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Individually and collectively, the congregation actively reaches out to care for others. Although the congregation is small, its role in the community is large. Members of the congregation work with and contribute to many local and national charitable organizations that include:
Bowl for Kids Sake: Team St. Paul bowls and raises money for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program! Contact Person: Maureen Gerrity
Children's Learning Center: Volunteers assist with this educational program for young children, and from time to time the group uses St. Paul's facilities. Court Watch Helps to assure that victims of domestic violence have representatives in court, and a Children’s Waiting Room at the DeKalb County Courthouse. Contact Person: Janie Torma
C.R.O.P. Walk: Twenty-five percent of the funds raised will be divided among Meals on Wheels, the DeKalb Food Pantry, the Sycamore Food Pantry, Hope Haven, and Safe Passage to combat hunger in our area. Church World Service (C.W.S.) and other international agencies for disaster relief and self-help development projects throughout the world will use approximately 75% of the funds. Contact Person: Henry Leonard.
DeKalb County Hospice: Baking Up Nice Surprises (B.U.N.S.) Three or four times a year, baskets of homemade goodies are taken to families being served by Hospice. Several parishioners help bake for this caring ministry. From time to time parish members donate fresh baked goods to DeKalb County Hospice, to be shared with patients and their families. Contact Person: Sharon Dowen.
Food Basket Sunday: The second Sunday of each month the congregation brings offerings of nonperishable food items and personal care items, which are delivered during the week to the Salvation Army food pantry. Contact Person: Rosemarie Ostberg
Habitat for Humanity: There is a bin in the back of the sanctuary all year round for used printer cartridges. St. Paul’s also collects aluminum cans for Habitat for Humanity. There is a specially marked receptacle in the church kitchen for this purpose.
Hope Haven Homeless Shelter: St. Paul’s provides meals to the homeless shelter on the 5th Friday of the month. Approximately 10 parishioners prepare and deliver a portion of the meal each quarter, serving as many as 45 adults. These home-cooked meals are truly a labor of love! Contact Person: Maureen Gerrity
The Lobster Boil is one of St. Paul’s yearly activities and projects held in May. The Lobster boil started in 1967, when the people of St. Paul’s wanted to contribute to the community at large. Half of the proceeds from the annual Lobster Boil, our main fund-raising event, are distributed to local service organizations, such as Safe Passage, Children’s Learning Center, DeKalb County Nursing Home Foundation, DeKalb County Hospice, Habitat for Humanity, Family Service Agency, The Growing Place, Hope Haven, Voluntary Action Center, Diocesan ECW, sending women to ECW Convention, and “Nets for Life.” Contact Persons: Pat Brown & Ellen Anderson
Meals on Wheels: Volunteers are always welcome! It is easy, takes only one hour, and is a very needed service. Contact Person: Nan Mason
Nets For Life: We support our diocesan charitable programs annually through pledges. St. Paul’s also supports special diocesan projects, such as Nets for Life, and raised $936 for the purchase of 78 mosquito nets to help prevent deaths from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Bishop Lee's "One For One" challenge to the Diocese raised over $100,000! Contact Person: Maureen Gerrity
Safe Passage: Members of St. Paul’s founded and continue to support Safe Passage, an organization in DeKalb that provides housing, counseling, and care for victims of domestic violence and their children. Parishioner volunteers also support related programs--Court Watch, which helps to assure that victims of domestic violence have representatives in court, and a Children’s Waiting Room at the DeKalb County courthouse. Christmas gifts for youth and young parents are donated in December. Contact Person: Janie Torma
Salvation Army Thanksgiving Baskets: St. Paul’s sent 10 Thanksgiving baskets to the Salvation Army for distribution to families in need. Six of those baskets were donated by individual members/families of the congregation! Each basket contained all the items needed for a traditional Thanksgiving meal, plus breakfast for the next day. Contact Person: Maureen Gerrity
United Campus Ministry: St. Paul’s annual budget includes support for the Campus Ministry at Northern Illinois University. In addition to the financial contribution provided by the church, parish members devote time and effort to working with this organization. When our church moved to its present location near Northern Illinois University, the site was selected with the expectation that St. Paul’s would serve the students. We hope to strengthen our ties with the university students in the future, so that we can better serve their spiritual needs. St. Paul's and the NIU community are fortunate indeed to have the services of Dawn Jones as Director of United Campus Ministries. Contact Person: Henry Leonard
Youth Outreach: Among other activities, one of the youth group’s missions entailed travel to help repair the storm-damaged homes of victims of Hurricane Katrina.
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