Community Thanksgiving Luncheon

East Norwalk United Methodist Church, with the cooperation of Grace Epsicopal Church, will be preparing and serving their annual thanksgiving Dinner for those in need in Norwalk. Please consider signing up on the sheets in our Memorial Room to share your bounty with others. There is, of course, always the need for prepared food. There is also an opportunity to give the gift of set-up and clean-up. You could also help peel potatoes. And pray for the volunteers and the guests. Be generous! This is how we may help East Norwalk UMC provide for others so no one need go hungry during the week we celebrate what we have been so graciously given by our Creator.

Here is a letter from Jessie McGarty, the Community Thanksgiving Luncheon Coordinator:

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Dear friends:

We are celebrating 10 years of the Community Thanksgiving Luncheon at the East Avenue United Methodist Church. Our holiday feast of turkey and all the trimmings and homemade desserts completely FREE of chart has happened for a decade because of you!

This year our luncheon will be held as always, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 23rd at 12:00 noon until 2PM. Please spread the word! All are welcome and it's a terrific way to begin the holiday season.

For our previous volunteers, I look forward to working with you again and hope this message finds you well and happy. For folks considering joining us, our returnees can tell you it's well worth the effort.

I appreciate your valuable time so therefore I try to keep this as simple as possible by multitasking our preparation. For example, Saturday, November 22nd from 10 AM until noon, we begin. While some people may be peeling potatoes, others will be setting up the dining area including table arranging and decorating. At this time I will explain how Sunday will run and answer any questions.

On Sunday, volunteers arrive at 11AM. Everyone will be given an assigned position to work. If there is a specific job you would like to do i.e. cooking, serving, cleanup, please contact me before the day of the luncheon and I'll do my very best to place you there. Please be aware that everyone will need to be flexible. Positions will ultimately be determined where help is most needed.

I understand not everyone can commit to both days. Please know I am grateful for however much time you are able to contribute. In order for this tremendous undertaking to succeed, it is important that I do have a strong idea of how many volunteers will be joining us and when. Please let me know at your earliest convenience.

There are also many tasks that need to be done in the weeks before the luncheon. Flyers need to be distributed and donation requests made, just to name a few.

Soon I will send out our Perishable and Non Perishable Items Wish List. Contributions can be dropped off at the church as well as the Senior Center on Allen Road. Details will follow.

I must also mention we have a terrific bunch of volunteers from Grace Episcopal Church joining us this year. WELCOME and thank you in advance!

You can contact me by e-mail at jjdivamom@aol.com (preferred method) or by leaving a message at the church at 866-6757.

I cannot thank you enough for being a part of this feast that brings joy to so many.

Most sincerely,

Jessie McGarty

Community Thanksgiving Luncheon Coordinator @ E.A.U.M.C.

A Letter From Eugenia Chinsman

The provision of quality education and Education for All (EFA) is an ambition and a goal that can not be acheived by the efforts of just one person. Such levels of education can only truly be acheived with the support and aid of others. This is especially true for a country like Sierra Leone where more than 70 % of its citizens live on less than a dollar a day. A large majority of these people come from a rural area known as Waterloo. Without aid children of all ages especially girls will not have access to a quality education which can enable them to have a brighter future.

Waterloo is a highly populated village that has only two Junior Secondary schools. The vast majority of students travel every day to the city to access their education. The cost of transportation coupled with the distances they have to travel can leave these young children exposed to various risks like road accidents, gender based violence, sexual abuse that may in turn lead to HIV/AIDS, etc. The provision of school facilities to more girls will greatly reduce the financial burden on parents having to send their children daily to the city.

Over a year ago I brought this project to the attention of Grace Episcopal Church Outreach Program, Norwalk CT. As a result, Grace Episcopal Church Outreach Program agreed to support this project through The Forum of African Women in Education (FAWE).

A number of fund raising efforts were held during the course of last year and proceeds from the events and contribution from the church funds enabled us to construct a classroom which was meant to house one class but at the moment houses two classes. Most of the girls at FAWE school in Waterloo were abused and raped during the devastating war in Sierra Leone and an education will allow them to make a better life for themselves and arm them with tools that can never be taken away. This project calls for the construction of three additional classrooms and the provision of furniture and other teaching and learning materials.

In order for Grace Episcopal Church to continue with the project, we are inviting you to our Sierra Leone Day fund raising effort which will be held during our regular Sunday 10:00 am service on June 1, 2008 at Grace Episcopal Church, Union Park at Mott Avenue, Norwalk CT.06850. The service will be followed at 11:30 am by lunch and some presentations on Sierra Leone.

We are appealing to Sierra Leoneans and non-Sierra Leoneans to come in numbers to support Grace Church Outreach program in a huge way. Sierra Leonean foods and of course monetary contributions will be greatly appreciated. Please remember that one of the greatest gifts anyone can give is education . We are appealing to you to be a part of the future education of these girls. Attached is list of Sierra Leone food which you can donate.
May God Bless you all

Eugenia Chinsman
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OUTREACH PROGRAM

A Letter From Eungenia Chinsman

Dear All,

...

Whilst I was in Freetown I had a meeting with Mrs. Eileen Hanciles, Executive Director of FAWE. We discussed the Waterloo Project and the proposed visit of Grace Church to Sierra Leone. Please find attached a proposal from FAWE for the continuation of the project and pictures of the classroom which Grace Church built. Unfortunately the classroom was built to accommodate one class but had to be divided into two to accommodate two classes. FAWE hopes that they will be able to complete the second classroom and move the second class out of the new building once the funds from Grace Church are sent.

During my meeting with Mrs. Hanciles we spoke about the proposed visit to Sierra Leone by Grace Church. Mrs. Hanciles was extremely excited and has mentioned in the proposal the benefit of such a visit to the Girls at FAWE Waterloo School; the congregation at Grace Episcopal Church and to the people of Sierra Leone.

I am working on the cost of the airline ticket and will inform you all once I have the rates.

See you all on Good Friday.

Eugenia