Alternative Gift Market All Year Long!
Hosted in 2007 by the Youth of St. Matthew’s
The youth of St. Matthew’s have worked to provide the Alternative Gift Market to our community in Advent of 2007. Out of 35 Alternative Gift International (AGI) ministries, the youth selected three ministries to promote at St. Matthew’s. Each of the three ministries selected constitute important areas of concern for our continued support of the Millennium Development Goals of the Episcopal Church. But you don’t have to only consider these ministries one time per year. Alternative gifts give you the opportunity to purchase for your family & friends a gift of dedicated funds that goes towards supporting non-profit ministries. The ministries below are the ones St. Matthew’s has chosen to highlight for Advent 2007, but you are always encouraged to give at other times of the year as well. Thank you for your support and willingness to spread God’s love to those people who need our help – by giving to them, you give to God.
In association with Alternative Gifts International (www.altgifts.org) “The global mission of AGI is to send authentic, life-giving gifts to a needy world--gifts that build a partnership with people in crisis and that protect and preserve the earth's endangered environment--to nourish and sustain a more equitable and peaceful global community. AGI is a nonprofit, interfaith agency. AGI provides education for people of all ages about global needs and raises funds each year in its Alternative Gift Markets and from individual donors to respond to those needs. Designated grants then are sent to the established international projects of several reputable nonprofit agencies for relief and development.” –Mission Statement of AIG
New Life for Children with Disabilities is a ministry that strives to enhance the physical well being of over 350 children with cerebral palsy by providing therapy equipment and training for staff. This orphanage facility is located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where 600 orphans live. 60% of the orphans were born with cerebral palsy and abandoned because their parents could not care for them. A purchased gift of $25.00 purchases one share of new physiotherapy equipment. $15.00 buys one share of training for additional physiotherapy staff.
Rural Health Care ministries are extremely important to the welfare of impoverished countries. This selected ministry builds health care outposts to improve the health of villagers living in the Himalayan Mountains. Severe poverty, inadequate sanitation, and poor nutrition lead to life expectancy as low as 37 years for the Nepalese people. Malnutrition contributes to 55% of child deaths. For every 1,000 children in Nepal, 147 die before their fifth birthday. Nepal’s Center for Community Development & Research, and its US partner Empower Nepal Foundation are working with local village leaders to share the cost and labor to build six small clinics in the Gorkha district. A purchased gift of $200.00 will supply the roofing materials for one building. $10.00 provides 10 clay blocks for foundations.
Where Needed Most: This important ministry that AGI promotes will respond to the urgent needs which may otherwise go unmet. Out of the 35 supported ministries of AGI, many will not have the necessary funds designated by those of us hosting a gift market. $10.00 purchases one share of Where Needed Most to support low funded projects.
Additional Ministries Highlighted at the Market
Four additional ministries are highlighted during the market. All these ministries ask for your support through prayer, awareness, and financial contributions.
The Honduras Scholarship Program is a program of the Episcopal Church of Honduras that supports the education of the children of El Paraiso. The sad facts are that the Honduran government does not provide secondary education. The church in Honduras sees education as weapon against poverty, and this time we are providing secondary education to 116 of His children. We have seen the impact of our small help and also the need for more.
The Samaritan Center for Counseling and Pastoral Care, an interfaith ministry serving Austin and surrounding counties, promotes wholeness and healing by offering affordable counseling services that integrate the mental, spiritual, emotional, physical and community dimensions of life. Counseling services are offered to individuals, couples and families on a host of life issues with trained and qualified therapists. No one is turned away - all services are offered on a sliding scale basis. Families become stable when individuals are emotionally healthy. Emotionally healthy and stable families result in a better society for all of us.
Mission Trip to the Makarye Orphanage in Kirov, Russia: This ministry seeks to provide relief for those children living in the Makarye Orphanage in Kirov, Russia. A mission trip is scheduled during Spring Break 2008 (March 8-16, 2008)! While in Makarye, participants will get to know the children through organized group activities and one-on-one visits. Children’s Hope Chest will coordinate all logistics for the trip. Anyone interested in traveling to Russia to share God’s love with these wonderful children is invited to join a mission team to Makarye. For more information on travel details, reservation deadlines, and trip costs, please contact Janie McMahan at jmcduncan2@austin.rr.com or 512.496.8494.
Interfaith Hospitality Network The Interfaith Hospitality Network families will arrive on our campus December 30, 2007 and will be our honored guests until January 6, 2008. Let's give these families the gift of our famous St. Matthew's hospitality. Volunteer sign-ups continue each week in Advent. We will have 2008 calendars for sale featuring the cherubs of the Network, the precious children that are so resilient as they cope with their family's housing search. To signup: Visit the January 2008 Volunteer Schedule to see what is needed; then to volunteer click Sign Me Up. This should create an email. In the message body simply tell the coordinators what you are able to do. They will then update the schedule, replying to the address from which you sent the email. For questions: Amy (795-8089, amy_m_novak@earthlink.net) or Sharon (775-4774, sharonylowe@hotmail.com).