This fun and fabulous fashion show will be happening at the Belfast Boathouse on Saturday, October 13th at 2 p.m.  Now in its ninth year, the show has promoted fiber arts while raising money for New Hope for Women with the $12 entrance fee. For the second year, there will be a silent auction showcasing three beautiful hand knit and beaded shawls donated and knitted by Susan Golden. These shawls are on display at Heavenly Yarns in Belfast.

Don’t miss this fabulous event! Bring someone to share the enjoyment.

FMI: (978) 325-0045 or www.stmargaretsbelfast.org/knit-the-community.

Board games and snacks will happen next Friday (the second Friday of the month), August 10 at 6 p.m. This is the second in our monthly outreach and fellowship opportunities where we invite men from the Re-Entry Center to join us. Please come – bring a board game, deck of cards, a snack to share.

Thanks to your generous donations, on last week’s fifth Sunday, we raised over $1000 for the Waldo County Diaper Closet. This program, run by the Public Health Nurse at WCGH, helps mothers and babies by providing assistance with diaper needs.

With these diaper dollars we will purchase diapers in bulk – at about half  the cost of smaller packages – and packets of wipes.  They will be stored in one of our upstairs closets for the Diaper Closet to use which is also part of our outreach support to the program.

If you would like to continue to support this program, you may bring packets of wipes or diapers (sizes 2, 3, 4, 5).

The Outreach Committee now comprises 13 members with others willing to help. We have been busy gathering information about programs to help feed local children who live in a “food insecure” environment.

At our meeting on June 13 we learned of a Summer Feeding Program, organized by Perley Martin, RSU Director of Nutrition.  Susie Kraeger is soliciting volunteers to transport 100 meals twice weekly to Swan Lake State Park (please talk to Susie about this). Nan Cobbey met with the school nurse at BAHS, and Dolly Sullivan, the “Teaching Principal”, at BCOPE (an alternative high school). At B-Cope, students help with the cooking of meals and take home all leftovers. The chef/teacher, Ally Cayer, welcomes all donations of vegetables and fruits.  (We will be requesting donations in September).

The committee voted to provide $400 (of the $1000 collected on the 5th Sunday in April) to the WCAP Headstart Backpack Program which continues through the summer. Chris Urick met with Cherie Merrill, the Nutrition Coordinator, and learned of their impressive educational component with these pre-schoolers. They currently provide a weekly meal to 28 families in Waldo County, but in with the bag of food are recipes for a balanced and nutritious meal. Videos of preparing the meals are posted on the Waldo County Action Partners facebook page for the parents to view. Several committee members have volunteered to assist with packing the bags on Wednesday mornings. Cherie is also looking for volunteers to video (with your smart phone) the recipe preparation. Several of us are going to learn from her how to do this. If you are interested, we will pass on the info – talk to Chris. The program also provides cooking classes for the parents and Headstart has requested the use of St. Margaret’s kitchen for these classes.

The balance of $600 will be distributed to other school programs at our August meeting and in time for commencement of the school year.

The committee also voted to send $400 to support the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. Bishop Steven Lane supports this effort and both Deirdre Good and Nan Cobbey have visited the hospital.

Put St. Margaret’s First Game Night of 2018 on your calendar: Friday, July 13th, 6 p.m.  

The Outreach Committee hopes to host a series of Game Nights, always on the second Friday of the month.  We will start the evening with a potluck meal — bring a dish to share, whatever you like.  Bring your own beverages.  We’ll make coffee and tea. We will be inviting men and staff from the Re-Entry Center to join us.

In addition to multiple decks of cards, chips, Scrabble and Cribbage boards,  we expect to offer Risk (for the politically brave),  Monopoly and perhaps a few special puzzles for guests to put together.   Bring your own favorite games as well. 

All are welcome. Invite your friends.

From our Bishop – asking for support of the Al Ahil Arab Hospital in Gaza.

As I’ve watched the tragedy in Gaza unfold over the past several days, my prayers have gone immediately  to the ministry and care offered to all people by the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The doctors, nurses, and staff are truly on the front lines in meeting the need of those injured in the violence of recent days.

One of the initiatives from the Year of Nurture gathering was to reintroduce fair trade coffee at St. Margaret’s.
Mary Rackmales will have a sample on Sunday and we will start with the opportunity for parishioners to order, pre-pay, and purchase fair-trade coffee. Mary will share more information about this during our Engagement Party on Sunday.

Dear friends and fellow cooks,

In this season of resurrection, both divine and earthly, I would like to bring back the GAME LOFT Friday dinners program.  This program is so valuable to these kids.  Here’s why:  They are fed a nutritious meal 5 days a week at the GL, NO ONE IS TURNED AWAY.  On Fridays, they have met their Federal nutrition requirements so all bets are off and they can have anything!  Popular items are tacos, spicy international fare, homemade mac and cheese, lasagna.  They aren’t crazy about fish dishes.  This offering also helps the GL stretch their budget a bit. Given school vacations and summer break, it works out to about 8 Fridays per year.  Of course, to make it really special, you can bring food, stay and serve and get to know the kids and they you!!! That really is the best part.  

Here is a brief 101 refresher course in how it works:
    sign up sheet on t/t table
    casserole dishes on t/t table
    4 casseroles are needed for one Friday per month – probably the last Friday as before
    cooked and ready to serve delivered by 5 – handed off at GL to a Gamer for delivery upstairs
    need to be reheated – deliver by 4 as above
    may be delivered to ALL ABOUT GAMES store below GL any time during that day with instructions

I would very much like to hear from you soon:  If you’d like to be a cook;  If there are times you are not going to be available to cook (this helps in planning a rotation of cooks);  any further ideas you may have, please share.

GAME LOFT has been an integral part of St. Margaret’s church since it began 20 years ago.  Let’s keep that relationship going and make it even better this time around!!!  Please join us.

Susan Mayer
GL Advocate