St. Martin’s parishioners supported the work of ERD through donations to ERD Sunday, disaster relief, and a vestry designation of 0.7% of St. Martin’s income to ERD’s Global Needs Fund which fights poverty, hunger, disease, and disasters around the world; the past several years, our year-end donation has been matched by a generous ERD donor.
Giving Tree
St. Martin’s Giving Tree stands in the parish hall during the season of Advent. Parishioners made donations to cover the gifts and the SJO budget paid for the gift cards. We also had tags on the tree for 3 families and 13 individuals. Parishioners took a tag and purchased and wrapped the gifts for the individuals. Your efforts and generosity were greatly appreciated.
Gun Violence Prevention
In June during Gun Violence Prevention Month, SJO hosted a Focus meeting on gun violence prevention with Rick Omilian from Moms Demand Action. The discussion inspired a number of parishioners to work on an education campaign with the schools on Safe Gun Storage. Nine of us also participated in a rally in Bronson Park to “End Gun Violence.” Deacon Pat’s June homily talked about gun violence and how we care called to end this violation of God and our neighbors, where ever they may be.
Harding’s Community Rewards
St. Martin’s participates in a Community Rewards program through Harding’s Grocery which contributes between 1% and 4% (depending on the quantity) of all your grocery purchases to St. Martin’s. St. Martin’s, in turn, donates this annual revenue to KLF, in support of its food distribution programs. It’s easy to sign up, Just click on this link and follow the instructions #1-3. After you’ve registered, just choose "Community Rewards" and "St. Martin’s of Tours Episcopal Church" will be one of your choices. (We are not in the alphabetized list, but is about a screen and a half below the last of the alphabetized organizations.) It’s an easy way to support KLF!
India Ministry
In 2023, St. Martin's India Ministry activities centered around the visit in May by our friends from the CNI Diocese of Durgapur, Mr. Raja Moses and the Rev. Sandipan Sinha. They were our guests as we renewed old friendship and shared memories from our past visits to India and the mission projects we have sponsored here. We gave them tours of some of the local ministries St. Martin's supports with our time, treasure, and talents.
On the Sunday of their time with us, they did a presentation at both services to update the congregation on their and our ongoing efforts together in West Bengal, India. The Rev. Sinha preached. They outlined their request for our involvement in a new project to expand the Purulia Hostel to include a preschool and kindergarten
program.
ISAAC
Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy & Action in the Community
St. Martin’s continues to be active in ISAAC, an interfaith organizing network of more than 20 diverse congregations and strategic partners working together to build a more just community. We have a strong monthly presence on the ISAAC Housing Task Force and the ISAAC Leadership Team and we advocate for specific justice issues in the community and at city and county commission meetings. Other Task Forces include: Reducing Gun Violence and Anti-Racism.
Mustard Seed Market
This was the 23rd year that an alternative gift market has been offered to parishioners and it was our most successful market. $8,255 in donations was donated to several organizations and ministries. Throughout the span of St. Martin’s Mustard Seed Market, $94,772 has been raised for organizations locally, nationally, and globally.
Other Outreach
Personal care items for Ministry with Community, groceries for Loaves & Fishes, and used eyeglasses (both prescription and non-prescription) which are taken to the Blue Dolphin for the Lions Club.
Offering / Designated Ad Hoc
Throughout the year, the following designated offerings took place: Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, Open Doors, Episcopal Relief & Development, Good Friday Offering for the Church in Jerusalem, United Thank Offering, and the Bishop Whittemore Foundation.
St. Martin’s has also responded to disasters globally and at home.
Open Doors Fellowship Dinner
St. Martin’s hosted the October Fellowship Dinner held at Trinity Lutheran Church for Open Doors residents. We had coloring activities for the kids at each table (which the kids enjoyed), great table decorations, and table tent cards which talked about the Day of the Dead celebration which is observed by Hispanic communities and families.
OutFront Kalamazoo/Faith Alliance/Pride Festival
Faith Alliance works to recognize and end bias in our community and identify accepting and affirming religious organizations.
Kalamazoo Pride Festival sponsored by OutFront -- Again this year St. Martin’s had a most successful table at Kalamazoo Pride and were able to speak to many people young and old. We ordered 250 plastic bracelets imprinted with St. Martin of Tours and ran out! We also distributed bookmarks with information and needed more. For the first time at Pride all participating faith communities were grouped in the same area. This was a very powerful statement of how churches and synagogues serve ALL people regardless of their lifestyle and choices. Mary Roach, Unit Director of HIV and STI Testing and Prevention for the MDHHS (and our daughter) provided information regarding PREP which was of interest to many PRIDE attendees. It was such a joy and privilege to tell people that St. Martin’s will accept, affirm, and love them! The Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan paid our booth fee as well as the fees for all other Episcopal Church participation in Pride Festivals throughout the diocese.
Panera Bread Ministry
St. Martin’s hosted the October Fellowship Dinner held at Trinity Lutheran Church for Open Doors residents. We had coloring activities for the kids at each table (which the kids enjoyed), great table decorations, and table tent cards which talked about the Day of the Dead celebration which is observed by Hispanic communities and families.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
We have been knitting and crocheting prayer shawls, since February 2015 with a small group of women. Thankfully, the group continues to grow & change as we all do-- several women from St. Barnabas, Portage have contributed greatly to our ministry.
