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| PRELUDE, September 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We extend a special thanks to three individual donors for gifts totaling $3,554 for transportation and unrestricted support in response to our "Most Urgent Needs" column. We also thank the many other individuals who gave but asked that we not publish their names, and we thank the institutions that gave less than $500. We are grateful for all of these gifts, each and every one of which enables us to continue our mission to serve Long Islanders in need. Most Urgent NeedThis month's most urgent need is for electricity assistance. In Riverhead alone, we had to turn away more than 25 clients who urgently need help paying their LIPA bills. Several cannot get assistance from the Department of Social Services because they took out small loans to pay off past electric bills but could not afford to pay off the entire loan. DSS will not assist them until the loans are paid in full. A typical client is a single mother in her 30's with three young children who range in age from two to six. LIPA turned off her electricity because, although she works, she couldn't afford to pay her electric bill. Her two-year-old has chronic asthma. When she went to DSS for help, they refused to assist because she had taken out a loan from them to pay a previous electric bill. Although she had been paying it back, she couldn't afford to pay off the balance, so she has nowhere to turn but to us for help. We have no funds to assist with electricity. With the enormous fuel surcharge on electricity (nearly 100% on top of the cost of electricity itself), overdue bills are routinely between $300 and $400 per household, and some are as high as $800/household. $1,500 would enable the mother with the asthmatic child to pay both her current LIPA bill and the balance of the loan she took out from DSS so she could then qualify for other DSS assistance for herself and her three children. Memorial/Tribute GiftsA 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. Call Sara for a list. We also have planned giving opportunities that will sustain these programs in perpetuity. Return to topWestern Nassau CROP Walk October 21 in Baldwin ParkWANT TO STAMP OUT HUNGER? DO A CROP WALK! CROP Walks are community-based fund raising events, which raise money for local hunger-fighting agencies as well as the international relief and development efforts of Church World Service. Last year $15,001 was distributed to Long Island local hunger agencies. For more information about how your feet can help the human family around the world by organizing a Church World Service CROP Walk for Hunger in your community, call toll free 1-888-297-2767. The Western Nassau CROP Walk will be in Baldwin Park on October 21, from 1 pm to 4 pm. Flyers, sponsor sheets etc will be available as of the first week in September. Contact Pastor Mark Lukens at Bethany Congregational Church by e mail at revlu@aol.com or by telephone at 516 599-5768 for further information. This Walk raises money for both CWS and the LICC Emergency Food Program. Last year $15,001 was raised by CROP Walks for Long Island hunger programs. Return to topFROM THE LONG ISLAND MULTI-FAITH FORUM:
By Werner Reich
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HUNGRY LONG ISLANDERS… HOW CAN THIS BE?
"Poverty in the United States [and on Long Island] is a wound in the soul of our country [and our region.]" Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good, Catholic Charities USA, 2006 The Shame of Poverty in America This information is published by: MICAH*: A LI Anti-Poverty Campaign (*Mobilized Interfaith Coalition Against Hunger) "Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God." Micah, 6:8 To learn more about the MICAH campaign, contact Dr. Richard Koubek at Catholic Charities (Koubek.richard@catholiccharities.cc) or Rev. Thomas Gooodhue at the LI Council of Churches (LICCHemp@aol.com) |
Poverty means that the covenant with God has been ruptured. Our relationship with God is not in right order, and the injustice of poverty and extreme inequality cries out for change…. The tolerance of widespread poverty undermines our social contract and weakens our democracy. It violates our basic sense of fairness ….Ours is a very prosperous nation, and we have the resources, experience, and knowledge to virtually eliminate poverty, especially long-term poverty. Knowing this, we are shocked and angered when every day we see the suffering and pain that poverty imprints on the faces of those we serve.
Source: Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good , Catholic Charities USA 2006 Policy Paper, pp. v, 1.
Please Publish the Weekend of September 7th - 9th:
HUNGRY LONG ISLANDERS… HOW CAN THIS BE?
"Poverty in the United States [and on Long Island] is a wound in the soul of our country [and our region.]" Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good, Catholic Charities USA, 2006 How Many of Our LI Neighbors Are Hungry? This information is published by: MICAH*: A LI Anti-Poverty Campaign (*Mobilized Interfaith Coalition Against Hunger) "Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God." Micah, 6:8 To learn more about the MICAH campaign, contact Dr. Richard Koubek at Catholic Charities (Koubek.richard@catholiccharities.cc) or Rev. Thomas Gooodhue at the LI Council of Churches (LICCHemp@aol.com) |
Long Islanders are hungry because they are poor. Many are working but still poor. In 2005, Long Island Cares and Island Harvest collaborated to conduct a study of the emergency food programs throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The report demonstrated that almost two hundred sixty thousand (259,387) Long Island residents turn to soup kitchens, food pantries or shelters for help each year.
