SHENKEL LOVES TO GIVE…. Pottstown Cluster News – December 2013 & January 2014 The Cluster welcomes all cash, food and clothing donations between the hours of 8:30 am to 12:00 pm on Monday through Friday. Please come to the back door off the alley. Parking spaces at the rear of the building are reserved for people dropping off donations. PANTRY NEEDS: Oatmeal, Boxed Potatoes, Canned Fruit, Canned soup, Canned pasta, Stuffing, Baby Food, Juice, Tea, Coffee and Soy Baby Formula. The pantry is also very much in need of plastic grocery bags. Please contact Sherrie at 610 -970-5995 for more information. THE DRY GOODS DEPARTMENT: Any donations of children’s winter clothes and coats TOILETRIES: Personal hygiene items such as toilet paper, soap/body wash, toothpaste, shampoo/cream rinse CLEANING PRODUCTS: Laundry detergent, dish soap, toilet cleaners multi-purpose cleaners. Blankets and sheets are also needed. Please contact Vickie at 610-970-5995 for more information. Also the Cluster is planning to collect gifts for over 400 children. Shenkel will have an angel tree in the narthex and hopes to collect gifts of unwrapped toys or clothing for children 6 years and younger. Some suggestions include: gift cards, educational toys, books, coloring books/crayons, dolls, puzzles and clothing. See page 12 of this Newsletter for further details.
Do you need a special gift? We still have some copies of Collin Gray’s CD of original piano music, Reflections, available for purchase. The CDs cost $15, and are available from the church office. All proceeds will go to support Shenkel work camps.
Tammy Graef is once again working with Ministries on Main Street, helping to provide holiday meals for the homeless. If you can provide any help with donations of nonperishable food items, paper products, and especially frozen turkeys, please call Tammy at 610-469-6085. All help is greatly appreciated!
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REMEMBER TOO…. The Pottstown Cluster Food Bank collection at Shenkel is the 1st Sunday of each month. Please place your items in the large plastic bins in the narthex. AND...Please bring in your used cell phones and empty ink cartridges and place them in the box across from the nursery or in the box located on the coat rack shelf across from the office. The cartridges are recycled to Staples and the church receives credits toward the purchase of office supplies. The used cell phones are given to the police department to be distributed to abused women. The mission of the Christmas Fund is to provide assistance dollars in situations of critical need, including Pension Supplementation, Health Premium Supplementation, Emergency Grants, and Christmas “Thank You” Gift Checks to lower-income retired UCC pastors. The offering on Christmas Eve benefits Shenkel’s Help Fund.
January's Special Offering is Bethany Children's Home Bethany Children's Home provides residential services for children and adolescents who are unable to live with their own or a substitute family. Founded in 1863 and related to the United Church of Christ, Bethany serves more than 300 boys and girls each year on its Womelsdorf, PA, campus.
THANK YOU! to everyone who shared second -mile gifts, time and energy during my sabbatical. I haven't heard much yet (I've only been home for 48 hours!) but I have heard that you all have a lot of stories to share with me! Thank you, too, for making the sabbatical possible for me. I had a wonderful, renewing time, and I have a lot of stories to share with you, too!