Special Offering for the Myanmar Crisis
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has committed $100,000 in emergency assistance to aid survivors of last week’s devastating cyclone in Myanmar, the worst disaster the country has suffered in years.
The money, which is being taken from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering and designated relief funds, will go to provide food and shelter for survivors in the isolated Southeast Asian country, according to a May 8 situation report issued by PDA, the disaster-response and relief agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
In addition, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is issuing a special appeal through PDA in an effort to support long-term recovery efforts as a result of the catastrophe. MAPC will be participating in the special offering over the next few Sundays. We are asking MAPC members to consider contributing to the offering for the Myanmar crisis. Blue envelopes entitled, Special Offering, will be included in this Sunday’s bulletin. Members can also send in a check to MAPC in care of “Special Offering for Myanmar.”
PDA is responding in Myanmar as a member of and in partnership with Action by Churches Together (ACT) International and Church World Service. Both entities have local partners in Myanmar and will have representatives to help in the provision of relief items to cyclone survivors. “We have trust in our partners to help us be the hands and feet of Christ during this difficult time,” said Linda Valentine, Executive Director of the General Assembly Council.
Because the Myanmar government has not allowed relief workers or media into the country, casualty estimates vary widely. The official death toll has been set at 22,000 with another 41,000 still missing. On May 8, National Public Radio reported the toll could eventually climb to more than 100,000 as more information becomes available. The U.N. estimates that more than 1 million could be left homeless by the catastrophe in what used to be called Burma.
Power and water supplies have been disrupted, communications compromised as many roads remain impassible, hampering recovery efforts as officials work to determine the full extent of damage.
The low-lying Irrawaddy Delta region, Myanmar’s primary agricultural area, suffered the most severe damage in the storm and resulting tidal surge, threatening long-term food shortages for survivors. PDA’s response includes $40,000 to $50,000 in food aid, the situation report said.
News from Outreach Ministries
Help Save the MAPC Shelter Ministry
Three weeks ago, the New York City administration announced plans to close the East 77th Street Neighborhood Center for Homeless People, which has been operated by Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter (NCS) since 1989. The Center refers and manages guests for our MAPC/St. James’ Overnight Shelter. Closing the Center would adversely affect and, perhaps, halt the efforts of our shelter ministry. Those of us who have worked in congregational shelter ministry know how vital this drop-in center truly is in providing the support and essential services homeless people need to turn their lives around: food, clothing, showers, case management, psychiatric and substance abuse treatment, and medical and vocational services.
The City government plans to close the Center by the end of June. They hope to save money by consolidating services and directing clients to the Grand Central drop-in center. Both the distance and reputation of the Grand Central facility make it unlikely that many of the guests that now avail themselves of the services on East 77th Street will go there for help. This will most likely increase the number of persons seeking direct assistance from our congregations and the street homeless population in our area. In addition, while the long-term goal of the city is to reduce homelessness by two-thirds within the next few years, housing and homelessness experts do not believe that the current city plan is the way to accomplish the goal–particularly in an economic downturn.
Urgent action is needed. The MAPC Session sent the below letter to Mayor Bloomberg on May 1 calling on him to rescind his decision to close the Neighborhood Center. A meeting between MAPC and St. James’ leaders and the Associate Commissioner of the Department of Homeless Services took place on May 6, which did not produce a resolution. Members are encouraged to participate in our advocacy to save our shelter ministry. Sample letters for people to send Mayor Bloomberg are located at the Outreach bulletin board in the lobby of the Church House next to the elevators. If you have any questions, please contact Douglas Grace, Interim Outreach Ministry Coordinator at dgg@mapc.com.
May 1, 2008
Honorable Michael Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
Dear Mayor Bloomberg,
The Session of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (MAPC) strongly encourages you to rescind the decision to close the Neighborhood Center for Homeless People (NCHP) at 237 East 77th Street. The center on East 77th Street has been operated by the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter (NCS) since 1989. As a founding partner of NCS, MAPC finds it unconscionable that the Department of Homeless Services intends to close NCHP.
In 1983, MAPC and other congregations on the Upper East Side founded NCS in response to the desperate need of homeless people in our neighborhood; a need for services to help them turn their lives around and to restore them to full membership in our community. MAPC refers the homeless men and women who come to us for help to NCHP almost every day. We know that NCHP will provide the support and essential services homeless people need to turn their lives around: food, clothing, showers, case management, psychiatric and substance abuse treatment, and medical and vocational services. In addition, NCHP is the critical link in managing the guests who reside at our congregation’s shelter as they transition out of homelessness.
MAPC has made a major commitment to serve the needs of the homeless through a $1.5 million renovation to our church house, which provides two shelter programs for homeless men. One of these programs is staffed by over 90 volunteers from both MAPC and St. James’ Church. The program is completely dependent on NCS’s referrals of homeless men who benefit from our shelter ministry. We believe that our neighborhood-based ministry, in partnership with NCS and the City of New York, is an example of public-private partnerships that are to be modeled, not eliminated.