Please Publish the Weekend of September 15th - 16th:
HUNGRY LONG ISLANDERS… HOW CAN THIS BE?
"Poverty in the United States [and on Long Island] is a wound in the soul of our country [and our region.]" Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good, Catholic Charities USA, 2006 How Our Hungry Neighbors Suffer This information is published by: MICAH*: A LI Anti-Poverty Campaign (*Mobilized Interfaith Coalition Against Hunger) "Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God." Micah, 6:8 To learn more about the MICAH campaign, contact Dr. Richard Koubek at Catholic Charities (Koubek.richard@catholiccharities.cc) or Rev. Thomas Gooodhue at the LI Council of Churches (LICCHemp@aol.com) |
Two Marys of Long Island: Working and Hungry
Please Publish the Weekend of September 21st -23rd:
HUNGRY LONG ISLANDERS… HOW CAN THIS BE?
"Poverty in the United States [and on Long Island] is a wound in the soul of our country [and our region.]" Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good, Catholic Charities USA, 2006 Food Stamps: One Way Hungry Long Islanders Get Help This information is published by: MICAH*: A LI Anti-Poverty Campaign (*Mobilized Interfaith Coalition Against Hunger) "Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God." Micah, 6:8 To learn more about the MICAH campaign, contact Dr. Richard Koubek at Catholic Charities (Koubek.richard@catholiccharities.cc) or Rev. Thomas Gooodhue at the LI Council of Churches (LICCHemp@aol.com) |
The federal government's food stamp program helps eligible families meet their monthly food costs with convenient EBT (electronic benefits) cards that can be used like cash at most grocery stores. The Nutrition Outreach Education Project (NOEP), coordinated by Catholic Charities and by the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, offers free and confidential pre-screening to determine eligibility for food stamps, assistance in applying for the program, and advocacy to ensure that eligible families receive their food stamp EBT card.
Eligibility for food stamps is based on income, family size, and expenses. Here are some facts about who is eligible for food stamps:
Pope Benedict on Other Churches
" . . . the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communions not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them."--Pope Benedict, "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church," available on-line at www.Vatican.va. (I bet you didn't read this quotation in the media in any of the coverage about his recent statement….)
One Way to Fight the Noisy Restlessness of the World
"Make the effort to arrive, if possible, about ten minutes before the start of the [worship] service and be at peace before the Lord…we all need 'silence' before the Lord because we need to be in touch with God."--The Very Rev. John E. Walker III (responding appreciatively to a column by
The Rev. Jerry Di Spigno, pastor of Mary Immaculate Church
Our Church (Christ Episcopal Church, Bellport) July 2007
The Spiritual Axis of Evil
". . .a spiritual axis of evil that many churches embrace…[is]…this unholy troika of racism, social distinction, and gender discrimination…"--James A. Cress, Ministry (Seventh-Day Adventist) March 2007
Big, Hungry, Long Island
"If Long Island were a city, it would be the third largest in the nation, bigger than Chicago, with a population bigger than 21 states. It would also be a city where 250,000 of our neighbors go to bed hungry every night."--Christopher Hahn, President, United Way of Long Island
United Way's Agency Executives Council 2007 Conference
Long Island Latinos
"A new study of the fast-growing Hispanic population on Long Island offers a valuable insight into a segment of our community that is too often obscured by the controversy over immigrant day workers. . . . Of the 330,000 [Hispanics], more than 178,000 are U.S. citizens by birth. And of the 151,000 foreign born, many are legally authorized to live and work here, including those who fled the blood wars in Central America in the 1980s and 1990s."--Newsday editorial, May 16, 2007
(The study for the Horace Hagedorn Foundation was done by economists Mariano Torras of Adelphi University and Curtis Skinner)
Generosity Is Good Business
"For every dollar a retail company, bank, or popular-goods manufacturer adds to its charitable-giving budget, it can expect sales to grow by an average of $6."--Chronicle of Philanthropy Feb. 8, 2007, citing the study "Is Doing Good Good for You?" which is available at http://ssrn.com.
