Last week I shared some of the things that are happening in our church life, with the promise to add more. This week we have some news from our Mission Commission. I will describe our Mission Commission first, then share the news.
Our Mission Commission “initiates, guides, and oversees the missional involvement of the church with regard to both local and broader mission relationships.” The Commission also “oversees the allocation of St. Mark’s mission spending.” This year, our elders designated $155,000 for the Mission Commission to allocate. $60,000 goes to the General Mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA); $30,000 goes to our Deacons; and $5,000 to our Peace and Justice Commission. The Commission then allocates the other $60,000 based on ongoing missional partnerships and specific opportunities to serve that arise. A good portion of those funds are left unallocated until the latter part of the year, in case there is a disaster or emergency that needs immediate attention (and there often is). Over the last few years, the Commission has tried to focus on deepening the relationships we have with our mission partners and maximizing the impact that our spending has on those in need.
This month, we chose to fund a “50 for 50” campaign through Orange County United Way.
Since its inception nine years ago, I have served on the Leadership Council and Executive Committee of United to End Homelessness, an arm of the United Way. Homelessness continues to be one of Orange County’s largest challenges, driven mostly by the lack of affordable housing in our area. Last year, 72% of people living in homeless shelters completed the application requirements to qualify for housing, but only 1 in 12 were able to obtain housing because of the lack of units available. Working with public and private groups like the Apartment Association of Orange County and the Orange County Continuum of Care leaders, United to End Homelessness is a leading voice in the county for housing justice.
Among the houseless persons in our county, there are some identifiable groups: Seniors; Transitional Age Youth (who have aged out of foster care); and Veterans are the most common. The needs for each of these groups are different and the potential resources for them are also. This year Orange County United Way has initiated a “50 for 50” campaign, with the goal of encouraging 50 community leaders to house 50 Veteran households and provide a full year of support to ensure stability. For $25,000, the campaign will offer landlords incentives, such as deposits, holding fees, and risk mitigation funds; and offer Veterans housing navigation, furniture, and twelve months of case management with wraparound support services. Once the Veteran is housed securely, their case managers can help them secure additional avenues of support that will ensure that they stay housed. The one-time donation of $25,000 will get a houseless Veteran over the initial hurdle of securing housing. You can read more about it here. This month, St. Mark joined the campaign with a $25,000 donation.
As far as I know, we are the first faith community to join this campaign and now I am using this action to encourage other faith communities to imagine ways of taking part. I also want to encourage you to consider if you should become part of the “50 for 50” campaign, either as an individual or within a charitable group that you are part of. If you have any interest in doing so or want to learn more, please let me know.
There are so many needs and so many worthy organizations trying to meet those needs in our area and throughout the world. I appreciate how our Mission Commission endeavors to match our resources with those needs in ways that reflect our commitments to justice and compassion.
See you in worship,
Mark of St. Mark
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