TABLE OF CONTENTS
From Our Executive Director: MY PEOPLE WERE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Once upon a time, in a seaside community not far from here, long-time residents worried about the arrival of newcomers. These immigrants had not learned their language, had few skills needed by the local economy, and practiced a strange new religion that was intolerant of the long-established faith. They had odd customs, dressed funny, and lived packed like sardines into shabby houses. Their personal hygiene was appalling and they smelled bad. Long-time residents feared that these immigrants would spread disease and crime among them. Many felt sorry for the poor wretches, but the newcomers just did not fit into American society.
These immigrants were my people on my father’s side of the family, the Puritans. When William and Margery Goodhue arrived from Kent in 1635, natives from Long Island to Maine must have muttered something like, “There goes the neighborhood!” In England, many people probably said, “Good riddance.” In Australia they said, “Thank God we got the criminals and America got the Puritans!” We celebrate at Thanksgiving the brave Pilgrims, English Separatists who were also Dissenters and who eventually merged with the more numerous Puritans. The Pilgrims were illegal immigrants. They had no permission from the English Crown to land in Massachusetts, and neither Squanto nor Massasoit issued visas or work permits to them. Nor did the residents of Ipswich give green cards to William and Margery Goodhue. Our national debate on immigration might be a little less rancorous if we were honest about our personal and national history.
Liberals like to say that we are a nation of immigrants, but they too seldom note that many of their forbearers were undocumented. My mother recently sent me a diary her father kept as a young man. It tends to confirm something I have long suspected: he apparently made his way to Los Angeles from Scotland by way of British Columbia because his older brother told him it would be easier to slip across the border if he took the tourist day-boat from Victoria to Seattle. Grandpa, it seems, was a wetback. As the Chicana artist Yolanda Lopez asked in her often-reprinted drawing, “Who’s the illegal alien, Pilgrim?”
Calling ourselves a nation of immigrants also ignores both the native peoples who were here first and the millions of slaves who were brought here against their will: during the 200 years after the founding of Jamestown, the number of Africans brought to the British colonies in chains was three times greater, in fact, than the number of Europeans who came here voluntarily. And as many Latinos put it, “We did not cross the border, the border crossed us.”
Our current immigration policy creates problems that are nearly impossible to solve. African American renters on Long Island are being displaced so that landlords can pack 20 or more undocumented day laborers into flop houses. Those working here legally have to cross the border illegally to visit sick parents in Central America. Those doing seasonal work fear that if they go home for the winter they will not be able to return. Everyone favors deporting undocumented gang leaders, but more law-abiding citizens of the United States than hoods seem to be swept up in ICE raids. My Stanford roommate, whose family had lived in Los Angeles for generations before my grandparents arrived, was stopped and searched by immigration officials on Interstate 5 every time he visited his cousins in San Diego; I always was waved through without question. Not long ago, I had to lay off a chaplain whose work permit was renewed but had not yet been sent to him—a year later. If you think any of this is fair and just, you are un-American. I understand that I must comply with the law, but in this case, as Dickens put it, “the law is an ass.”
Don’t get me wrong: I believe that we should reform laws, not ignore them. It is precisely the rule of law that protects us from the sort of injustice visited upon the citizens of Tibet and Darfur. And, in truth, I have conflicted feelings myself. We need to secure our borders, but a vast underground economy and population is really bad for security. I don’t think undocumented aliens should drive without a drivers licenses, but I’m not sure why we gave licenses to the idiots I see driving while talking on their cell phones. All people deserve to be treated with respect, but some people should be respectfully deported. We need workers in many industries, but it is not at all clear to me that working here should automatically qualify everyone for permanent residency or citizenship. I can’t for the life of me figure out why we deny asylum to Iraqi Christians fleeing the persecution that was unleashed in their homeland when we invaded it, but I probably would not have granted Imelda Marcos a visa if it were up to me.
A few things, though, are clear to me. Can’t we agree that employers should be able to hire badly needed seasonal workers without breaking the law? Shouldn’t these laborers be allowed to go home in the winter and return to work next year? In occupations where there are clear, permanent labor shortages, such as home health aides and nurses, shouldn’t it be easier for them to stay here legally? And once any immigrants are here, shouldn’t they be treated with the compassion my ancestors found?
Shalom, Salaam, Shanti, Pax,
Tom
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LICC STATEMENT ON IMMIGRATION REFORM
We are called by Scripture to welcome the stranger among us:
“You shall love also the stranger, for in Egypt you were strangers”
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
“One law shall be the same for those that are home-born and for the sojourners among you.”
Exodus 12:49
“The alien who resides with you shall be to you as citizens among you”
Leviticus 19:34
“As you did it for the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you did it for me.”
Matthew 25:40
As people of faith, we are called to protect immigrants against hate, workplace discrimination, and unjust deportation. We need secure borders, but William Penn reminds us that, “A good end cannot sanctify evil means, nor must we ever do evil that good may come of it.” Current laws are so widely ignored that they encourage contempt for the rule of law, and the existence of a vast underground economy undermines our safety and security. When enforced, though, current laws separate families and violate fundamental human rights.
Many employers and many workers find it nearly impossible to comply with current, complex, and contradictory immigration laws. We support reform of our laws rather than continued disregard of laws that do not serve our nation or our values. Immigration policy should promote reunification of families, meet the needs of our economy, and protect those facing political persecution and humanitarian crises. There should be a relatively simple path to asylum, permanent residence, and earned citizenship at modest cost and reasonably brief waiting period.
In every generation, immigrants have renewed the American Dream through their hard work, their family ties, and their contributions to our culture and our religious life. We need the gifts that immigrants bring to preserve the vibrancy of our economy and our nation, so we support new federal legislation that would allow badly needed workers to come here legally, work with dignity, and travel home regularly to see their families.