Subsidized Health Care
"What kind of philosophy says that it's O.K. to subsidize insurance companies, but not to provide health care to children?"Return to top--Paul Krugman, New York Times July 30, 2007
This critic must admit that when I gave my wife Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil, I had no intention of reading it myself. Picking it up during our vacation, however, I was hooked.
A hairdresser in Holland, Michigan, Deborah Rodriguez left a bad marriage and everything she knew to volunteer in Kabul with a Christian relief organization after the fall of Taliban. She received some training in disaster response and read all she could find about Afghanistan and Islam but had little idea what she was getting into or how she might help people who had been ravaged by war and religious extremists. Her sponsoring organization wasn't sure how to use her, either.
Then she discovered she could provide something scores of relief workers wanted desperately: a decent haircut. The real contribution she can make, she finds, is to create a hair salon, Kabul's first beauty school, and a place where Afghan women can escape the domination of men.
Rodriguez has a rare ability to distinguish what a religion teaches from what a culture imposes. In telling her tale, she disproves some common misconceptions readers may have about both Muslims and Christians. The abusive husband she fled was not a drunk but a traveling evangelist. It is not Islam that constrains women's lives in Afghanistan but rather their traditional culture. The Taliban, who prohibited salons along with music, dancing, kites, and white shoes, are not "fundamentalists," as they are often described, but an aberrant offshoot of Islam.
Afghani women, we learn, are quite fond of makeup and slinky clothes but display them within the home rather than on the street. American Christians may wear jeans and a sweatshirt at home but dress up to go out; Aghani women reserve their finest adornment for private moments with their husband and dress modestly in public.
Islam dictates that men, too, should dress modestly in public and behave modestly. There is a double standard in Kabul, though, as there is in America: women covered from head to foot are supposed to fend off unwelcome advances from impious strangers without making a fuss. Rodriguez embarrasses her best friend when a man keeps groping her in a crowded market - she whips off her burka and punches him in the nose.
Kabul Beauty School tells us something important about what it takes to reach across social barriers. Rodriguez has empathy with the women she meets because her own life was a mess. Hairdressers may be better than most people at suspending judgment: their occupation requires them to listen to others without condemning them.
This book also can remind us of an important truth, that God needs ordinary folks, not just professional aid workers or theologians, to build bridges between faith communities and to rebuild our broken world. To paraphrase Georges Clemenceau, interfaith dialogue is too important to be left to the theologians. We need hairdressers, too,
What sustains us as Christians when we face tragedy and grief? How do we live in a world that has been changed by terrorism and trauma? In his new book, Grace All Around Us, Steve Bouman, the bishop for the New York Metropolitan area of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, writes eloquently about how he has kept hope alive after the Oklahoma City bombings, Al Qaeda attacks, the Asian tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina.
Bishop Bouman reminds us that grace often abounds in grief. Generosity follows in the wake of tragedy. Liturgy broke out across the nation after the 9/11 attacks, often gloriously improvised prayer services that embraced everyone in the community, even if this scandalized bigots and other timid souls.
Part of the work of liturgy, Bouman points out, is lamentation, the public speaking of our pain. In the wake of tragedy, lamentation names the chasm "between what was and what has become, between what ought to be and what is. . ." Fully a third of the Psalms, he notes, are laments. Lamentation, the beginning of healing, takes time. It may be years before we can let out emotions that have consumed us. Bouman tells, movingly, how he spoke his own pain and anger two years ago in Ramallah when a Muslim leader complained that since 9/11 they have had trouble gaining access to holy sites in Jerusalem. The bishop, an ardent champion of Palestinian rights, exploded - and prompted an Islamic law judge to say something he had wanted to tell any American who would listen (and which the bishop wanted desperately to hear): that he unequivocally condemned the terrorist attacks.
Bishop Bouman offers tips on how the church can best respond to disaster:
Bouman tells how his own denomination put this last bit of wisdom into practice. Half a year after 9/11, many clergy in his synod had hardly taken off a single day and were at great risk of burning out. So more than 200 bishops and other denominational leaders traveled to the metropolitan area, first to be with their beleaguered colleagues, and then to take over worship services the Sunday after Easter. Bouman ordered his pastors to spend the weekend with their family and friends - and even supplied funds for some of them to go away with their spouses. Many of our denominations talk about being a connectional church - the Lutherans really connected. Grace All Around Us may inspire others to do the same.
