Benevolence Giving Program
It is the goal to give 10% of our income to others through our benevolence giving although our total giving exceeds that figure. We give to needs within our community besides the food pantries, others including the New Castle Rescue Mission, Seneca Hills Bible Camp and Alpha and Omega Center receive yearly donations
The City Rescue Mission serves the needy in western Pennsylvania in a variety of ministries. Through our benevolence giving, we support the general mission of this organization. However, our Youth have a special relationship with the women’s ministry- Hope Place. Many different circumstances bring homeless women to Hope Place, the City Rescue Mission’s emergency shelter for women and children. They come looking for a safe place to stay for themselves and their children where they can regroup their lives. They are greeted by a friendly, compassionate staff and are provided food, a safe place to sleep and other items such as clothing and personal hygiene items if needed. Guests participate in educational, recreational, and spiritual activities such as parenting and budgeting classes, watching and discussing instructional videos, Bible studies and holiday events. Our Youth have been part of special activities involving them and the families at Hope Place.
Support For Our Mission Partners: Bob and Kristi Rice in South Sudan
From their latest newsletter:
A few weeks ago we left South Sudan to wait out the end of the Covid-19 crisis in the U.S.. We are praying for you and for churches all over who seek to give encouragement and comfort as people grapple with sickness, loss, and suffering. We are so grateful for your partnership with us on this journey. We pray that the Holy Spirit enables each of us to be witnesses to God’s grace and hope in the midst of the crisis around us. We always love to hear from you. You can reach us by replying to this e-mail or at [email protected] or [email protected].
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Fund: Response to the Panademic
PDA is drawing 2.7 million dollars from reserves to seed the COVID-19 ongoing response both in the United States and internationally. These are funds that have been given by donors to PDA’s general fund, meant to meet the response needs of disasters small or large that are not able to be funded by special appeals. Although money is not the only thing communities need in this moment, it is one resource, alongside many others, that can be helpful. We are incredibly grateful to donors, past and continuing, who trusted PDA enough to designate their funds to the PDA general disaster account. This is where the bulk of our reserve for COVID-19 is being drawn from. We are also incredibly grateful to the churches and individuals who support One Great Hour of Sharing, the church-wide offering collected during Easter, which not only provides our core funding, but also supports two sibling programs, the Presbyterian Hunger Program and Self Development of People, two programs whose work in addressing systemic poverty, hunger and centering the needs of communities historically marginalized is as critical in the face of COVID-19 as it is to our global human flourishing every day. Churches and communities wishing to think about how best to allocate mission resources during this pandemic can gain insight and support from any and all of us.