Without NCHP, the homeless men and women in our area would be completely deprived of the services they currently receive. It will become even more difficult for them to find a route to a permanent home. Rather than leave our neighborhood, which they consider safe, to travel to other, more crowded centers, they would return to our streets and doorways. From our careful evaluation, no other center in the Upper East Side neighborhood is properly equipped to manage or take over the extensive caseload management that NCHP currently provides. We cannot guarantee our congregation’s willingness to participate in a future system that cannot ensure the betterment and safety of the men we serve or the volunteers who participate in this critical ministry.
Closing NCHP would be a terrible loss to our most vulnerable neighbors, and to our community’s ability to serve them. Embracing the community’s responsibility for its homeless neighbors, on April 16th, Community Board 8 voted overwhelmingly to support NCHP’s continuation. In addition, we sense that the Upper East Side’s current situation is only the beginning in the City’s overhaul of the homelessness system. Because of this, we feel that communities such as ours, who have critical insights and experience in serving homeless populations, should be given a voice in the decision process, not simply instructed by bureaucratic representatives.
Our sacred texts challenge “oppressive statutes [that] turn aside the needy from justice and rob the poor of My people of their right” (Isaiah 10:2). We call on you to reconsider your decision to close this indispensable community resource for our poorest neighbors, and to visit NCHP personally, since it is only a few blocks from your home. We look forward to your compassionate response.
Sincerely,
The Rev. Dr. Fred R. Anderson
Pastor and Moderator of Session
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church
cc:
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney
Senator Liz Krueger
Borough President Scott Stringer
Speaker Christine C. Quinn
Council Member Jessica S. Lappin
Council Member Daniel R. Garodnick
Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs
DHS Commissioner Robert V. Hess
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Local Ministries
Inwood House
Opportunities abound to assist and support Inwood House's young mothers and mothers-to-be this Mother's Day week. For information on how you can help, please contact Marina Meyers at 212-861-4400 x212 or mmeyers@inwoodhouse.com.
Search and Care Search and Care needs housing from June 20th to August 16th for a British volunteer in the Winant Clayton program. Christopher Hesse is a 31-year-old teacher who lived in Ilford (NE of London), and would be an ideal apartment sitter or temporary addition to your home. He will water your plants, take in your mail, feed the cats, and you do not need to pay for any of his expenses or food.
Search and Care has had Clayton volunteers from Great Britain every year since 1975. They help by visiting clients as a much-needed extra pair of eyes, ears, legs and hands in the summer months.
Please call Robin Strashun at Search and Care (212-289-5300 x203) if you have a room for a portion or all of these eight weeks. Thank you!
Clayton program website:
www.princetonreview.com/cte/profiles/internshipGenInfo.asp?internshipid=849
Search and Care’s website: www.searchandcare.org
International Ministries
Update on Malawi Poultry Project
Remember when the first baby chicks were given a home inside brand-new chicken coops? Since that time, many eggs have been laid and many new chicks have grown into chickens. Soon, upwards of 300 broiler chickens will be sold; the profits will help sustain this economic development project. The members of the community, who organized locally to make this project work, are extremely appreciative of MAPC’s financial assistance. They are excited about the project’s success so far and look forward to keeping us updated on further progress.
Donations Needed
Yorkville Common Pantry
YCP has reported having a difficult year so far: they are serving more clients than ever, and food donations have decreased markedly. Please don’t assume someone else will take care of donating food! The next time you head to the grocery store, consider picking up one of the following items for donation: peanut butter, jelly, canned tuna, 100% juice boxes, or tea/coffee. These items can be dropped off at the church for pickup. For more information, please call YCP at 917-720-9710 and speak with Gladys at x110. Thanks, everyone!
Inwood House We are in need of incentives and prizes to provide to the young mothers and fathers who attend our parenting and educational workshops. Incentives might include gift certificates to clothing stores, make-up or toiletries, books, tote bags, movie tickets, Virgin Record gift certificates, tickets to sports events, electronic gift certificates, restaurant gift certificates, Toys “R” Us/Babies “R” Us gift certificates, etc. For more information please contact Marina Meyers at 212-861-4400 x212 or at mmeyers@inwoodhouse.com.
Education and Advocacy
Biblical & Theological Perspectives
on Speaking Truth to Power
Over the years, leading Presbyterian theologians and leaders have written perspectives concerning the Church and the public square for the Washington Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA). These Biblical and theological perspectives provide background information for advocates on why we, as citizen Christians, address our elected and appointed officials about public issues. If you would like to study more about the Reformed Theological call of both Christian and Citizen, you may locate the articles online at http://www.pcusa.org/washington/theology.htm.
If you have inquiries or would like to discuss the MAPC Outreach Ministry, please contact Douglas Grace, Interim Outreach Ministry Coordinator, at dgg@mapc.com.
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Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church
phone: 212-288-8920
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