Return to topThe last thing any reputable lender wants to do is to foreclose on a home, but a recent Roper Poll for Freddie Mac found that 61% of delinquent borrowers do not know that they can get payment assistance or change the terms of their mortgage.
Half of the people who lost their homes through foreclosure last year never told anyone that they had a problem. Even when borrowers have gotten in over their heads with a "sub-prime" loan that they never should have taken out in the first place, Elizabeth An Rodriguez from the Federal Reserve Bank pointed out recently at a meeting of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, legitimate lenders often will help families avoid foreclosure by relocating to another home that they can truly afford with a decent mortgage.
"We need to find another way of describing high-cost loans as something other than sub-prime or exotic, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi observed at this meeting. "Exotic sounds good, but families are making the biggest purchase of their lives with a mortgage they often cannot afford." And when you are in trouble, as a new Ad Council campaign puts it, "Nothing is worse than doing nothing."
Three quarters of respondents told Roper that they probably would not talk to their lender about financial problems, but the same percentage said they would be willing to talk with a housing counselor. Some great not-for-profit agencies, such as the Long Island Housing Partnership (to which the LICC belongs) are ready to help borrowers who have missed a few mortgage payments to get their finances back on track. Call Kisha Wright at the LIHP (631-435-4710) or the foreclosure prevention hotlines established by Nassau County and Suffolk County. Those off-Island can get free foreclosure-avoidance counseling referrals from NeighborWorks at 888-995-HOPE or ForeclosureHelpandHope.org. AARP recommends the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (800-388-2227/ www.nfcc.org) and Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (800-450-794/www.aiccca.org).
The Long Island Council of Churches also offers seminars on how to manage your money well - and not get ripped off. Our presentations usually run an hour to 90 minutes, and we will tailor it to the needs of your audience, such as a shorter program for a college class, campus ministry group, or youth group and their parents. They could be a great addition to your congregation's stewardship campaign, helping people to think faithfully about our stewardship of all our resources.
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, Citibank, Dime Savings Bank (Washington Mutual), Greenpoint Bank Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Ridgewood Savings Bank, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage for making it possible for the Long Island Council of Churches to provide this free program. We have speakers who can handle a variety of languages. If you would like to have such a seminar, call 516-565-0290, ext. 206, fax 516-565-0291, or e-mail licchemp@aol.com.
Each presentation is shaped around the needs of the audience and we are prepared to address a wide variety of topics. Here are some we have dealt with recently that might be of interest to students and their parents:
You might also want to visit a seminar offered near you. All are invited, for example, to Harvest Christian Bible Church in Central Islip, 295 Half Mile Road, Saturday morning, Sept. 8, from 10 to noon for a program focused on housing problems. Speakers will include LICC Executive Director Tom Goodhue, Rich Murphy from Wells Fargo, attorney Sal Melli from the Nassau Bar Association, and someone from LI Housing Services.
Return to topLIPA offers free “energy audits” of houses of worship and parsonages/rectories/manses. You can even request a free evaluation of your buildings suitability for generating solar energy. The audit report will include suggestions for conserving energy and saving money while at the same time making your building better lit, more comfortable, and easier to maintain. Some steps are easy and affordable, such as replacing hard-to-reach incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones as the old bulbs burn out, or replacing incandescent exit sign lights with energy-miser LEDs. You will find out how much each option might cost, how soon it will pay for itself in reduced expenses, and how you may qualify for rebates or Energy Star financing to make the project even easier. To request an energy audit, fill out this form and send it to the Neighborhood Network, 7180 Republic Airport, Farmingdale NY 11735.
Stacy Wagner
LIPA
25 Hub Drive
Melville, NY 11747
Ms. Wagner,
On behalf of ______________________________________, a not-for-profit, religious organization, I would like to request a free energy audit be conducted on our facility at ________________________________________________.
Please contact the following person to arrange the details of the audit:
Name: ____________________________
Position/Title: ______________________
Telephone: ________________________
Address: __________________________
__________________________
Organization’s LIPA account number: ___________________
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
_______________________
In the last issue of the Prelude, we shared some thoughts about how congregations can use the new DVD, Rescue & Restore Victims of Human Trafficking, to raise awareness in their communities about victims of modern slavery — which as we have learned recently, occurs here on Long Island as well as nearly everywhere else on the planet.
