Outreach Programs

The Outreach and Mission Committee is a group of thirteen interested volunteers with Monte York serving as moderator.   New volunteer members are welcomed to the committee, anytime.  The committee has an annual budget to support missions and selected outreach projects.  The committee members also solicit volunteers and donations to help with other mission and outreach projects as set out below. 

Ongoing outreach projects that also involved members of the congregation included the following:  Minor home repairs as part of the Rebuilding Akron project, on the second Saturday of each month, assisting in serving dinner at Haven of Rest the fourth Wednesday of each month; assembling sandwiches for the homeless the first and third Saturdays of each month and preparing and serving lunch at the Salvation Army soup kitchen on various weekdays..

Volunteers are needed and welcome.  The church sent books to schools and libraries, prepared toiletry packs for the relief workers and donated $18,285 to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance as part of our Hurricane Katrina effort. 

The annual fall charity golf outing is run by a separate Golf Outing Committee.  The project is done in conjunction with Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service.  Half of these proceeds went to Hospice, and the other half went to the Outreach and Missions Committee, which disbursed the funds as follows:

GLOBAL OUTREACH:  Presbyterian Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Katrina and Pakistan earthquake relief

LOCAL OUTREACH:  Akron First Presbyterian Church emergency assistance program, Akron Good Neighbors food pantry, Interfaith Hospitality Network and School supplies for needy children

WESTMINSTER OUTREACH:  Westminster Youth mission trip, Slidell mission trip and WYDACA scholarship fund

The four annual offerings recommended by Presbyterian Church USA will be taken by the Outreach and Mission Committee in 2006.  Each of these has a separate focus,  (1) Supports the Presbyterian Hunger Program, (2) Supports Children at Risk, youth and young adults, (3) Supports efforts for peacemaking and social justice, (4) Helps support retired ministers, missionaries and their widows when their pensions are inadequate.  For some of these offerings a portion is used locally and the outreach committee selects an appropriate agency. 

Several other projects open to the whole congregation will also be conducted.  Donations of school supplies for needy children, in conjunction with Akron Public Schools, Christmas Baskets for the Needy: will be donated and delivered to over 200 needy families in the community, Ring the bell for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Fund., in coordination with the Westminster Hand Bell Choir.