We continue to offer prayer shawls to anyone--they may be celebrating a life event (engagement, wedding, birth of a baby, new grandparent, graduate), mourning a loss, preparing or having had surgery or had an accident or just feeling overwhelmed, sad or lonely. There are no “rules” about when or who prayer shawls are given to. We all just have to remember to gift them to people. Anyone should feel free to give a prayer shawl to someone who might enjoy or welcome this symbol of love and caring. You do not need to be part of the prayer shawl ministry to give a shawl to someone. Our goal is to give each shawl freely and with no expectations.
Recycling is Environmental Stewardship!
For a number of years now, all of St. Martin’s recyclables have been collected and recycled appropriately.
Styrofoam and Electronics recycling is available to Kalamazoo once every quarter at Mayors Riverfront Park and KVCC’s Oshtemo Campus. We have also been actively participating in recycling Styrofoam on a monthly basis with Cooper Township since the fall of 2019. A determined and conscientious group of parishioners explored options for a recycling ordinary styrofoam in our area. We learned there are very few options and the Quarterly program through the City of Kalamazoo means storing your styrofoam for 3 months, which is not an option with St. Martin’s shed.
Our Styrofoam collection is in a huge box in the shed near the parking lot which is unlocked and open every Sunday before and after both services.
Refugee Settlement & Support
St. Martin’s has “adopted” people in the community’s refugee resettlement program three times in the last several years. The first two were individuals, and the third was a family of seven. The first individual now rarely needs support, the second occasionally needs assistance, and we are still quite actively assisting the family, although much less than at first. Most of our contact during the year consists of personal encouragement and some financial assistance.
This program has been very rewarding for people of St. Martin’s; we have met nine amazing individuals who have been through things we will thankfully never experience, and who show us the true meaning of gratitude and the inter-connectedness of all people.
Seita Scholars Ministry
The Seita Scholars Program serves student students at WMU and now KVCC who come from the Foster Care system. St. Martin’s members have supported this program with generous individual contributions. A most successful Fall Ingathering of supplies was held here at church and then the items taken to WMU to fill the Fall Welcome Back packages. The SJO budget has also provided $400.00 to be used as needed by the Seita Scholars program. The Seita Scholars Program is always happy to receive donations year-round. Director Peter Thompson is most appreciative of our ongoing support.
Seniors -- Reaching out to Seniors
B-I-N-G-O at National Church Residence/Spring Valley Crossing for Seniors
St. Martin's took on the activity challenge. Every Monday from 4:00-5:30pm we play a variety of formats (the winner chooses the next game) and we finish each week with a very competitive "cover all" game. The winner of each game can select a prize from an assortment of offerings we put out each week.
People from St. Martin's have also donated "prizes" to be added to the winner's table. More gifts are always welcome and things that men might enjoy in particular could be donated. Some examples of "good prizes" are household goods, dish soap, laundry pods (maybe repackaged in lots of 20), cologne, special treats/candy/food items, cards or games, or clothing (socks, footies, t-shirts), gift cards. Many of the residents enjoy reading and music as well and enjoy things to decorate their apartments with.
Shoes & Sock Ministry
We discovered the need for good, gently used shoes, boots, sandals and socks that can be distributed to low-income people in our community, through the Deacon's Conference. Over the past year we’ve provided folks with over 144 pairs of assorted foot wear, over 30 pair in 2023.
SJO Focus Forums
Social Justice Focus forums provided opportunities to learn more about important justice issues in our community, how organizations are addressing these critical needs, and identifying ways parishioners could become involved. Four sessions were conducted in 2023 on the following topics: Gun Violence Prevention, LGBTQIA+, the YWCA, and Latinx Cultural Competency.
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
For the 14th year, St. Martin’s participated in the May National Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive. We were responsible for sorting the collected food at the Westwood Post Office; this spring we provided 13 volunteers (youth and adults). The Westwood Post Office site sorted 23,151 pounds of donated food. The total amount donated for the entire local drive was 75,849 pounds!
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Ministry Hub
St. Stephen’s Church in Plainwell has closed but there is still an Episcopal presence in the area. Area Episcopal Churches, former members of St. Stephen’s and other community members have created an Episcopal Ministry Hub at the former church. Currently
a diaper ministry distributes diapers 2 times a month in the former nave. In 2023, 963 individuals were served with over 48,000 diapers given out. Nearly every month shows an increase in families served! Several St. Martin’s parishioners and clergy are part of
the team making all this happen.
SJO Year End Giving
The Social Justice/Outreach budget for 2023 was $7,500. At year’s end, any budgeted funds not expended are donated to community organizations. In 2023, year-end gifts totaled $3,408 and was donated to 15 organizations and ministries.
Warm Families Clothing Drive
St. Martin of Tours has once again generously gathered warm clothes and underwear to donate to our community.
St. Martin's donated $253 from Social Justice Outreach funds and $201 was donated from parishioners. With the $454 we purchased women’s and men’s underwear, undershirts, and socks; and children’s coats and snow pants. Parishioners also hand-knitted warm hats and scarves and donated new and used warm clothing. New children's clothes went to the YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter. New men's and women's underwear and socks went to Ministry with Community to meet immediate needs. Used warm clothes were taken to the Kalamazoo Deacons Conference. We thank you for your support of this and all ministries to help our brothers and sisters.
Laundry Love
St. Martin's is partnering with people from the Islamic Center and the two Jewish synagogues to pay for laundry to help people in need. Keeping clothes clean is cripplingly expensive but essential for finding and keeping a job, feeling confident at work or school, and self-esteem in all spheres of life. We offer this community outreach on the first and third Wednesdays of every month, the first Wednesday in the morning and the third Wednesday in the afternoon.