The Nassau County Police Department has put together great flyers that give both possible signs of human trafficking and where to turn for help. Here are some symptoms often seen in the victims:
If you know someone who wants help, contact
If you witness suspicious activity in regards to human trafficking in Nassau County, the Police Department asks you to call
Individuals can request the refund on their regular tax returns. If they don’t have to file a tax return, they can use a newly created form to request their refunds. In addition, the IRS is providing a fast and simple option for any long-distance customer by offering a standard refund amount, between $30 and $60, based on the number of exemptions they claim. Refunds can be requested using Forms 1040, 1040A, 1040 EZ or 1040 NR, or by using new Form 1040EZ-T. These forms can be downloaded at IRS.gov or can be obtained by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM.
Long-distance telephone customers for whom it is more advantageous to request a refund using the actual amount of tax paid may do so by filling out Form 8913 and attaching it to their tax returns or Form 1040EZ-Ts.
Many post offices and local libraries have these forms. For additional information about the telephone excise tax refund, including Form 1040 EZ-T, visit IRS.gov.
E-file is free for many taxpayers using Free-File. Free-File is available to those who earned $52,000 or less in 2006. The program can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any computer that has Internet access, by visiting irs.gov and clicking on “Free-File.” The state return can also be filed using Free-File when it is filed along with the federal return, although there is usually a charge for transmitting the state return. There are also no penalties for filing state returns late if the taxpayer is due a refund.
The program will consist of three parts. You will hear from chaplains who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. You will meet members of our hospital staff who devote their full time to addressing the needs of our OIF/OEF (Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom) veterans as they share what they do with you. The third and most important part of the program will be an opportunity to talk in small groups, to discover what is already being done for our troops and their families and to develop new initiatives to ease their pain.
Our troops are putting their lives on the line and their families are making great sacrifices. It takes a village to assist them. We are that village.
To RSVP (by Oct. 10, please) or for further information, please contact Chaplain Paul Swerdlow at 631-261-4400, extension 7204, or paul.swerdlow@va.gov. Since lunch will be provided, please indicate if you have any dietary requirements.
In addition, the project offers limited enrollment in a middle-school Master of Art in Teaching program. Visit http://www.callmemister.clemson.edu/index.htm for more details and an online application or call (800) 640-2657.
| Event Date | Site | Address | Start/End Time | Chairperson/Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/8/07 | Korean American Presbyterian Church | 143-17 Franklin Avenue Flushing | 6:30 AM 12 N | Heather Kay (646) 641-8944 |
| 9/8/07 | Church on the Hill | 167-07 35th Avenue Flushing | 9:30 AM 3:00 PM | Barbara Hoe (718)358-3671 |
| 9/17/07 | Wantagh Baptist The Church at Farmingdale | 25 Hempstead Turnpike Farmiingdale | 3:30 PM 9:00 PM | April Masie (516) 826-1216 |
| 9/17/07 | First Presbyterian Church | 60 E. Main Street Oyster Bay | 3:00PM 8:30 PM | Rita Roselle (516) 624-2819 |
| 9/18/07 | Church on the Sound | 335 Oxhead Rd. Stony Brook | 3:30 PM 9:00 PM | Cindy Hall (631) 588-9154 |
| 9/21/07 | First Baptist Church | 482 North Ocean Ave. Patchogue | 3:00 PM 8:30 PM | Elizabeth Porcelli (631) 730-7751 |
| 9/21/07 | St. Mark’s Episcopal Church | 754 Main St. Islip | 3:00PM 8:30 PM | Barbara Weir (631) 581-0581 |
| 9/22/07 | Grace Cathedral | 886 Jerusalem Ave. Uniondale | 9:00 AM 2:30 PM | Jean Francis (516) 485-4013 |
| 9/22/07 | Grace Church | 450 Edgewood Ave. Smithtown | 9:00 AM 2:30 PM | Richard McGee (631) 265-4680 |
| 9/22/07 | Wading River Congregational Church | 2057 North Country Road Wading River | 8:00 AM 12 N | Linda Rundlett (631) 929-8622 |
| 9/23/07 | Miracle Christian Center | 334 Fulton Avenue Hempstead | 2:00 PM 6:00 PM | Lorena Thompson (516) 546-6778 |
| 9/23/07 | Glen Cove Christian Church | 74 Walnut Rd. Glen Cove | 9:30 AM 1:30 PM | Eula Forgione (516) 676-2055 |
| 9/24/07 | First Presbyterian Church | 79 E. Main St. Babylon | 3:30PM 9:00 PM | Gail Rogals (631) 666-0297 |
| 9/27/07 | Garden City Community Church | 245 Stewart Ave. Garden City | 3:00 PM 8:30 PM | Cindy Campbell (516) 334-6325 |
| 9/30/07 | Lebanon Seventh Day Adventist Church | 131-72 223rd Street Laurelton | 10:00 AM 3:30 PM | Donald Jacques (917) 346-6890 |
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SCHEDULE A CONVENIENT APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL Long Island Blood Services at 1-800-933-BLOOD (2566)
Return to topOn Saturday, Sept. 8, the Westbury Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) will host the exhibit of “Eyes Wide Open,” a display of combat boots representing more than 160 soldiers from New York who have died fighting in Iraq. The display will open at 10 a.m. at 550 Post Avenue, on the corner of Jericho Turnpike. The reading of the names of these soldiers will begin at 2p.m. The exhibit is co-sponsored by St. Brigid’s Church and the Islamic Center of Long Island. It was created by the American Friends Service Committee. “Eyes Wide Open: New York” is free and open to the public. Further information about the exhibit can be found at www.afsc.org/nymetro/. For more information about the Westbury display, or to become a co-sponsor, contact Gretchen Haynes at jmhaynes@earthlink.net or 631-757-4548.