--adopted by the Board of Governors of the Long Island Council of Churches, Sept. 25, 2008
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DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Sara C. Weiss, Director of Development
A very special thanks goes to an anonymous donor who gave a $25,000 unrestricted gift, and to a board member who gave $500. We thank those institutions who gave less than $500, for whose gifts we are also grateful, and we thank the following for their gifts of $500 and more:
| Congregational Church of Manhasset | $500 Where Most Needed |
Nassau County Bar Association
(WE CARE Advisory Board) | $7,500 Freeport Emergency Food Program |
| True North Church | $2,500 Where Most Needed |
In addition to Riverhead Building Supply, which already gave for the Annual Convocation, we thank our newest Annual Convocation Sponsor, the Bank of Smithtown, for its support. We also thank all of our individual donors for their contributions, but we do not list them because they have asked to remain anonymous.
Most Urgent Need
This month’s most urgent need is for volunteers to help at our Freeport Emergency Food Center. We need both volunteers who can offer a long-term commitment, and those who can help a few weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For long-term commitments, we need:
- Volunteers with administrative and office management skills who can do client intake, office management and administration
- Volunteers who can help unload and carry in food donations, package and distribute food for clients, and drive to offsite locations to pick up food deliveries from food rescue organizations. They should be able to lift up to 60 pounds, be willing to do light custodial work, and have their own car that they can use for food pick-ups and deliveries.
- We particularly need volunteers from 10AM to 2PM on Mondays and Thursdays, and would be grateful for any who can work the same hours other days a week – whether it’s the same person or different people. We will train you.
Before Thanksgiving we need volunteers beginning Monday, November 3rd through November 26th (the day before Thanksgiving). We need help signing up clients, doing follow-up phone calls to clients to schedule their Thanksgiving food basket pick-up times, and help with food pick-ups from individuals, faith-based organizations and agencies that are donating food for the Thanksgiving program. Volunteers will need to use their own cars to use for food pick-ups and deliveries. Volunteers should be able to lift up to 60 pounds, be willing to do light custodial work, and use their own car for food pick-ups and deliveries. We ask for a commitment of two to three hours a day for as many days as you can give us through November 26th. If you can work from 10AM to 2PM each day you volunteer, that would be great.
Before Christmas we need Christmas program volunteers who can work two or three hours a day from Monday, December 8th through Monday, December 22nd. Volunteers will sign up clients, make follow-up phone calls to clients to schedule the times clients can pick up their Christmas food baskets. We also need volunteers to help with food pick-ups from individuals, faith-based organizations and agencies that are donating food for the Christmas holiday program, and we will ask you to help wrap Christmas toys and hand them out to families with children. We need you to commit to two to three hours a day between 10AM and 2PM Monday through Friday during that period – if you can do the full four hours for each day you volunteer, that would be great. Volunteers will need to use their own cars to use for food pick-ups and deliveries during this two-week period.
Please call Barbara Harrison, Freeport Emergency Food Center Manager, at 516-868-4989 between the hours of 10AM and 4PM Monday through Friday, to let her know that you want to volunteer, what hours and days you can work at the Freeport Emergency Food Center (450 North Main Street in Freeport), and your contact information.
Thank you for helping us help our most vulnerable Nassau County residents. We are also grateful for whatever cash, food, food vouchers, toiletries and baby items you can contribute.
Memorial/Tribute Gifts
A great way to remember a loved one, whether living or deceased, is to give a memorial or tribute gift in his/her name. In your letter accompanying such a gift, please tell us who the gift is in memory or tribute to, and who is giving the gift. We will send a thank you letter to the contributor and to the family of the loved one in accordance with your instructions. Please send your contribution to the LICC, attention Sara Weiss. If you have any questions, call Sara for further information at 516-565-0290, ext. 207. Naming and Tribute opportunities are also available for our programs. Please call Sara for a list. We also have planned giving opportunities that will sustain these programs in perpetuity.
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IDEAS YOU CAN USE: TITHE THE HALLOWEEN HAUL
An idea to teach the concepts of tithing, giving, abundance and stewardship to the children (and indeed adults): At the First Presbyterian Church, Oyster Bay, children are asked to bring to church, the Sunday after Halloween, a tithe of their Halloween candy. It is a very visible example of a tithe, a way to get families to talk about stewardship, a way that children can learn about tithing in the context of how we usually want to hold on to our things, and it gives the children themselves an "opportunity" to give while experiencing the joy of doing so.
This special offering is received during the worship service, during the Time with Children. We started using collection plates, but needed baskets. It is also a very immediate way of teaching the children how the church cares for others. One very little boy exclaimed with pride that he was sharing "his good stuff." We explained that the candy will given to those with less; the candy is donated to the local senior center and food pantry (everybody likes a treat). The children knew that their offering of candy would really make a difference in these people's lives. It is also a meaningful example for all, in this traditional "season of stewardship" and united Christian Education and Stewardship.
The Sunday the children brought their candy in became special for them, their families, their teachers, and the whole church community. The process of thinking about giving away something they themselves liked, and of caring for others as equals, affirmed not only the joy of giving, but the more intense joy of giving sacrificially. It was all done on a level the children could understand, and it was a witness to the whole congregation of the power of generosity, kindness and love.
It helped us all think of abundance, of sharing joyfully what they have with others, of recognizing God's overflowing blessings on all of us, then we will have taken a big step in teaching them one of the basic tenets of the Christian faith.
-- by Susan J. Sommerville
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WORTH QUOTING
Is There Something Wrong with Being a Muslim?
“Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? . . . This is not the way we should be doing it in America.
"I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was one picture at the tail end of this photo essay of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards - Purple Heart, Bronze Star - showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American.”
