About our Program
The Outreach Program at Church of Our Saviour is directed to reach out into the immediate and larger community fulfilling our church's mission to be "in service to others, in Christ's name."
The committee of approximately ten parishioners meets bi-monthly as the Outreach Committee. All members of the congregation and guests are welcome and invited to the meetings.
The Outreach Committee's efforts are supported financially through the Church of Our Saviour operating budget and through fundraisers throughout the year.
Our outreach efforts are currently structured on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG's), which were adopted as a framework for Christian action by the Episcopal Church in 2006.
Every quarter, we focus on one of the eight MDG's by:
- identifying organizations working on this particular goal
- researching the organizations
- deciding how we can best support their efforts
- mobilizing resources at Church of Saviour to provide volunteer help, if local, as well as financial support
As part of our mission in educating our community about charitable organizations, we refer to charitable watchdog organizations such as:
Our Recent Work
Over the next four to five months, we'll focus on the fourth and fifth MDG's: Reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. In this effort, we are learning about and supporting:
The Environment
Our new Environmental Outreach Ministry is continuing to meet. Our purposes include:
- helping Church of Our Saviour become a model for addressing environmental issues that impact both the local community and larger world
- becoming a resource for information and activities that raise environmental awareneess in our parish and in the greater community
Church of Our Saviour has adopted a plot at Terwilliger Marsh and maintains it during scheduled workdays, planting native species and restoring natural habitat.
We have replaced all of our disposable tableware with biodegradable products for our coffee hours and other church events.
We are also planning an audit of our parish facilities to shrink our carbon footprint and improvie sustainability. We are looking towards advocacy for practices of environmental sustainability in the greater Mill Valley Community, including a more robust recycling program, raising awareness, and collaborating with other organizations.
For more information about this ministry, contact Mark Tarpey-Schwed.
Combatting Hunger
On a Tuesday morning once a month, we cook for and staff a luncheon for the homeless in conjunction with Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Mill Valley. Contact Marsha Dugan for more details.
On March 2nd, members of the church joined other residents of Marin County in the CROP Walk for hunger organized by Church World Service.
Involving our Youth
Our youth are also involved in our Outreach Program. Our youth group, EPIC, joins with other members of our community in helping serve lunch with the Southern Marin Homeless Coaltion at Mt. Carmel Catholic Church on a regular basis. Members of EPIC are helping with Rebuilding Together on April 26th to rehabilitate a private residence in Nicasio.
St. Anne's Circle
St. Anne's Circle is the creative extension of our Outreach Committee. St. Anne's gathers weekly to work on sewing projects and other crafts, including:
- quilts and stuffed animals for babies and children
- items, crafts, and cards for fundraisers to support our Outreach activities
Our next project will focus on baby blankets for The Canal Alliance and Women's Health Services for new mothers.
More Information
For more information about our Outreach Program, contact Maggie Lang.