The LICC has a 1990 GMC Suburban passenger van to sell. It has 155,000 miles on it, and new tires, battery, and brakes. If you are interested, please call please call Barbara Harrison at 516-868-4989 or Alric Kennedy at 516-565-0290 ext. 204.
One of our staff members needs to sell a customized ’91 Chevy Blazer and get a smaller vehicle. She would be happy to consider a trade. Call Olga at 631-830-5337.
Farmingdale State College will be hosting a Volunteer Fair on Thursday, October 4, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in Roosevelt Hall. The exhibit arena can accommodate the first 100 organizations that register by Monday, September 17. There is no charge to participate and lunch is included. As a special feature, motivational speaker and author Kevin McCrudden will kick off the fair. Fair attendees will include area high school and college students as well as community members of all ages (including corporate representatives). For some helpful tips in exhibiting at a volunteer fair, visit http://nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=999. To obtain an exhibit registration form, please email saundra.lory-snyder@farmingdale.edu or call the Student Activities Office at 631-420-2103.
Did you know that in New York State, 14 percent of AIDS cases are among those age 50 and over, and of all the people age 50 and over with AIDS, more than half are of African or Latino descent? The Long Island Regional Committee of the AIDS Institute’s Faith Communities Project invites you to a community dialogue and fellowship to learn the facts about HIV and AIDS in "Older Adults" and how to support those affected by HIV and AIDS. The purpose of the program is to:
The Rev. Eddie Jusino, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, located at 178 South Ocean Avenue in Freeport, will host the community dialogue at the church on Tuesday, September 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided, so you must pre-register to attend. Call Ron Derway at 800-692-8528 between 8:00 and 4:00 Monday – Friday by September 21.
Long Island Presbyterian Women invite one and all to “In Her Shoes” on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 9:30 to noon at 1st Presbyterian Church in Southampton (2 South Main Street). This fast-paced interactive program shows the ups and downs a battered woman may experience as she deals with the dilemmas she faces.
Benefit concert for Hope for the Future Ministries
Saturday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
at Love & Mercy Fellowship, 1420 Union Blvd. in Bay Shore
with Karli Bonne, Crossfire, Pastor Deborah Mitchell, and the Living Hope Ministries Dance Team
Guest speaker: the Rev. Diane Dunne, founder of Hope for the Future Ministries
Please bring non-perishable food to help feed the hungry!
The Charles B. Wang Center at Stony Brook University
Monday, November 12, 8:30– 4:00
Intergenerational programs are the future.
Workshop Choices
Register online today at www.igstrats.org
Parsonage available for rent to a member of the clergy: 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, living room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, study, 2 car garage, all newly painted, with large yard. Rent $2000 per month plus utilities. Call Oceanside Lutheran Church 516-766-0136 and leave a message for our president John Maxwell.
Senior Minister with minimum ten years experience to lead active Long Island Inter-denominational Protestant, 250-member church. Responsibilities include: supervision and leadership of Christian education, visitation and staff. Ideal candidate will have strong communication and organizational skills. Compensation package includes housing. Benefits and salary commensurate with experience. Qualified candidates e-mail resume in confidence to: ccewsearch@yahoo.com.
