LOCAL MISSION
Our activities in the local community include partnerships with public schools and addressing issues around food insecurity, housing, and employment.
ACT / ANNE ARUNDEL CONNECTING TOGETHER
ACT continues to engage with and for the communities it serves. Through listening sessions, agenda items are set. Recent efforts have included: remote student access to internet; the right to lead-free water in schools; the empowerment of renters; and the recent Turnaround Movement, employment training and resources for those returning to the community after incarceration or drug treatment. Join this active and engaged group.
WINTER RELIEF
Each winter, First Presbyterian houses 25 homeless men during Winter Relief, a program of Arundel House of Hope. Guests stay in Fellowship Hall with rows of cots. Delicious meals, hot showers, clean linens, haircuts and even a Bingo night are only part of the experience. Warm and nurturing volunteers dispense a week’s worth of God’s love. In return over 70 volunteers receive back heartfelt appreciation and valuable insights into lives. Read more: Daily Blog.
FPC FOODSHARE
A small team of adults and youth convene at the local Whole Foods each Wednesday morning. Together, members load boxes of (slightly) damaged or otherwise un-sellable fresh fruit, vegetables and nonperishable food and deliver to 2 food pantries on West Street, Annapolis. A one hour commitment every week, month, or season (your choice). Contact the church office.
BACKPACK BUDDIES (BB)
Started in 2011 at the request of Annapolis Elementary School, BB is co-supported by FPC and our neighbor church, St. Anne’s Episcopal. The program costs $11,000 per year. FPC contributes about $3,000 per year and weekly volunteers. Recently 40 backpacks for 53 children were filled on Thursday mornings during the course of one school year. Children take bags home on Fridays filled with fruit, juice, muffins, breakfast bars, tuna, macaroni and cheese, and other items simple and easy to prepare themselves. We are always seeking donations and volunteers.
STAIR-Annapolis
Having started at FPC in 2006, “Start the Adventure In Reading” is now its own non-profit with continued support from the church in terms of volunteers, office space, bookkeeping, and monetary gifts. STAIR is dedicated to increasing the reading ability of second graders, improving students’ sense of self-esteem, and providing a caring environment where reading is fun! STAIR effectively flexed during 2020-21 to provide remote support and book supplies. In 2022, onsite tutoring resumed. Join the team of volunteers, email JoAnn Mattson, Exec. Dir.
COATS FOR KIDS
In 2013, a church volunteer at a local elementary school noticed that a teacher had purchased a coat for a student. Concerned there might be other students in need, the volunteer approached the Mission Committee, which applied for an FPC Endowment Fund grant. Since then, outreach has expanded to include children at additional elementary schools and community centers. Students are identified by teachers and guardians. Children receive a NEW coatt to ensure the right size and to eliminate the need for storage. CfK is funded by the congregation at the annual Advent Gift Fair. As of 2022, 200 coats have warmed a child!
LIGHT HOUSE
The Light House (LH) strives to meet the evolving needs of the community. Read more about this “neighbors helping neighbors." At FPC, the Mission Committee coordinates work which has included providing meals once a month to homeless residents at the LH and at a local hotel. The Committee conducts a food drive each August to stock the food pantry at the LH. The “Share the Warmth Drive" invites the donation of new hats, gloves, and socks and gently used boots to the LH (10 Hudson Street, Annapolis MD 21401).