PCUSA

 

All Faiths

The Mission at All Faiths Food Bank is to solicit, warehouse, process and distribute food to not-for-profit agency partners offering hunger relief. The majority of those who are helped are hard-working families who simply cannot make ends meet. They are parents in minimum-wage jobs, the elderly on fixed incomes, and children who not only face the prospect of going to school on an empty stomach, but of going to bed on one, too.  40% of the people served have at least one working member in their household. Many are single parents trying to raise their children on one income. Statistically, of children under age six in female-headed families, 59% are poor. If we want to break the cycle of poverty, children need to focus on education, not food.

38% of the people we serve are children. Hungry children do not do as well in school as those that are well fed.

16% of the people we serve are elderly, often having to choose between buying medicine or food.

 

Angel Tree

Angel Tree is a ministry that reaches out to the children of inmates and their families with the love of Christ. This unique program gives our members an opportunity to share Christ’s love by helping to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the families of prisoners.  Angel Tree Christmas works by connecting parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts. Every Christmas, church members help brighten the lives of countless children by purchasing, wrapping and delivering gifts on behalf of their incarcerated parent—not only delivering a message of love from parent to child, but also the true meaning of Christmas—the good news of Jesus Christ.

 

Caritas

A Latin word which means charity, love, compassion, generosity, and benevolence.

Caritas is a cooperative effort of several churches in downtown Sarasota to provide temporary, emergency help to those who find themselves in acute financial need. Caritas provides bus passes, help with prescriptions, eye glasses and I.D.’s. They have provided temporary shelter for the homeless, assistance with utilities, and help with rent or mortgage payments in crisis situations, as well as food items from the Caritas Pantry.

                                 

                                                              

 

City Kids

City Kids supports children and youth in our community by providing a summer program for children and an enrichment program for teenagers. First Presbyterian Church has been involved with city kids for the past five years by providing snacks one day a week for 150 children, ages 5 to 12, at the Newtown Recreational Center. Recently, the need has increased to over 200 a day.

 

 

 

 

Community Mobile - Meals on Wheels

This volunteer organization both prepares and delivers meals to elderly and to disabled persons.  The purpose is to ensure that each reipient has at least one substantial meal per day. 

 

 

 

Family Promise

Our mission is to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence.  Family Promise responds by integrating educational outreach, smart programming, effective policies, and the hands-on work of thousands of volunteers. They provide food, shelter, and support services for homeless families. They provide advice and advocacy for at-risk families. They accomplish their work through independent affiliates in 39 states (and counting). Family Promise works community-by-community, utilizing existing local resources to provide for homeless families as they work to get back on their feet. These resources include available congregational spaces, donated goods, and - most importantly - volunteers. Today, they have mobilized more than 125,000 volunteers from coast to coast in our commitment to building communities, strengthening lives.

                                        

 

 

First Things First

 

This ministry is unique to First Presbyterian Church.  This in-house outreach effort gathers volunteers (adults and children) of the church and sends them out to fulfill needs in the community.  One month they may go to All Faiths Food Bank and pack boxes, the next month it is off to Resurrection House to paint or clean. 

 

 

 

 

 

Habitat For Humanity

Habitat for Humanity Sarasota is dedicated to providing low-income working families the hope and transforming experience of homeownership. The dream of homeownership is offered to those who would otherwise not be able to afford a home on their own. The new home owners help to build the house alongside many dedicated volunteers from the community. Habitat sells the house to the home owner at cost and finances the mortgage at zero interest.

 

 

Resurrection House

Resurrection House serves as a day resource center to the homeless of Sarasota. Their range of services include showers, restrooms, laundry, counseling, medical treatment, food, clothing, legal advice, veteran's counselor, post office, phone and many more. Operating with only a small paid staff, it is the 200+ volunteers that allow Resurrection House to provide its multitude of services to an ever-increasing number of clients.