Outreach
St. Stephen's contributes to and works with several outreach organizations both locally and abroad. We do so by contributing half of the income from Treasures Thrift Shop and also by collecting financial and material contributions throughout the year, especially around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. We also try to have a hands on approach to caring for people in need by doing things like volunteering at the Food Pantry every month. This year our monetary contributions total more than $10,000. Here are a list of the efforts and programs we support:
Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry
As a member of the food pantry group we are intimately involved with the ministry of the food pantry. members of St. Stephen's are on the Board of Trustees. We volunteer monthly to help distribute food to people in need. We contribute by collecting goods the pantry needs and participating in their Thanksgiving food drive.
The Carpenter's Kids program through the Diocese of New York
Through this program our church is able to pair up with a school in the Anglican Diocese of Central Tanganyika in Africa. "Carpenter's Kids" are Tanzanian HIV/AIDs orphans and other vulnerable children who are selected after screening by their parishes. The aim of the program is to ensure that each child receives a school uniform, a pair of shoes, breakfast every morning, and adequate school supplies to enable them to attend primary school. For the last five years, St. Stephen's has sponsored 50 children.
Adopt-A-Dog animal sheltar
Adopt-A-Dog is our local animal sheltar. In anticipation of the Blessing of the Animals in celebration of St. Francis Day, we collected blankets, toys and treeats for the animals there. Last year the youth Group volunteered at the shelter to help and played with several of the dogs. Also, our Treasures Thrift shop contributes the blankets and towels that they receive to Adopt-A-Dog.
As a sponsoring Parish, we contribute to the ministry of Incarnation Camp. Our contributions mean that children can attend camp who might not have otherwise been able. We have also participated in volunteer clean up days in years past.
As the outreach arm of the Diocese of New York, Episcopal Charities coordinates and supports all the ways that Episcopal Churches seeks to feed, house, and clothe people who are in need in our area and around the entire diocese. One of the programs supported by Episcopal Charities is the Interfaith Food Pantry that we are so involved with.
Junior League of Northern Westchester Christmas Program
Every Christmas, through the Junior Legue, St. Stephen's is able to sponsor families who have children and are unable to buy Christmas presents. Everyone in the church is invited to purchase desired items leading up to the holiday. Our youth group always has fun sponsoring one of the families by going out and shopping together.
Each fall, as our children prepare to start back to school, we invite them to purchase extra school supplies and bring them to St. Stephen's to be donated. We have teamed up with Chiro Mission, a local organization, to send these supplies to children in the Dominican Republic.
Through these organizations and in many other ways we seek to serve Christ in all people. All are invited to participate and experience the Grace filled joy of caring for others.