Due to Pentecost falling on Memorial Day weekend this year, the Easter Appeal has been extended one additional week, through June 4! That means you still have time to get your donation in, in support of Neighbors for Refugees. Thank you in advance for your participation!
Happy Easter! To celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection, the community of St. John’s Church has a cherished tradition – now in its 19th year – of helping others through the Easter Appeal. The cumulative amount raised in those 19 years is $577,912! Thank you for your continued generosity; together we can have a huge impact on serving the many diverse needs of our community and beyond.
In Matthew 25 Jesus describes his followers being rewarded in Heaven for having shown their love to Him on earth. The followers ask: “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Jesus replies: “Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you showed love to the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
This year, St. John’s Easter Appeal is collaborating with Neighbors for Refugees (NFR), a Larchmont-based organization with an excellent track record of helping displaced persons fleeing violence and persecution to establish new lives in our wider community. NFR has just launched a new initiative inviting houses of worship to form teams of “companions on the journey” who will walk alongside a displaced family for circa one year.
This Easter Appeal offers opportunities for St John’s community not only to give financial, but also personal support. In addition to raising the funds necessary to support the assigned family, we will be assembling a team of parishioner volunteers to serve as “companions” to the assigned family, working with them for a year. Given the high cost of housing, transportation, and the necessities of life, it can cost as much as $35,000 to support a refugee family in our area for a year. Each team (circa 6-10 persons) will help a displaced family secure housing, furnishings, work with them on job searches, help them learn local transportation systems, enroll in neighborhood schools, houses or communities of worship, and secure medical resources, until they are closer to self-sustainability.
We hope that the parishioners of St. John’s Church will, once again, give as generously as they are able, and that we will be able to raise $50,000 by Pentecost. Meeting this goal will enable us to have a contingency budget-item, and, if needed, offer additional support to the family. If this help is not needed, these funds will serve as seed money for the next NFR team.
In this season of new beginnings, please support St. John’s Easter Appeal as we team up with Neighbors for Refugees. Your generosity will empower St. John’s to address this most urgent need, and to do so in such a way that spreads the love of our Savior.
Eastertide blessings,
Lisa+, for the Vestry and Easter Appeal Committee
How to give:
- You may donate with PayPal.
- You may use the Tithe.ly app on your phone or online.
- Mail a check to St. John’s with “Easter Appeal 2023” in the memo line.
For more information about Neighbors for Refugees, click the logo.