Deacon's Corner - November 2024
All
business, no prose is the model for this month's message. Some may wonder why
previous articles devoted so much attention to the Open Door Mission in Glens
Falls. Besides trying to keep the many folks who have regularly volunteered
there informed, the Open Door is the designated local mission that APC
officially supports and as such it's important that we keep you aware of issues
involving it.
As
you may or may not be aware, the ability of APC congregants to continue
volunteering at Open Door has been on hold over the past few months. The good
news is that the technical problems associated with the Mission's new, online
“Volunteer Hub” have been rectified and you will once again be able to
volunteer not just to serve meals, but for a number of varied tasks...and have
the option of choosing the days and times that would be most convenient for
you. First, here's how to access and navigate the “Hub”.
Once
you have logged on to their website at https://opendoor-ny.org click
on the GET INVOLVED heading to access a drop-down menu. In that menu click on
VOLUNTEER. That will bring you to two further choices: “Serve Again” or “New
Volunteer”. This could be a little confusing because even if you have already
served, unless you had established an account during that time you will have to
create one now. Once that is accomplished you will be able to explore the site
for available needs and specific positions or duties.
You
will see a list of “orientation” courses. When volunteering for regularly
scheduled tasks the mission requires one time completion of two separate
orientations. These are the “Volunteer Orientation” and the “Code Blue
Orientation”. They are held on the second Saturday morning of every month with
the volunteer session from 9 to 10 and the Code Blue right after from 10 to 11.
No orientation is needed for special events.
For
November there are two “events” scheduled: The “Gobble Wobble”, a 5K run/walk
on Thanksgiving morning and a Thanksgiving Meal. The “Wobble” has various
positions to staff such as folks to hand out entry packets to the runners, road
guards and flag guides along the course as well as manning hydration stations
to pass out water to the participants.
There
are two ways to help with the Thanksgiving Meal: serving or donating. Serving
is obvious but the donating piece consists of sponsoring “meal tickets” for
$3.41 per meal. You can purchase tickets for 10 to 80 or more if you like. Each
full meal will consist of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing and
all of the trimmings, followed by pumpkin pie and coffee.
If
you have any problems on the web site either signing up for or finding
information about any of these call SARAH GARDEPHE, the interim Volunteer Hub
Director at 518-741-8446.
The
Deacons attended a joint Session-Trustee-Deacon meeting October 17th
followed by our own meeting which included packing “care packages” for our
college students which were sent out the following day. This particular annual
activity is always such a pleasure because we know all of these young men and
women personally and thus anticipate their reactions to a little touch of
“home”.
And
finally, it is our hope that each of you have a Happy Thanksgiving holiday and
thank you in Christ's name for the sacrifices and compassion you show to those
in our community and congregation throughout the year.
Pulitzer
and Nobel prize winning author Pearl S. Buck once said, “The test of a
civilization is in the way that it cares for its helpless.” I'd say that you
folks pass with flying colors!
Tom Genovese for the Deacons
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