--General Colin Powell, October 19, 2008
Hunger, Fasting, and Recession-Proof Spirituality
“In the Reception Room of our church, there is a 100 foot long by 2 feet wide piece of butcher paper that stretches all the way around the entire balcony railing. If you look closely, you will see that the paper is covered with multi-colored fingerprints. Each fingerprint was made by young persons who fasted for 24 hours at a lock-in at our church in solidarity with the nearly one billion people in the world who go to bed hungry every night. Each fingerprint made by a child represents one of the 30,000 children who starved to death during the 24 hour fast that our youth held in our church.
“Yes, the economy is in very scary shape. Yes, the leaders of our country seem to have been asleep as unethical, immoral, and perhaps illegal raids on the henhouse of America occurred. Yes, the value of our homes and our dollar have fallen and our job security might be in peril. Yes, the blame game has begun to exalt the hapless workers and crucify those fat cats who gorged themselves at the trough of unrestrained democracy. . .
“But I also want you to remember that the youth of our church fasted while others fed. And I want you to remember that the kids of our church still came forward during the Children’s Talk on Sunday morning to fill the empty, wicker baskets with food for the needy while many grownups stayed home and slept. And I want you to know that Al from the Lions Club stopped by the church again today to open his van and off-load the large volume of food that was donated to this and many others churches by loving strangers whose concept of community and caring is global and has nothing to do with class, ethnicity, or politics.”
--the Rev. Dwight Wolter, Patchogue Congregational Church (used with permission)
Praying at Work
“I know that it may seem awkward to pray at work, but the biggest roadblock I have ever seen on the job to people practicing their faith is that the employee did not ask.”
--Omar Chaudhry, Interfaith Iftar, Islamic Center of Long Island, Sept. 21
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FROM THE LONG ISLAND MULTI-FAITH FORUM:
FAITH AT WORK
Recently the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum did a “Building Bridges” program for a group of managers at National Grid who wanted to learn more about how to understand and manage employees of diverse religious backgrounds. Here are a few things the panelists shared:
Farideh Siahpoosh, Bahai:
“If people haven’t heard of your faith community, they often look upon it as a cult.”
Sangeeta Kulkarni, Hindu:
“People often think that we worship many gods, but Hinduism teaches devotion to one Supreme Being—though there can be many manifestations of this one God.”
Sheila Sussman, Buddhist:
“Many Buddhists eat in silence to be mindful of what they are eating, so they often eat lunch alone, and this is often misunderstood as being antisocial. . . . Another common misunderstanding arises when Buddhists request time off because a loved one is quite ill: Buddhists want to gather with loved ones before death to chant prayers rather than going to a funeral after they die.”
Kausar Zaman, Muslim:
“In Islam, we also often chant verses from the Quran with someone who is dying.”
Want to learn more about the faith of your neighbors? The Long Island Multi-Faith Forum, will present its “Building Bridges” educational program on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 7:30-9:00 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church in Garden City, in the St. Agnes Room in the church basement on the corner of Franklin Avenue and Fifth Street. The program is open to the community. They will be showing the LIMFF video “Faiths of Long Island” and Christian, Muslim, Bahai, and Sikh speakers will answer questions about how they practice their beliefs.
The Multi-Faith Forum offers workplace diversity trainings, multi-faith festivals in schools, and its Building Bridges program for houses of worship, civic groups, and other venues. To request a program, contact Bernice Suplee at 631-665-7033 or jbsuplee@aol.com.
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WORTH WATCHING: “THE RAPE OF EUROPA” ON PBS NOV. 24
The acclaimed documentary THE RAPE OF EUROPA, which tells the epic story of the systematic theft, deliberate destruction and miraculous survival of Europe’s art treasures during the Third Reich and World War II, airs nationally on PBS on Monday, November 24, at 9 PM, but remember to check local listings. In a journey through seven countries, the film takes the audience into the violent whirlwind of fanaticism, greed, and warfare that threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe. For twelve long years, the Nazis looted and destroyed art on a scale unprecedented in history, pillaging the collections of Jews and then others. But heroic young art historians and curators from America and across Europe fought back with an extraordinary campaign to rescue and return the millions of lost, hidden and stolen treasures. THE RAPE OF EUROPA begins and ends with the story of artist Gustav Klimt’s famed Gold Portrait, stolen from Viennese Jews in 1938 and now the most expensive painting ever sold. Today, more than sixty years later, the legacy of this tragic history continues to play out as families of looted collectors recover major works of art, conservators repair battle damage, and nations fight over the fate of ill-gotten spoils of war. Three-time Oscar nominee Joan Allen narrates this breathtaking chronicle about the battle over the very survival of centuries of western culture. You can see more at http://www.rapeofeuropa.com.
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WORTH READING: InterActive Faith
InterActive Faith: The Essential Interreligious Community-Building Handbook, Edited by Bud Heckman with Rori Picker Neiss, Skylight Paths Publishing, 2008, $29.99
Americans find themselves living in a world that is increasingly complex, challenging, and confusing. It is also interesting, stimulating, and engaging. Forty or fifty years ago, church youth groups might debate whether a Methodist should date a Catholic. Today they wonder whether they should marry a Jew or a Sikh. Seminary may have helped a pastor understand the followers of Martin Luther and John Calvin; the folks next door may be devotees of Swami Nariyan or the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.
If churches, synagogues, and mosques do not acknowledge America’s growing pluralism, they will become irrelevant to our culture. If Christians who practice yoga or work with Muslims or have married a Bahai cannot talk about their experiences with others in church, they will slowly slip away. Interfaith dialogue, multifaith education, and interreligious understanding are increasingly important to all communities of believers—and to our nation and our world.
The Rev. Bud Heckman, a United Methodist with a wealth of interfaith experience, has pulled together some wonderful resources for understanding our neighbors in his new book, “InterActive Faith: The Essential Interreligious Community-Building Handbook.” As he observes, we saw on 9/11 where we are headed if do not understand people of other faiths; we really have no choice but to engage in dialogue.
