Check out our Scout Sunday Pictures !!!
Raffle Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the Youth Group Raffle and thank you to all who participated and helped the youth raise funds for their mission trip.The winners are:
1st place - Jeff Py won an ipad mini
2nd place - Vivian Hart won a Kindle Paperwhite
3rd place - Kathleen Weinberger won a $50 gift card to the Apple Store
Thank you again for helping with this fundraiser.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, January 18. The youth group is having an Italian Dinner to continue raising funds for their trip. There is no charge for the dinner, but a free will offering will be received.
Summary of Mission Trip Activities 2013
We had a wonderful time serving God and our Long Island community – helping and blessing many people as they recover from Sandy. We had 28 youth and adults from Maple Grove Covenant Church in Minnesota living in our church for a week (July 20-27), and two volunteers from Merge Ministry staying in the parsonage. We had 15volunteers from the ECC East Northport working - many for the whole week, and some for just a day or two. Here is what we did:West End Community Center, Long Beach, NY: The center was damaged with 4 feet of water during Sandy and hopes to reopen in the Fall. The restoration of the building is almost complete. They serve over 130 children in the community with pre-school and after school programs, and serve the greater community in other ways with programs as well. We spent two days removing 4 foot high weeds from the community center's garden, and tilling the soil. Prior to Sandy, it had been a vegetable garden planted by the children and the community, and the vegetables were being donated to the local food pantry. We also repaired the fence around the garden which had been damaged by Sandy, and restored the flower beds around their entranceway with flowers, mulch and landscape fabric.
Gerald J. Ryan Outreach Center, Wyandanch NY: Volunteers spent two days sorting through clothing that was donated right after Sandy. They have been so overwhelmed by the needs following Sandy that they were not able to get to all these donations. Now they will be able to get them out to those in need.
Hollockville Farm and Museum, Riverhead, NY: We helped restore and clear paths for visitors, and schools. Located on the North Shore of Long Island, this areareceived mostly wind damage, but is still getting things back to normal.
Fred Shores Beach Club, Babylon, NY: Volunteers painted picnic tables and part of a building that had been flooded and destroyed by Sandy, and cleaned up the beach area. The president of the beach club sent a thank you email saying in part "I just wanted to extend a HUGE THANK YOU TO BOTH YOU AND ALL YOUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEER'S... it was such a beautiful thing to do for us all, to come help Sandy victims months and months later when most people have forgotten already the disaster that still looms in our lives every day,, well it was beyond touching, I was moved to tears. The children and the adults were beyond wonderful. I will always be thankful for all that they have done."
Single Family Residence, Mastic Beach, NY: We spent two days and nearly finished installing sheetrock in "Flo's" home. Flo is a senior citizen, and her home wasflooded by Sandy. Unfortunately, an unscrupulous contractor installed sheetrock over the wet and damaged walls. The work had to be redone, but there was no more insurance money. So, it is now being repaired by volunteers. She is extremely grateful for the help and said that all these volunteers have "restored my faith in humanity."
VBS Program, Bronx, NY: Many of our volunteers went into the Bronx to assist with a VBS/day camp program that was serving over 100 children. Their supervision and assistance was much needed, and greatly appreciated.