THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, August 10, 2018
Saugus Faith Notes
Page 13
The latest listing of upcoming events and programs at Saugus churches and places of worship Keeping town’s ministries in the public eye The Saugus Faith Community has created a Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/SaugusFaith/. Follow this column and the new Facebook Page for future details of important upcoming events. A Vigil for Unity This is a recent posting on the Saugus Faith Community Facebook Page: The Saugus Faith Community held a Vigil for Unity on Sunday, Aug. 5 in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. Rev. Sarah van Gulden led us in prayer, ritual, and song designed to send messages of understanding, compassion, reconciliation, and peace out to our country and our world. We read this beautiful litany by a writer whose name we do not know, and who expressed what we were all feeling: in God’s world, everyone is equally welcomed and equally loved. We encourage the sharing of this powerful prayer for peace. For all of you who aren’t sure, It is possible to be gay and Christian It’s also possible to believe in God and science It is possible to believe in God and science. It is possible to be prochoice and anti-abortion. It is equally possible to be a feminist and love and respect men. It’s possible to have privilege and be discriminated
BATTLE | from page 7 tion, DPH’s Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution program has trained more than 37,000 individuals since 2015 on how to use naloxone.”
against, to be poor and have a rich life, to not have a job and still have money. It is possible to believe in sensible gun control legislation and still in one’s right to defend one’s self, family and property. It is possible to be anti-war and pro-military. It is possible to love they neighbor and despise his actions. It is possible to advocate Black Lives Matter and still be pro-police. It is possible to no have education and be brilliant. It is possible to be Muslim and also suffer at the hand of terrorists. It is possible to be a nonAmerican fighting for the American dream. It is possible to be different and the same. We are all walking contradictions of what “normal” looks like. Let humanity and love win. AMEN.
lies all over the world: goats, sheep, chickens, bees, even water buffalo!Take home a free Heifer calendar which shows how we can help “Fill the Ark” with donations big and small. RSVP on Facebook, or call 781-233-3028 or emailuccsaugus@verizon.net.We are an Open and Affirming Congregation and our building is fully accessible for all mobilities. Come on down to this fun, family-friendly event for children of all ages.
Blessing of the Animals Founder’s Day at First Congregational Church UCC On Founder’s Day, Sat., Sept. 8, stop by for a Blessing of the Animals at First Congregational Church from 10 to noon. Bring your dog, cat, bird, iguana, fish, or any pet at all for a blessing from Rev. Martha Leahy. Visit the Animal Craze Petting Zoo from noon to 1:00 p.m.Learn about the Heifer Project and how your donations can help buy animals needed by struggling fami-
Healthy Students – Healthy Saugus! The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry in collaboration with the Saugus Faith Community, the Saugus School Superintendent, and area businesses and organizations are running a new initiative called “Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus,” which aims to address food insecurity in the Saugus public school system. In 2014 Feeding America published the Hunger in America Report. The report drew attention to the fact 15.8 million children nationwide live in food insecure households. As a community we recognize there are children and families in Saugus who could use our help. To offset food insecure households, Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus will provide a weekend supply of nutritious food for each eligible child when school lunches and breakfasts are unavailable to them on weekends or school holidays during the school year. Take-home gro-
cery bags will contain two breakfasts, two lunches, two snacks, one can of vegetables and one can of fruit. All food will be nonperishable and provided to children free of charge. If additional food is needed for extended family members, it will be provided. It is our hope these resources will support the health, behavior, and achievement of every student who participates. Parents will apply for the program by filling out a simple consent form. The program will be run by the school department’s current food service provider, Whitsons Food Service, and many wonderful volunteers who will be packing the food bags. Whitson will deliver food and grocery bags to each volunteer site on Thursdays where the bags will be packed, then picked up by Whitsons on Fridays and delivered to the schools for students to take home. The program will begin first at the elementary schools and, if the need arises, will be expanded to the upper grades. The school district will use the utmost discretion in identifying students and working with families to ensure the grocery bags make it home with minimal barriers. The aim of Healthy Students – Healthy Saugus is to keep children healthy, thriving, and able to succeed in school. Area businesses and organizations supporting this effort are Whitsons Food Service, Rotary Club of Saugus, Wheelabrator, and Saugus Pub-
lic Schools. Packing sites are St. John’s Episcopal Church, Blessed Sacrament/St. Margaret’s Catholic Churches, Cliftondale Church of the Nazarene, First Congregational Church UCC, and First Baptist Church. A weekly schedule of which sites volunteers can go to will be published soon as well as the official start date sometime in September. Monetar y donations of any size, large and small, are needed. Each one will help feed a hungry child. Please send checks made out to Saugus Clergy Association, with “Healthy Students – Healthy Saugus” in the memo line, c/o First Congregational Church UCC, 300 Central St., Saugus, MA 01906. Donations of food are also needed (see below). A Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus public informational session will be held Wednesday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. at the Belmonte School. It will be led by Superintendent of Schools Dr. David DeRuosi Jr. and members of the working group. We hope this program succeeds in building a healthy network of caring and support for students and citizens of Saugus. For questions or to arrange pick up or drop off of donations, please contact Dennis Gould of the United Parish Food Pantry at 617-257-4847. Got a special event at your parish that you would like to tell the community about? Email the information under the subject line Saugus Advocate Faith Notes to mvoge@ comcast.net
“All Brockton first responders: Fire, Police, and EMS, have been carrying Naloxone since 2014. Last year, the City of Brockton responded to 759 overdose calls where first responders administered life-saving Naloxone
447 times, “said Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter. “Despite these heroic efforts, Brockton Fire and Police responded to 31 fatal overdoses during 2017. The funding provided by the First Responder Naloxone grant is
critical in supporting our ongoing efforts to save lives.” In FY17, the Baker-Polito Administration invested more than $3.87 million to improve access to naloxone throughout the Commonwealth. Since the First Responder Naloxone
grant program began in 2015, more than 7,400 overdose rescues by first responders have been reported to DPH. Earlier this year, the Saugus Police Department’s Annual Report showed some positive developments in trends for reported drug overdoses and drug-related deaths. Overdoses dropped from 130 in 2016 to 85 last year, while overdose-related deaths fell from 15 to 6 over the past year. “Obviously, that’s a positive,” Saugus Police Chief Domenic J. DiMella told The Saugus Advocate in an interview earlier this year. “Having the Narcan available is a big plus in lowering the deaths. Nothing is acceptable. But, I’m glad we’re seeing a downward trend. I hope it’s zero next year. The Narcan has saved a lot of lives,” the chief said.