We are delighted to announce that Aaron McMurray has accepted the position as our next Office Administrator. Aaron (they/them/theirs) is familiar with serving parishes in this role, and currently serves as the Administrator for Florence Congregational Church. They also have a rich background in working with farms, including Just Roots. Aaron lives in Greenfield with their family, and is looking forward to joining us in this new role.
Effective October 10th, our office will reopen for business and our office hours will be Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and weekends when our office is closed, calls will continue to be directed to our answering service. For pastoral and property use emergencies, the answering service will be in touch with whomever is on call. Please note, emails will only be checked during office hours. We hope you will join us in giving Aaron a warm welcome. Hello, Saints James and Andrew youth and families!
My name is Reynolds Whalen, and I’m copying Julie Carew on this email. Julie and I are the new Youth Ministry Co-Leaders for our church! We are excited to begin having regular activities and building a fun and dynamic youth group. To kick things off, we will be hosting several events this summer. But we need your help! Please fill out this short survey to let us know what you’re interested in doing. Oh, and below is a bit about us so you can get to know us better! Looking forward to seeing you soon, Reynolds and Julie A sock ministry that has grown out of a gift from Bombas
By Doris McLeod, Whitney's Pantry This does not seem to be the year to experience abundance. Most things seem diminished, lacking, scarce. But I did have an unusual experience of abundance that I want to share with you – I unpacked 1000 pairs of socks! And not for the first time, and not for the last – which is even more amazing. SsJA has been approved for the third year to be a giving-partner for Bombas socks. And they don’t do “small donation” – it means 1000 pair, or more. Bombas is a trendy sock company that advertises a lot on the internet and sells a lot of socks. But they have an unusual business plan – giving away a pair of socks for each pair sold. The socks that they give are not left-overs, unpopular colors, etc., but socks specifically designed for folks living on the margins of our society. The company consulted with shelters in the design – quick-drying synthetic, all black, comfortable, stretchy, and very sturdy. They must be given, not sold or raffled or whatever. Whitney’s Pantry offers them every month and Steve Houghton fills his backpack when he goes out on the street, but 1000 pair is a lot of socks. So this year we have reached out to other agencies to offer bags of socks for them to distribute to folks we will never see. We are the only giving-partner in Franklin County, so I contacted the food pantries in West County – Shelburne Falls, Charlemont, and Ashfield. Then Montague Catholic Social Ministries and the Survival Center in Turners Falls. Then our downstairs neighbors at Tapestry and the Wells St. Shelter and the Living Room. All were surprised (“new socks?”), and very grateful. And when this year’s shipment comes, we’ll do it all over again! Hallelujah! You may regard your socks as a very minor concern, but that assumes that you have plenty of socks as well as shoes and boots that don’t leak and keep your feet warm. |
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