Heckman, a former Executive Director of Religions for Peace USA who joined the staff of Religions for Peace International this September, begins with an extremely good introduction to terms such as “ecumenism” and “interreligious dialogue” that are often tossed around imprecisely. He reminds us that “we have had religious diversity in America since the first days of colonization”: Native peoples and many slaves practiced indigenous faiths or Islam.
What is different today, Hickman points out, is that substantial non-Christian communities are found outside the traditional gateway states in places like Kansas City and the suburbs of Atlanta. Young adults today are far more likely than their parents to date people of other faiths, to have friends of radically different religious backgrounds, and to pick up the practices of other communities in an eclectic fashion.
Despite its title, this is not really a comprehensive handbook but rather a collection of essays. Hickman draws on the expertise of many people who are deeply engaged in interreligious work, whether as theologians, artists, or public policy activists. Francis Tiso from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, for example, offers a particularly helpful set of lessons from formal dialogues that are working and poses some great questions for those ready to join their neighbors in dialogue, including, “can we find it in our hearts to love and respect those of our own faith tradition who do not agree with us, who take the opposite view, who resist change? Peace also starts at home.”
Clark Lohenstine likewise shares the experience of the InterFaith Conference in Washington, DC, in creating interreligious prayer services. Sometimes, he points out, the greatest impact comes without words, as was the case at a Remembrance Service in Washington National Cathedral three days after the 9/11 attacks, when a rabbi and an imam walked down the aisle together.
Hickman offers contact information for a host of interfaith groups and excellent thumbnail sketches of various religions, though little attention is paid to some groups that you are most likely to encounter in interfaith work, such as the Unitarian Universalists. Multifaith education, one of the more promising approaches to building interreligious understanding gets short shrift in this book. Nor does it provide much help in dealing with new religious movements, such as Mormons, Scientologists, and New Age congregations, who often are eager to join interfaith groups but usually encounter suspicion from long-established faiths.
Such omissions aside, “InterActive Faith” is a good guide to the long, difficult, essential work of understanding your neighbors.
--TWG—-
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WORRIED ABOUT YOUR MORTGAGE?
For more than five years, the LICC has been offering free seminars in congregations, senior centers, and other venues on how to manage personal finances and avoid bad loans. With tighter credit in recent months, and many borrowers having trouble making mortgage payments, though, it is more important than ever before to get good advice before borrowing trouble or digging yourself into a deeper hole. Here are some words of wisdom from our seminars:
- Go to a HUD-certified, Better Business Bureau approved mortgage counselor, such as the Long Island Housing Partnership (631-435-4710). Ask if they comply with the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling, as the LIHP does.
- Never, ever, ever take out a reverse mortgage without first getting counseling from a HUD certified not-for-profit counselor—in other words, someone such as the LIHP who has no vested interest in whether or not you take out the loan. Reverse mortgages are great for a few people and a very complicated way (and therefore expensive way) to borrow money if you are not someone they are designed to help.
- Don’t borrow more than you can repay, even if you are confident that your income will rise.
- If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging . If you are having trouble making mortgage payments, talk to your lender or loan servicer—the sooner the better.
- Try to remember that the things you want are not necessarily things you need. As Keith Richards said, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.”
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A GOOD TIME TO BUY A HOME?
With lower home prices, new tax credits for first-time homebuyers, and mortgage rates incredibly low, this may be a great time to think about buying a house or condo. Many potential buyers fear that they will never find a mortgage, however, since both rumors and some media have given the false impression that banks are not making loans anymore. The only truth in this half-truth is that legitimate lenders are being more cautious these days about making mortgages to people who do not have good credit histories, if your credit scores are below 680, for example. (FICO scores range from 300 to 850, with an average score of 692.)
How can you get a good deal these days on a mortgage? “Credit repair services” promise to help improve your score but the Federal Trade Commission warns that many of these are scams that do you no good—and that criminals have moved into this still-unregulated industry. What can you do if your credit history is not perfect?
- Get free copies of your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—and write to the bureaus asking them to correct any errors you see. Did you pay off a debt that a report lists as outstanding? Did you not pay a bill because it was a bogus charge to your credit card, which the bank later removed from your statement? Did you pay the rent on time that month but your landlord lost the check?
- Pay down or pay off any outstanding balances that you can.
- Ask the loan officer at your bank or credit union to request a “rapid rescore” once you have proof that a debt has been paid.
- Go to a homebuyers seminar, join a First Home Club at a local bank if you can, and get mortgage counseling from a legitimate not-for-profit (such as the Long Island Housing Partnership), 631-435-4710), so that you know how much you can afford to borrow in the first place.
Want to learn more? The LICC offers seminars on how to manage your money and avoid bad loans. Our presentations usually run an hour to 90 minutes, but we can tailor it to the needs of your audience, We can do shorter programs, for example, for a college class, campus ministry group, or youth group. This could be a great addition to your congregation’s stewardship campaign, helping people to think faithfully about how we use our resources, and not just the portion we donate to our house of worship. We would also be glad to do presentations for religious leaders on how to manage a congregation’s money more effectively, reduce expenses, and encourage planned gifts. We also have speakers who can handle a variety of languages.
We presented seminars in October, for example, for confirmands and their parents at Christ Church in Wantagh, for Spanish-speaking women at Our Lady of Lourdes in Hempstead, and for the LICC’s Board of Governors. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the South Fork (997 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton) will host a seminar on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon in conjunction with 1st Baptist Church and 1st Church of God in Christ n Bridgehampton. We’ll cover managing credit and debt, foreclosure prevention, and other topics. The speakers will be LICC Executive Director Tom Goodhue, recently retired appraiser (and LICC Volunteer of the Year) John Bendick, Kisha Wright from the Long Island Housing Partnership, and Rich Murphy from Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. All are invited.
