Stewardship Witness by Ernestine Brock-Walker, 2022-10-31. 

When I was asked to write an article about the Episcopal Church Women’s ministry at SsAM, I was thinking that it meant I should talk about actual monies/funds we contribute to the treasury of the church. After some consideration on the subject, I realized that ECW may not give actual cash to the church. Mostly we give our time and talents to make known God’s love in the world and at SsAM by our service to the greater community as representatives and members of this spiritual community that we belong to.

We do contribute our treasury to local community organizations such as The Episcopal Church in Delaware, Friendship House, St. Michael’s Day School and Nursery, and Episcopal Relief and Development. We also give to Ukrainian Relief and on occasion we individually give cash donations to Food Bank of Delaware, Claymont Community Center (in memory of Peggy Shane), Lutheran Community Services, and to other food pantries as requested. We also have asked our church members to donate food items to the various food pantries and sometimes we receive monetary donations for the same.

During this past fiscal period, we have assisted the Health and Wellness Ministry in their sponsoring a COVID Vaccination and Testing Event; the 25th Anniversary Committee by having a Mother’s Day Bake Sale, and we sponsored a bake sale for the “Soul of the City” Fun Fest, with monies collected going to that cause. We donated monies to Fr. David’s Retirement Celebration and served as hostesses at the event. We also helped with the Repast for the late Peggy Shane and served as hostesses. These are just a few of the events that we have given money, time and talents as Episcopal Church Women.

The ECW participated with the Delaware State ECW during their annual meeting time by asking our church members to donate to whatever the State ECW Charity is sponsoring each year. This year the charity was “The Home of the Brave” and the concentration was on the women veterans. As always, our SsAM’s members give freely and generously each time we ask.

We always ask for the items requested but lately we have also received monetary donations which were given directly to the charity and this means we deposited in our account and gave them a check from SsAM ECW account in the amount of the cash donations.

This year ECW concentrated on two organizations that work directly with families who are homeless — the Y HomeLife Center and Child, Inc., which works with abused women and wayward children. The Women’s Committee of our to ECW sat down with these two organizations to determine their specific need and inquired, “How Can We Help?” The late Peggy Shane, Patricia Hampton, Mary Lou Edgar, and Paulyne Webster were on this committee and did the research. As a result, they were given items that would help each organization further assist their clients as they return to be viable citizens in this society.

The Y Homelife Center requested “Welcome Home Baskets” to help in the transition as clients move into regular housing. Our goal was ten baskets filled with household necessities.

Child, Inc. requested prepaid cell phones with accompanying $25 gift cards and women’s underwear, all sizes. To date, we have delivered five cell phones and five $5 Gift cards and 16 Packs of underwear. We will be collecting monetarily until February, 2023. This organization needs these cell phones especially to keep the abuser from being able to locate the abused.
When abused women flee their abuser, they need total anonymity from that person, so this is sorely a must.

In the coming year we will be working with both agencies on how to get better funding for what they do.

To date we have joined with the SsAM’s Apostles in Ministry program for the purpose of coordinating each ministry’s charitable requests from the congregation. The “Meet the Need” Ministry is for that purpose.

These are just some of the other events we have sponsored in the past year and before the pandemic: The Advent Food Calendar; Valentine’s Day Tea; a seminar on “The Influence of Women in the Church”; Annual Christmas Luncheon with a Charitable Theme; and an Environmental Task Force Seminar.

These are just a few of the ECW projects past and present.

All women in the Episcopal Church are ECW but the purpose is for all women in the Episcopal Church to be actively involved in ECW by coming out to our meetings and playing a part in the decision making by bring their time and talents to help their SsAM ECW.

Just come out and see and participate and You Will See a Difference and Make a Difference.

Peace to you all…

Ernestine Brock-Walker, President
June Knight, Vice President
Mary Morgan, Treasurer
Patricia Griffin, Correspondence Secretary
Current Active Members:
Gloria Conner-Bungy
Mary Lou Edgar
Anne Gibson
Judi Gregory
Patricia Hampton
Athena Jolly
Pam Peters
Paulyne Webster

Click here to learn more about the Episcopal Church Women at SsAM.

As of January 27, 2023…

… 116 pledges had been made for 2023, two more than were made the previous year! To make a pledge, click here.

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