Community Assistance January Report

The Community Assistance Team disbursed $4,404 in January to prevent evictions and restore electricity for twelve families. We appreciate the support and generosity of our Parishioners to help our neighbors in need.

Community Assistance December Report

In December, the Community Assistance Team disbursed $2,901.37 to nine families in need of our assistance for housing, electric bills and transportation. December is a difficult time for many of our clients and between the help the Community Assistance Team was able to provide, and the Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner the Outreach Committee organized, we were able to provide a little Holiday Cheer for many of them. Thank you again to our Parishioners for your support for these important ministries.

July Community Assistance

In July, our Community Assistance team was able to help four clients prevent evictions. We also provided funds for 100 gallons of fuel oil and referred another client to Community Action for their energy assistance program. We thank you for your continued support as we try to help our neighbors in need.

St. James' Parish Community Yard Sale, June 3

St. James' is hosting a community yard sale on June 3 from 8 AM - 1 PM. Rain or Shine! Spaces will be in the lower parking lot and rent for $25 (10 x 10 foot spot with a table). The deadline for renting a space is May 28th (or until they are all rented). All rental space fees will benefit the work of the St. James' Parish Community Outreach Fund.

St. James' Parish will also have a table, and your donations are welcome! Items should be in good and usable condition (please no clothes, shoes, or electronics) and can be dropped off in the Library. Books are welcome but limited to 10 per donation. Please box and mark the items "yard sale." Proceeds from the St. James' Parish table will benefit the Community Assistance Fund.

For additional information, to register and submit payment, or to volunteer, please contact Ashley at Artemis914@aol.com.

The Community Assistance Team's June Report

June was a busy month for the St. James' Community Assistance team. In addition to the generous contributions of our parishioners, we were fortunate to have received a grant from the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County which helped us meet the needs of our neighbors. We were able to assist 15 clients for a total amount of $3,535.

We are finding our partnership with the Community Action Agency on Thursday mornings is working quite well. They have begun a new year for fuel assistance and we were able to send two clients with very large BGE bills to them and they received the help they needed to get their electricity turned back on. We were also able to help two homeless clients with short term hotel stays.

Community Assistance Fund - March Activity

In March the Community Assistance Team expended $2,860 helping eleven families keep their electricity on, prevent homelessness, and assist with car insurance and fuel so they could get to their jobs. We wish to acknowledge and thank Barbara Howard who donated proceeds from her hand painted Easter Eggs, Michael Ryan who donated the offering from the Easter Messiah Sing-A-Long and to the Parishioners participating in the Lenten program who gave their donations to Community Assistance. Also, the first Sunday loose donations which also goes to Community Assistance. The assistance we are able to provide our neighbors in need due to our Parishioners' generosity is greatly appreciated.

Community Assistance Fund - October Activity

In the month of October, St. James' was able to help ten families with fuel, electricity, rent and medical bills in the amount of $1,930. One woman in particular had special needs. She was living in her car, in need of heart surgery, only it couldn't be done until her medical bills were paid and she had a permanent place in which to recover. We were able to pay her medical bills and working with the Community Action Agency, we have found an apartment for her making it possible for her to have her life-changing surgery. The generosity of our Parishioners makes this kind of heartwarming outcome possible.

Community Assistance Fund - August Activity

With your continued support we were able to help five families in the month of August with eviction prevention and BGE bills in the amount of $1,150. One single mother with two very young children needed help with her August rent knowing she would be homeless in September. We helped her with her rent and gave her resources to explore where she might go with her family in September. She was extremely grateful for the assistance and we pray she was able to get the assistance needed to care for her family. Your continued support of this ministry is appreciated by many.

St. James’ Community Yard Sale

We are hosting our first community yard sale September 26th, from 8 AM - 2 PM. We are looking for people interested in renting a space. All rental spaces fees will go to St. James' Community Assistance Team. Spaces are $25 for a 10x10 spot with 1 table. Space is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. The deadline for renting a space is September 20, 2015, or until we run out of spots. At this time we are not accepting donations to be sold, but are looking for individuals who want to rent a space. For more information please email Ashley at Artemis914@aol.com.