The LICC will arrange speakers, educational materials, and other freebies. There is no charge for this program, thanks to grants from Astoria Federal Savings, Bank of America, Bank of New York, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Citibank, Washington Mutual, Greenpoint Bank Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Ridgewood Savings Bank, TD Bank (Commerce), and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. To request a seminar, please call 516-565-0290, ext. 206, fax 516-565-0291, or e-mail licchemp@aol.com.
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TAX HELP FOR WORKING FAMILIES
Earned Income Tax Credit
If your 2008 income is $41,646 or less, you may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit when filing your 2008 tax return. You may even be able to get a portion of your EITC now, by requesting it in advance from your employer. There are several requirements and rules, but since it could add up to $4,824, it would be worth the effort to learn more about it with the electronic tool “EITC Assistant” available in IRS.gov or by requesting Publication 596.
Child and Dependent Care Credit
If you paid someone to care for a child under age 13 or a qualifying spouse or a dependent so you could work or look for work, you may be able to reduce your tax by claiming the Child and Dependent Care Credit on your tax return. To check if you are eligible, see “Tax Topic 602” online at IRS.gov or request Publication 503. Information on these and other tax benefits is available at IRS.gov or 1-800-829-3676.
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ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE ENDS MEET — HOME SHARE
Have you heard about Home Share/Long Island? It’s a housing program, operated by Family and Children’s Association in Nassau County, which makes matches between homeowners and home seekers. Common to each match is the opportunity of bringing people with compatible needs and interests together. Some seekers are students, some are on fixed incomes, but most are employed people unable to find an affordable apartment in Nassau County.
One such seeker, Gloria, works two jobs: one with a home care provider agency and another at a local hospital. This mature, single woman, could not find an affordable place to live - despite the long hours that she works. Home Share introduced her to Mary, a homeowner living not far from the hospital where Gloria works. Both women have developed a feeling of comfort and ease with each other, and Gloria is grateful now to have a lovely room, newly furnished in a warm home with a wonderful homeowner. With the peace of mind that comes from having a nice, affordable place to live, Gloria has been awarded the honor of “Employee of the Month” at the agency where she works! And with the additional income each month, Mary is now able to travel more and better enjoy her retirement years.
So if you’re a homeowner having a difficult time maintaining your home or if you are someone who‘s seeking an affordable place to live in Nassau County, Home Share may be just what you need. Thorough background checks and interviews by a social worker are part of the home share screening process, as well as ongoing support to assure the success of each match.
In Nassau County, contact Dolores Tibbets at 516-292-1300 ext 2312 or 2237 to learn more.
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DID YOU KNOW?
- New York State has cut the top income tax rates over the past 21 years and raised them on low-income workers. As a result, the wealthiest 1% of our neighbors pay only 6% of their income in state and local taxes, while the lowest 80% pay about twice as much.
- The Rev. Cynthia Liggon, a former member of the LICC Board of Governors and Eastern Area Steering Committee, was ordained recently by the American Baptist Churches USA, the denomination of Roger Williams, the first church in history to be founded on the guarantee of absolute religious freedom.
- The first Baha’i Center on Long Island opened recently at 11 West Jamaica Avenue in Valley Stream. Call 516-887-0181 for further information.
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CHRISTIAN-JEWISH-MUSLIM DIALOGUE IN WADING RIVER Nov. 2
The North Shore Clericus (the clergy association in Wading River), invites members of the community to join us in a program of interfaith conversation and prayer on Sunday, Nov. 2, in response to the document A Common Word between Us and You. In the fall of 2007, a group of 138 Muslim scholars and clerics from around the world addressed a letter to “leaders of Christian Churches everywhere.” They entitled their letter, A Common Word between Us and You. In it, they acknowledged the common parentage of Christians and Muslims as the children of Abraham and Sarah and the common word of God’s revelation, the Love of God and the Love of Neighbor, which is shared by these religious traditions. This letter also challenges all Christians and Muslims to seek a common word for our relations today through new conversations. Moreover, they recognize that our traditions represent over half the world’s population and consequently, without peace and justice between our communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. (For further information, visit www.acommonword.com.)
In response to this letter, leaders of the Christian traditions have issued 50 different responses and reactions to A Common Word. These include: Pope Benedict XVI; the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams; Lutheran Presiding Bishop Hanson; World Baptist Alliance President Coffey; World Council of Churches General Secretary Kobia; Leaders of the Mennonite and Quaker Churches; Unitarian Congregation President Sinkford; and a number of Orthodox Christian leaders.
Even though the document is not addressed to the Jewish Community, it has also been welcomed by a few Jewish leaders, including the Chief Rabbi of Israel. The authors of the letter have stated that it is normal for documents to be bilateral without implying the exclusion of others. However the document does invoke the Hebrew Scriptures by way of preparing the ground for a further document specially addressed to Jewish religious leaders and scholars.
The program will be Sunday afternoon, November 2, at St. John the Baptist Church (1488 North Country Road in Wading River) from 2 – 4 P.M. with a discussion by LICC Executive Director Tom Goodhue, Stony Brook Chaplain Sanaa Nadim, and Rabbi Stephen Karol.
Wading River Congregational Church will host a gathering for young people from 1:30 to 3:00 P.M. and then the youth will gather at St. John’s to join in the Question Period.
At 4:00 both young and old will have a Candle Light Procession from St. John’s down North Country Road to the Wading River Congregational Church for a concluding prayer.
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NEED A GUEST PREACHER?
- Our Executive Director, the Rev. Tom Goodhue, has some Sundays available this winter for guest preaching. You can reach him at licchemp@aol.com or 516-565-0290, ext. 206.
- LICC chaplain Nancy Schaffer, who is ordained in the United Church of Christ, is available for guest preaching and will speak to church groups at other times about our Women at the Well project that helps women avoid incarceration. Call 631-586-9667.
- The Rev. Lawrence W. Swensen, one of the LICC’s chaplains, is available for guest preaching. You can reach him at 516-794-4505.