Part time position at Massapequa Reformed Church. Salary range of $10,000 to $18,000, plus the possibility of housing, if that is of interest to the candidate. The main role is to plan and run weekly Youth Group events/meetings for 15 to 20 8th-12th graders and 12 to 15 5th-7th graders. Until last year, the Church had no Youth Group for more than 5 years. Because the group is so new, there is lots of opportunity and flexibility to help steer the group in different directions. The group currently meets weekly for social gathering/Bible study and monthly service work in the community. The Youth are VERY excited about the new Youth Group, so maintaining current excitement and enthusiasm, while encouraging personal growth, is a must.
Massapequa Reformed Church has about 400 members, with 150 at Sunday worship. It is 1/2 mile from the Long Island Rail Road (and a one-hour ride to Penn Station), a 5-mile drive to Jones Beach, and across the street from a 12-mile bike/running trail. To apply, send an email to pastorsteve@massreformedchurch.org with a resume or a brief description of your experience and interest in youth work. If you have any additional questions, please contact our current youth worker Edd DeLair (edelair@gmail.com or 516-974-4937 or Pastor Steve Giordano (pastorsteve@massreformedchurch.org).
The First Presbyterian Church of Freeport, a friendly, growing and diversified congregation that is over 160 years young is looking for a Youth Ministry Director to develop and support faith building of our middle school and high school youth ages 12 to 18. The Youth Director will plan and implement bi-weekly fellowship meetings (one for each age group), retreats, fundraisers, mission and other events for the youth. The Director will also assist the Pastor and lay leadership with Confirmation Class. Experience working with youth in a Christian setting is required. This will be a part time position. Please send your resume marked Attention: Youth Ministry Search Committee to:
First Presbyterian Church
178 Ocean Avenue
Freeport, NY 11510
Telephone: (516) 379-1114
Fax: (516) 867-2819
Email: reved.jusino@verizon.net
Monday to Friday, 9am - 2pm, position available 9/1/07. Serve as primary assistant to the Pastor and church leaders. Handle phone calls, typing, filing, computer files, scheduling, and other clerical tasks. Maintain chuch calendar, order supplies, develop reports as directed by the Pastor. Must have knowledge of Microsoft Word, experience with office equipment, experience with Internet/e-mail. Paid holidays and vacation. Send resume and letter to: T. Tyson, SPRC Chairperson, Bayport United Methodist Church, 482 Middle Road, Bayport, NY 11705.
Ascension Lutheran Church in Franklin Square is seeking a part-time secretary, someone who is highly organized, a self starter, with computer and internet skills. Please email resume to ascensionpastor@optonline.net or fax it to 516-352-1278.
Return to topPerhaps you are the new pastor or rabbi in town and would like to meet other clerics. Maybe you want local congregations to address some important community issue. Here are contact people for ecumenical and interfaith groups:
| Amityville Ecumenical Ministries | David Anglin | 631-264-0763 |
| Babylon Interfaith Clergy Cluster | Joanne Bond | 631-661-7245 |
| Baldwin-Freeport-Roosevelt CWU | Ruth Dan | 516-705-6019 |
| Baldwin Clergy Fellowship | Ed Barnett | 516-223-1951 |
| Baldwin Interfaith Conference | Tom Ryley | 516-623-1896 |
| Bay Shore Interfaith Council (Lay) | Stu Napier | 631-968-0667 |
| Bellmore-Merrick Interfaith Clergy | Perry Kirschbaum | 516-379-3858 |
| Bellport-Brookhaven-E. Patchogue | Erik Rasmussen | 631-286-0525 |
| Bridgehampton Community of Faith | Rose Ann Vita | 631-537-1187 |
| Central Islip Ministerial Alliance | Angel Falcon | 631-232-3408 |
| Conference of Clergy (LI Clergy Council) | Frank White | 516-623-7513 |
