Give Now to Support CRC’s Community Justice Program
(All donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $30,000!)
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” – Matthew 25:35
Each Easter season, we are uplifted and filled with new hope as we experience the Resurrection within our St. John’s family. But even as we give thanks for our many blessings, we are also mindful of those who are not as fortunate. In gratitude, St. John’s is continuing the wonderful tradition of its annual Easter Appeal, whose purpose is to support a charitable organization that is truly making a difference in our community.
We are all inundated with requests for our time, our work, our money. But if you are a parent, or a grandparent, or if you have ever loved a child, I ask you to please read on.
The last few months may have felt a little unsettling, reflecting the various challenges facing many of our financial, political, educational and cultural institutions.
However, one thing you probably DIDN’T worry about was whether one day, without warning, your children would be picked up at school by strangers and transported to some unknown place while you frantically tried to locate them. You’ve probably also been lucky enough to feel pretty sure that you would remain among those you love, and that you would continue to be able to provide for them and protect them.
Sadly, this is not true for many of our neighbors in the Mamaroneck community. It takes only a few moments listening to Jirandy Martinez, Executive Director the Community Resource Center (CRC) in Mamaroneck, to learn about the harsh realities facing many CRC clients.
By far their most searing reality is the desperation so many parents, grandparents, and other adult family members feel about obtaining the most basic legal and social protection for their children. They are brutally aware of the very real possibility that adult family members might suddenly be unavailable to take care of them.
In the face of shifting immigration policies and the termination of several crucial government programs, CRC’s Community Justice Program is experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand for all of its legal services. But the need in one specific area far outweighs the others: legal assistance in guardianship appointment, family wills, child care directives, and other forms of child protection.
To meet those needs, CRC’s Community Justice Program is working to expand its legal resources by hiring an additional attorney and paralegal.
This, of course, takes money. And this is where St. John’s Easter Appeal comes in.
This spring, the Easter Appeal committee unanimously chose CRC’s family legal assistance efforts to be the recipient of this year’s Easter Appeal campaign.
In fact, the committee felt so strongly that this was the most immediate and pressing need facing our community that no other candidates were even suggested!
This appeal is not a matter of politics or policies or divided opinions. It’s a matter of simple Christian charity and compassion; of doing the right thing and helping those who desperately need it. Today, those who are in need are the innocent children of our neighbors. And as so many of us can attest, St. John’s has never turned its back on anyone who needed its help.
What can you do to help?
Give—and be Match Funded
Be generous—and have your gift match funded! We have been truly blessed by the generosity of an anonymous St. John’s parishioner who has offered to match dollar for dollar every contribution made to the Appeal, up to $30,000. This is your opportunity to double the impact of your gift.
Listen—Jirandy Martinez, Executive Director of CRC spoke at St. John’s Church on May 4th
We are honored that Jirandy Martinez, Executive Director of CRC, spoke to the congregation during our 10:00 service on Sunday, May 4, 2025. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear this inspiring woman speak about CRC’s mission and challenges.
In conclusion, we all have children we love in our lives. We would do anything to protect them. In fact, each one of us would unthinkingly help ANY child we saw who was in danger.
Please give this appeal your prayerful thought, and then respond by offering a heartfelt contribution to this very worthy cause.
In gratitude,
Dacey Hall, 2025 Easter Appeal Chair
2025 Easter Appeal Committee
Dolores Battalia
Pete Bennitt
Betsy Bradley
Robin Ingram
Frank Pierson
Paul Schwendner
The Rev. Lisa Mason, Rector
How to give:
- You may donate with PayPal.
- You may use the tithe.ly app on your phone or online.
- Mail a check indicating “Easter Appeal” to St. John’s Church, 4 Fountain Square, Larchmont, NY 10538.
For more information about the Community Resource Center, click the logo.