- Alric Kennedy, our Director of Community Resources, does guest speaking and preaching. Call 516-565-0290, ext. 204, or email alrickennedy@optonline.net.
- Barbara Harrison, the manager of our Freeport Emergency Food Center, is available for guest speaking. You can reach her at 516-868-4989.
- The Rev. Dr. Cecily Broderick y Guerra, Vice-President for Pastoral Care of Episcopal Health Services and a member of the LICC Pastoral Care Committee is available for guest preaching. She can be reached at 718-869-7835 or cbroderi@ehs.org.
- Tom Lyons, a member of Mt. Sinai Congregational Church (UCC) who is active in the Heifer Project, would be happy to speak or preach in local churches. He can be reached a 631-928-4317 or lyonheifer@aol.com.
- Sister Camille D'Arienzo, RSM, who has done extensive prison ministry with death-row inmates, is available for speaking and preaching. You can reach her at cherilife@aol.com or 718-366-0966.
- Rabbi Moses Birnbaum, from the Plainview Jewish Center, the interfaith director of the LI Board of Rabbis (and their immediate past president) is available some Sundays for guest preaching. You can reach him at 516-938-8610 or ramab18@yahoo.com.
- Sue Terry is a graduate of New Brunswick Seminary and is a licensed preacher in the United Church of Christ (and can celebrate communion in Suffolk County). She can be reached at gterrys@aol.com or 631-751-1170.
- Jesse Glick from Church World Service, our partner in disaster response, will preach or speak about CWS. Call 888-297-2767 or email jglick@churchworldservice.org.
- The Rev. Elsa Callender, a United Church of Christ clergywoman, is available for guest and supply preaching. You can reach her at 917-836-8524.
- The Rev. Max B. Surjadinata, who has served UCC congregations on Long Island and now lives in Manhattan, would be glad to speak about his experiences in Israel and Palestine with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program of the World Council of Churches. He can be reached at 212-222-1899, srjdnt@aol.com, or mbsur@yahoo.com.
- The Rev. David Stevens, a retired United Methodist clergyman, is available for guest-preaching and supply preaching. He can be reached at 516-883-1494.
- Stephen Langdon, an Advanced Lay Speaker in the United Methodist Church, is available for guest-preaching in Nassau. You can reach him at 516-507-0935.
- The Rev. Karen Pickler is available for guest preaching. Call 631-647-4017 or email Marbles11234@yahoo.com.
- Pat Sealy, a graduate of New Brunswick Theological Seminary who is ordained in the Elim International Church, is available for guest preaching. You can reach her at patsealy@optonline.net or manna0504@optonline.net.
. . . OR A CHANCEL DRAMA IN PLACE OF A SERMON?
Fourteen year old professional actor, Casey Wolter, and his father, the Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter, Pastor of the Congregational Church of Patchogue, are willing to perform the two-person play Strange Angels, written by Canadian playwright, Scott Douglas, at your church or event. The play is about a 14 year old homeless person, who approaches a man at a bus stop, claiming that he is an angel. This dramatic comedy touches upon issues of homelessness, hunger, mental illness, charity, age, power, joy, and fear. It jostles pre-conceptions and stereotypes about how those most in need of material help can also be those who are most able to provide spiritual help to others. The play is energetic, upbeat, and very humorous without being patronizing or judgemental. Actor resumes are available upon request. For booking information, contact: the Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter, Congregational Church of Patchogue, 631.475.1235.
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DRIVING SOUTH ANYTIME SOON?
Church World Service, our ecumenical partner in disaster response, has issued an urgent appeal for “Gift of the Heart” disaster relief kits, since recent storms have depleted their supplies. If your church assembles kits, they would love to receive them before the usual late-April collection date. Are you driving south for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or some other occasion? Could you take some kits with you to Maryland? If so, please call Kathy Lahey, the new Tri-State CWS Coordinator at 631-255-3144. Information on how to assemble CWS kits can be found at www.churchworldservice.org.
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NEEDED/OFFERED
Needed:
- Food for Thanksgiving Baskets:
- We expect to give out 300 baskets at our Hempstead Food Pantry. You can help! If possible, donations should be received by the first week of November so distribution can start Nov. 17:.
We particularly need:
- Frozen Turkeys
- Bread for stuffing
- Potatoes & sweet potatoes
- Canned corn, beans, greens
- Cornbread mix
- Powdered or canned milk
- Canned pumpkin, pie crust mix
- Coffee, tea, juice
Donations of money are also needed!
And we can also use canned fruit, apple juice, cider, fruit punch, peas, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, chicken, and seasonings.
Do you have any of these in the back of your cupboard, frige, or freezer?
- Food for Thanksgiving Dinner:
- The Long Island Council of Churches will have its annual Thanksgiving Dinner on Tuesday, November 25, at 6 p.m. at the Riverhead Middle School. Originally meant to acknowledge and appreciate the men, women, and children who diligently tend and harvest Eastern Long Island’s crops, this event has come to be shared amongst the migrants, as well as the homeless, disabled, and low-income families in our community. Through the blessing of your generous donations, our past Thanksgiving Dinners have been a success. Last year alone we served over 500 dinners and through the spirit of your giving we can succeed again.
We need donations of turkeys, cranberry sauce, bread for stuffing, butter, rolls, collard greens, milk, coffee, tea, onions, celery, soda, cider, sugar, poultry seasonings, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, salt, pepper, pies or grocery gift cards. You can also help by organizing a food drive at your place of business or school.
We need volunteers, too, to help cook and carve turkeys, prepare vegetables, serve dinners, wash pots, and clean up at the event's end. This is the perfect opportunity for high school students to fulfill their community service credit.
In addition, financial contributions are always welcome. Any money left over from the dinner will be used to sustain our ongoing mission in our communities including eye glass and medical prescriptions, clothing, and food, among other needs. For further information, please call our Riverhead Office at (631) 727-2210.