Community Assistance Fund - July Activity

In July, the St. James' Community Assistance Team was able to help seven families with their BG&E bills and lot rent in the amount of $1,800. We were only able to meet with people two Thursdays out of the month due to a shortage of funds. Your donation to the Community Assistance Fund means a lot to our neighbors in need. The people who received our assistance are always grateful. This month we got a special “Thank you” from one of our clients and a special angel figure from another.

March Community Assistance Fund

The Community Assistance Team helped six families in the amount of $1,761 in the month of March. A special thank you for the contributions given to the Community Assistance Fund through the sale of the Hand Painted Easter Eggs, the offering from the Easter Messiah Sing-Along and from the Lenten Suppers!

February Community Assistance Fund

The Community Assistance Team assisted 6 families in the amount of $1,700.00 in the month of February. We also used our South County Churches Energy Assistance Group (SCCEAG) funds helping 1 additional family with their fuel bill in the amount of $650. We always appreciate the support we get from out Parishioners in order to help our neighbors in need.

January Community Assistance Fund

In January, the Community Assistance Fund was able to help 12 families in the amount of $3,493. In addition we gave $500 to the SCCEAG Fund at Johnson Oil and were able to fill the fuel tanks of two additional families. Most of the people needed help with lot rent, electric and fuel bills. In addition, we helped a homeless family with three children’s stay in an Annapolis motel for four nights and in an unusual situation we were able to help a family get back on their feet by assisting with an extremely necessary dental procedure. We feel blessed to be able to help our neighbors in need and appreciate your support.

December Community Assistance Fund

Once again St. James' Parish helped several families in our South County Community have a little better Christmas. We were able to disburse $2,251.88 as well as SCCEAG funds in the amount of $531.82. In addition to our regular funds we were able to help a few families have any Christmas at all because generous parishioners provided extra funds for gift cards where people could pick up a few presents for their families. The Community Assistance Team wants you to know how much we appreciate your support for this very important ministry that helps our neighbors in need.

November Community Assistance Fund

With your contributions we were able to help eight families in November in the amount of $1,864. Most of our clients this month were from the local mobile home parks and they were facing eviction because they could not pay their lot rent. Others needed help with their electric bills in order to prevent shut-off. We can only help them with part of what they need and even though some have health issues, they have to find a way to ask for assistance at other South County churches. We are still short on funds for December and into the New Year. Even our SCCEAG BGE funds are running low and the worst part of winter is still to come. Anyway you can provide help to our neighbors in need will be greatly appreciated.

October Community Assistance Fund

The Community Assistance Team disbursed $4,443.46 to help eighteen families in the month of October for BGE assistance, eviction prevention, medical assistance and several other critical expenditures. In addition we drew $650 from the South County Community Energy Assistance Group (SCCEAG) for electrical assistance. Due to our largest outlay of funds ever for one month, we have depleted our available funds. With the Holidays approaching and winter weather on the horizon, we desperately need additional contributions. We greatly appreciate your generosity to help those in our community most in need.

August Community Assistance Fund

In August, the Community Assistance Fund helped five families in the amount of $994.18. The assistance was for eviction prevention, electric, and school supplies. One case was particularly difficult. A lady, who has had her own business as a home contractor was in a serious car accident in April. She almost lost her life and her truck was totaled. She is still facing more surgeries and is about to lose her home that she worked so hard to get. She has two teenage sons to support. St. James' helped her with $400 toward her house payment and other churches in our network have also helped her. She definitely needs more help, but we are now limited in our ability to help for another six months. We continue to pray for her and her family that she finds the resources necessary to sustain her through this very difficult time. The Community Assistance Team thanks you for your continued support on the 1st Sunday of the month.

June Community Assistance Fund

The St. James' Community Assistance Fund team met with nine families in June and helped them in the total amount of $2,617.01 along with an additional amount of $509.67 from the South County Churches Energy Assistance Group (SCCEAG). This assistance was given for eviction prevention, electric and propane bills and gift cards for food and gasoline. A very good piece of news came our way in June: All Hallows Episcopal Parish, although not part of the South County network, has indicated willingness to join with St. James' Parish in our Community Assistance efforts by helping to fund the program. The Community Assistance team appreciates and thanks you for your continued support for our neighbors in need.