29, 7:30 to 10 pm. Music will be provided by Adult Supervision.

Socks

We will feature good old rock ’n’ roll from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70’, ’80s and today. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted for St. Mark’s ministries. Bring a  snack and a beverage to share.

Also, you can help make this a true “Sock Hop” by bringing new, still-packaged children’s socks for the children of Wilburn Elementary School. Please see Lynne Poole or Linda Bamford of the Social Action Committee for more information.

Lee Adams

Meals on Wheels – Monday, April 24

On: By: David Both
We will be delivering Meals on Wheels again Monday, April 24, 2017.
If any of you are interested in joining us for lunch at Pam’s Farmhouse Restaurant around 12:30 p.m., that would be wonderful. If you are interested, please let me know and I will arrange for a separate room for us to meet. Good food and good fellowship. You can join us even if you are not delivering that day! Just let me know.
Hope to see you there.
Joanne and Carl Bass

On St. Mark’s Day, help us reach out, spruce up and sing

On: By: David Both

Join us on Saturday, April 22, as we observe St. Mark’s Day by gathering at 9 am in service to our community and to our church. There will be something for everyone to do, regardless of age or physical condition. The morning will end with lunch provided in our Community Life Center. It will be a great family affair and a way to model for our young people ways that we can all serve.

Starting April 2, look for sign-up in the Concourse and during Community Time in our Community Life Center for these activities:

St. Mark’s Spring Cleaning

Inside the Centrum: Vacuuming the chair s and dusting furniture. Please bring your vacuum cleaners that have hoses/upholstery attachments for cleaning the blue chairs.

Outside our buildings: Tidying flower beds, trimming and planting in the Memorial Garden, Covenant Garden and general grounds.

Spring Arbor Assisted Living: Join us at this facility across New Hope Road for a sing-along for the residents with musical accompaniment, lyrics and refreshments. Singers and non-singers needed for setup, cleanup and companionship.

Care Packages for homebound St. Mark’s members: In support of the new Pastoral Visitors Ministry, we will assemble bags with nonperishable goodies, such as note cards and stamps, healing prayers and devotionals, etc. for the visitors to take with them on their first visits as tokens of our love and concern. This is a good activity for young children and those young at heart who need a less physically demanding task.

Carol Monahan

Wilder’s Grove ministry takes shape; dates are set

On: By: David Both
Wilder’s Grove provides youth programs at their facility behind St. Mark’s. Part of the land on which this facility is located is provided by St. Mark’s. The New Hope Road Alliance has taken the organization as one of its service projects. (Photo courtesy of Wilder’s Grove)

In support of the new sponsorship of Wilder’s Grove Youth Center as an NHRA initiative, the board of the New Hope Road Alliance has voted to match all donations made by individuals or groups to benefit the center. This means that the $290 raised so far this year has turned into $580. Funds which come in this spring/summer will be used to pay for much-needed renovations in the center’s restrooms.

The New Hope Road Alliance is sponsoring three Wilder’s Grove events this spring:

Fellowship Cookout April 1, 11 am to 2 pm. St. Mar k’s will provide side dishes – sign up in the Concourse.

Campus Clean-up Day is Saturday, May 20.

Bathroom renovations A project manager is needed. For more information or to volunteer, see Jessie Maeck jsmaeck@aol.com, or 617-549-7285.

The NHRA is an alliance of six congregations along New Hope Road which have united together with the common goal of serving our changing neighborhood. Meetings are monthly and are open to all members of the six congregations. Join us!