- An Air Conditioner:
- The LICC recently received two much-needed window-mounted air conditioners for our Hempstead office. We could use one more and will gladly pick it up or help you remove it from your window. Do you have one to donate?
- Volunteers in LICC Office in Hempstead:
- The LICC needs a volunteer or two to help with filing in our Hempstead office, anytime Monday through Friday between 9:00 and 4:30. If you would like to help, please contact Timothy Denton at 516-565-0290, ext. 203 or licc@optonline.net. And we need volunteers in Hempstead, Freeport, and Riverhead before Thanksgiving and Christmas—see our “Most Urgent Need” above Sara Weiss.
Offered:
- Family Wize Prescription Discount Cards:
- The skyrocketing cost of medication drives many people to either skip filling a prescription or reduce the dosage, both of which can create serious health problems. The LICC is distributing Family Wize Prescription Drug Discount Cards we received through United Way of Long Island. Participating pharmacies agree to accept reduced prices for medication that are similar to the prices they offer to large insurance companies and employers.
- All cards are bi-lingual, in English and Spanish
- Covers all prescription drugs
- Covers everyone with no health insurance or prescription coverage
- No registration, activation, paperwork or enrollment
- No age, income or residency requirement
- Covers all medicine not covered by insurance, Medicaid, Medicare or other benefit plans.
- Accepted at most pharmacies nationwide, including all major chains
You can obtain a card at the LICC in Hempstead, Freeport, or Riverhead or call Alric Kennedy at 516-565-0290 for further information.
- Scholarships for Organizing a Blood Drive:
- Here's a unique way to raise college funds for your high school-aged children, grandchildren or neighbors. Help your student to organize a community blood drive. Simply invite friends, family, teachers, co-workers and religious leaders to the blood drive. Collect 30 or more pints and your student will receive a scholarship.
To participate, students must host their blood drive from December 15, 2008 to January 9, 2009. This summer more than 50 students organized successful blood drives and earned more than $10,000 in scholarships. For more information, please send your name, your student's name, address, town, phone number, e-mail address and school name to: LIScholarship@nybloodcenter.org
And if you organize a drive in your house of worship, the LICC would be glad to help you publicize it.
- Worship for Those with Special Needs:
- Mt. Sinai Congregational Church (UCC) has worship designed for those with special needs on the last Sunday of each month at 11 a.m. at 233 North Country Road. All are welcome, including groups from group homes. For further information, visit mtsinaichurchli.org or call 631-473-1582.
- St. Thomas of Canterbury Church (Episcopal) in Smithtown (90 Edgewater Avenue) offers worship designed for families with autistic and other behaviorally challenged members on the first and third Sundays of each month at noon. For further information, call 631-265-4520, email stthomasofcan@optonline.net, or visit http://stthomasofcanterbury.net.
- These churches offer worship interpreted in American Sign Language:
- Bay Shore:
Bay Shore Assembly of God, 211 Bay Shore Rd., 516-665-5241 TTY
- Centerport:
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Sunday, 9:45 a.m.
- East Northport:
Fountainhead Congregation, 782 Larkfield Road, Sunday, 10:45 a.m.
631-462-5048
Northport Baptist Church, 400 Elwood Road, 631-368-5023
- Greenlawn:
St. Francis of Assisi, Sunday, 10 a.m.
- Huntington:
St. Patrick’s, Sundays, 9:30 a.m.
- Huntington Station:
Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church, 22 East 18th Street, First Sun. of each month, 10 a.m.
- Massapequa Park:
St. David’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 20 Clark Blvd., Sunday, 9:30 a.m.
Rev. David J. Meyers; Patricia McCarthy, Deaf Ministry Coordinator,
516-799-7832 (voice); 516-798-9828 (TTY)
- Mastic Beach:
St. Jude’s, 89 Overlook Drive, Sunday, 11 a.m.
- Mill Neck:
Mill Neck Manor School for Deaf Ministry, Monday, 8 a.m., Rev. William Wrede, wrede@optonline.net, 516-628-4217 (voice), 516-628-4222 (tty), 516-922-3871 (fax)
- New Hyde Park:
Deaf for Jesus Ministries, 80 Second Ave., Pastor Henry Deller, 516-741-1720 (TTY), deller3@juno.com
- Oyster Bay:
St. Dominic’s, 93 Anstice Street, Sundays at 9 a.m.
- Selden:
St. Margaret of Scotland, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
- Smithtown:
St. Patrick’s, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
St. Thomas of Canterbury, 90 Edgewater Ave., 4th Sunday of each month, 10 a.m. 631-265-4520, email: stthomasofcan@optonline.net, http://stthomasofcanterbury.net.
Do you know other services we should add to our roster? The ASL list will be updated in our Directory of Churches & Synagogues of Long Island.
- Free Glaucoma Screening November 22:
- The Eye Center at Nassau University Medical Center is offering free screening for glaucoma, the leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States, on Saturday, November 22, from 10:30 AM until 3PM at St. Brigid School, Maple Avenue, Westbury. Appointments are not necessary for the free glaucoma screening being provided by NUMC at St. Brigid. To make an appointment to the Eye Center at NUMC, please call 516-572-6646.
- Free Prostate Cancer Screening:
- Free prostate cancer screening will be available in November at the Maxine S. Postal Tri-Community Health Center on Sunrise Highway in Amityville and at the Martin Luther King Jr. Health Center in Wyandanch. Call 631-444-4000 for an appointment.
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UPDATE ON CHAPLAINS
In last month’s Prelude we published a roster of chaplains and campus ministers in Nassau & Suffolk. We’ve received a few updates since then, and we’ll have a new list in our 2009 Directory of Long Island Churches & Synagogues.