| Deer Park (and North Babylon) Clergy | Bob Rainis | 631-667-4188 |
| East Hampton Clericus | Darwin LaDavis Price | 631-329-0990 |
| East Meadow Clergy Fellowship | Ronald Androphy | 516-483-4205 |
| E. Northport-Northport Ec. Council | Betty Lockwood | 631-261-7715 |
| East Rockaway-Lynbrook Clergy | Mark Lukens | 516-599-5768 |
| Farmingdale Clergy Association | John Quince | 516-293-0073 |
| Five Towns Interfaith Clergy | Paula Winnig | 516-569-0267 |
| Floral Park Ecumenical Committee | Al Martin | 516-775-9669 |
| Floral Park Church Women United | Chong Ye Sikes | 516-354-0059 |
| Franklin Square United Clergy | Tom Groenewold | 516-352-0146 |
| Garden City Clergy Association | Debra Low-Skinner | 516-775-2626 |
| (Glen Cove) North Shore Clergy | Betsy Simpson | 516-671-0258 |
| Glenwood/Sea Cliff Clergy Group | Paul Johnson | 516-676-4540 |
| Great Neck Clergy Association | Renni Altman | 516-487-0900 |
| Greater Hamptons Interfaith Council | Reggie Barnett | 631-288-3628 |
| Greenport Ecumenical Ministries | Thomas Murray | 631-477-0048 |
| Hempstead Clergy Association | Phil Elliott | 516-485-1499 |
| Hicksville Clergy Group | Hank Lay | 516-938-1233 |
| Huntington Clergy Association | Peter Sanborn | 631-427-9220 |
| Islip Clergy Association | Steve Moss | 631-563-1660 |
| Long Beach Interfaith Clergy Assn. | Bennett Hermann | 516-431-4060 |
| Long Island Clergy Council | Frank White | 516-623-7513 |
| Long Island Hispanic Pastoral Assn. | Carlos Luis Vargas | 516-546-2020 |
| Long Island Labor Religion Coalition | Candice Wetherell | 631-589-3576 |
| Long Island Multi-Faith Forum | Arvind Vora | 631-269-1167 |
| Long Island Organizing Network | Charles Coverdale | 631-727-3446 |
| Manhasset Clergy Association | Jimmy Only | 516-627-4911 |
| Massapequa’s Interfaith Clergy | Dan Hurley | 516-798-4992 |
| Mattituck-Cutchogue Clergy Assn. | George Summers | 631-298-4918 |
| Medford-Patchogue Clergy | Dennis Evensen | 631-289-5786 |
| Moriches Church Women United | Sylvia Prill | 631-878-5676 |
| North Amityville Ministerial Assn. | Medford Brown | 631-842-3283 |
| Oceanside Interfaith Council | Janet Porcher | 516-766-3778 |
| 110 Corridor Pastors & Ministry Leaders | Roy Kirton | 631-789-2688 |
| Oyster Bay-E. Norwich Interreligious | Jeff Prey | 516-922-5477 |
| Plainview-Old Bethpage Clergy | Jonathan Hecht | 516-367-6100 |
| Port Washington Church Women | Hazel Nolan | 516-767-0177 |
| Riverhead Clergy Council | Mary Garde | 631-727 3900 |
| Rockville Centre Clergy | Jeff Laustsen | 516-766-2815 |
| Sayville Clergy Association | John Rowlan | 631-589-0042 |
| Smithtown Multi-Faith Council | Jimmy Hulsey | 631-265-5151 |
| Southold Clergy | Peter Kelly | 631-765-2597 |
| Southold Women in Faith Together | Ellen Witko | 631-722-2556 |
| Suffolk Black Clergy Assn. | Roderick Pearson | 631-234-2731 |
| Suffolk Evangelical Ministers Fellowship | Scott Ingvaldsen | 631-265-4680 |
| Three Village Clergy Association | Steve Karol | 631-751-8518 |
| Unified Council of Churches | R. K. Davenport | 516-833-7473 |
| Valley Stream Religious Council | Jonathan Hopkins | 516-285-9782 |
| Wantagh Clergy Council | Jeffrey Gale | 516-221-2320 |
| Wantagh-Levittown Church Women | Nancy Rosiello | 516-735-1920 |
| Westhampton Church Women United | Linni Diehl & Jeanne Lewin | 631-653-8750 631-288-1680 |
| Westhampton Clergy | Larry Dunlap | 631-288-1158 |
| Woodbury-Syosset Interfaith Clergy | Bill Parker | 516-921-0755 |
| Wyandanch Christian Clergy Assn. | Sherman Roberts | 631-643-4785 |
If you have additions or corrections for this list, please phone them to 516-565-0290 ext. 206, fax them to 516-565-0291, or e-mail licchemp@aol.com. Call, too, if you would you like our Executive Director or Community Resources Director to speak to your group - or if you would like us to help you start or expand a group.
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