Here is an update for Catholic chaplains at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility:
- Sr. Michelle Bremer, CSFN 631-852-2728 Riverhead & Yaphank
- Deacon Chris Vigliotta 631-852-2294 at Riverhead
- Deacon Miguel Ramoero 631-852-4713 at Yaphank
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COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVES IN NOVEMBER
| 11/3/08 | St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 196-10 Northern Blvd., Flushing | 4:00 - 9:30 PM |
| 11/8/08 | St. Johns Lutheran, 47 Winthrop Street, Williston Park | 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM |
| 11/10/08 | Brookville Reformed Church, 2 Brookville Rd., Brookville | 3:00 - 8:30 PM |
| 11/10/08 | St. Paul's United Methodist, 270 Main St., Northport | 3:15 - 8:45 PM |
| 11/14/08 | Community Presbyterian Church, 1843 Lake Ave., Deer Park | 2:00 - 7:30 PM |
| 11/17/08 | United Methodist Church of Bellport, 185 South Country Road, Bellport | 3:00 - 8:30 PM |
| 11/28/08 | United Methodist Church, 792 Hawkins Avenue, Lake Grove | 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM |
| 11/30/08 | L.I. Mar Thoma Church, 2350 Merrick Ave, Merrick | 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM |
| 11/30/08 | Congregational Church of Patchogue, 95 E Main St, Patchogue | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM |
You can call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org to verify the date and time of the blood drive.
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ADVERTISING IN THE PRELUDE
Each month, about 3000 copies of our newsletter The Prelude are mailed to both the clergy leaders and lay leaders of 1350 faith organizations. We also email this newsletter to 2200 religious leaders. Filled with timely articles, news briefs, updates and notices affecting Long Island’s communities and churches and the wider world, The Prelude is a must read for all who would “work together to improve living on Long Island and promote interfaith understanding and cooperation.” The LICC accepts paid sponsorship ads, display ads and simple listings (classifieds). Advertising in The Prelude is a great way to reach clergy, lay leaders, and volunteers in Long Island’s congregations. To receive a “media kit” with advertising rates, copy requirements, and copy deadlines, please call 516-565-0290 or email licchemp@aol.com. Congregations that join the LICC and groups that join the Friends of the LICC receive a free classified ad in thanks for paying their annual dues.
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ADS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
NATIONAL GUARD CHAPLAINS SOUGHT
The 106th Rescue Wing at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach is seeking chaplains. The time commitment is ONE weekend per month (usually the first weekend of the month) from 7:30am to 4:00pm, Saturday and Sunday. After an initial 2 week officer orientation course you will be scheduled for the Chaplain Orientation Course 39 days (both at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama). Chaplains will be assigned to the rescue unit in Westhampton Beach. Besides a worship service every Sunday at 8:00am, chaplains have the opportunity to minister to the troops at their work sites. For further info, contact:
MSgt Richard "Dickie" Lochren
106th Recruiting Supervisor
(631)723-7339-Office
(631)723-7411-Fax
(631)332-8116-Cell
CHURCH SPACE TO SHARE IN MASSAPEQUA
The Presbyterian Community Church in Massapequa has space to share with another congregation:
- The Sanctuary (two levels, seats 225) is generally available except for Sunday mornings before noon
- Fellowship hall/auditorium/gymnasium with kitchen
- Club room
- Parking lot and street can accommodate 60 cars (on weekends, additional parking is available)
- Several classrooms
This is a large building, located near the Southern State and Sunrise Highway that can be used for worship, meetings and other gatherings. Please call Pete LaMassa at 516-316-6571 for more information.
CLASSROOM SPACE NEEDED
Earlychildhood education program looking for 2,000-3,000 sq. feet of space to lease in the South Huntinton, Melville, or surrounding area. Fabulous community outreach as well as great source of steady revenue. Please call Andrea (631) 673-7373
“Intergenerational Policies & Programs: From Vision to Practice”
Friday, November 7, 8AM-4PM
Fortunoff Hall, Dowling College. Oakdale
An all-day conference featuring national and regional leaders in the intergenerational field including: Dr. Matt Kaplan, Penn State; University; Dr. Andrea Taylor, The Center for Intergenerational Learning at Temple University; Kathy Sykes, EPA's Aging Initiative; Robert Tietze, The Experience Corps; Rick Magder, GroundWorkUSA; Patricia Kitchen, Newsday; Kevin Brabazon, The New York State Intergenerational Network, and many others.
For registration information, visit www.dowling.edu/intergenerationalcenter
FATHERHOOD CONFERENCE NOV. 7
The Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc., Touro Law Center and SNAP Long Island invite you to their first annual "Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Conference." This conference will:
- Address the impact of fathers on the economic security of low-income families;
- Educate participants about the importance of responsible fatherhood;
- Explore and build programmatic capacity of local service providers engaged in promoting responsible fatherhood.
We encourage human service providers, advocates, school personnel, social workers, healthcare providers, faith based institutions, local officials, legislators and others to attend.
The conference will be held at Touro College - Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center on November 7 from 8:15 am to 1:30 pm. The conference is free, but pre-registration is required, since there is limited seating. Please register online at http://www.eoc-suffolk.com.
JESUS ALIVE CONCERT NOV. 15
Jesus Alive Jubilee Concert
Lake Ronkokoma United Methodist Church
792 Hawkins Avenue, Lake Grove
Saturday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m.
With Beyond the Cross, Tom Brenna, and the Jesus Alive Choir
Please bring nonperishable food to help feed the hungry.
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The Long Island Council of Churches is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. The Long Island Council of Churches unites diverse Christians to work together in ministry with the poor and to promote interfaith understanding. All donations are tax-deductible and much appreciated.
The Rev. Thomas W. Goodhue
Executive Director
Long Island Council of Churches
1644 Denton Green
Hempstead, NY 11550
voice: 516-565-0290, ext. 206
fax: 516-565-0291
email:licchemp@aol.com
Web: www.liccny.org
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