Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ which supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds of this offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants.

NIN grants are awarded to UCC churches and organizations doing justice work in their communities. These grants fund projects whose work ranges from direct service to community organizing and advocacy to address systemic injustice.

These grants fund projects whose work ranges from direct service to community organizing and advocacy to address systemic injustice.

One example of direct services is a summer program STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics offered through a St. Louis based organization called Unleashing Potential which provided summer educational opportunities in the underserved community of Ferguson-Florisaant School District.

Of note: In November 2021, our church’s Creating Space Spirituality and Arts Collective (CSSAC) received a Neighbors in Need grant in the amount of $7,500 for the 2022 calendar year.

Please support Neighbors in Need anytime during the month of October.

How to donate: If you are attending church services in person you may bring your NIN check to the service. Or, you may mail your donation directly to Canaan Congregational Church, PO Box 66, 1670 County Route 5, Canaan, NY 12029. Make your check out to the Canaan Congregational Church, and please note “Neighbors in Need” on the memo line of your check.

Ed Fallon, for the Missions Team

Again this Fall, our church will be collecting school supplies for local families in need through October.

Those wishing to donate may bring their supplies to the church building. Items may be left in the food pantry basket near the entryway. We will again have a second plastic bin marked “School Supplies” on the church deck near the far entry door. If choosing this option, please place your items in the school supplies bin and close the cover tightly.

Please note: If using the outside bin, leave only paper, pencils and other items that are not affected by warm temperatures. In previous years, items such as crayons have melted in the heat.

Members of the Mission Team will arrive at the church mid-day or early afternoon on Tuesdays, gather the school supplies and take them to the Chatham Area Silent Pantry; where they will be distributed to area families with school children.

Suggested items include: loose leaf paper, construction paper, index cards, post it notes, plastic pencil boxes, glue sticks, gallon size zip lock bags, children’s scissors, crayons, markers, highlighters, dry erase markers, lead pencils, and colored pencils.

We are grateful for any and all donations to this worthy cause.

Ed Fallon
For the Missions Team

The Red Rock Historical Society has received a $6,600 grant from The Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The grant is part of the DAR Preservation Grants program and will fund the electrical work inside the Red Rock One Room Schoolhouse.

Interior work resumed this Spring, now that the exterior restoration is complete. The majority of the material removed from the interior, as part of the process of lifting the building in 2022, was stored and is being re-installed.

The RRHS is very appreciative of the community volunteers who have helped with this process, and it is hoped that the doors to the Schoolhouse will be open to the public by the end of this year.

For more information, contact us at: , or come visit our table at Canaan Community Day on June 15th!

Many Columbia County residents rely on local food pantries to ensure they are getting their basic nutritional needs met. However, as food is their focus and many people and organizations support pantries with food donations, they usually offer few staples such as toilet paper, toothpaste, diapers, laundry detergent, wet wipes, etc.

Furthermore, SNAP (the federal food program previously known as “Food Stamps”) does not cover non-food items. Understanding this need, Canaan Congregational has stepped up and created a drop off center for residents to make donations of such dry goods.

Both a large wicker basket, inside the entrance hall of the Church by the the office door, and a plastic bin outside the church on the porch, have been installed by the congregation to collect such items which are delivered to the Chatham Food Pantry weekly. Please join us and help our neighbors by contributing to this important initiative.

Date: Saturday, May 4, 2024
Time: 8:00AM – 12:00PM

Location

Columbia County Fire Training Center
Columbia County Commerce Park
50 Grandinetti Drive, Ghent, NY
Entrance at Rt. 66 (Bender Blvd.)

What may I bring?

From the Workbench:
Latex Paint, Oil Based Paint – Please do not bring empty cans or with hardened paint
Stains & Varnishes
Wood Preservatives
Solvents, Adhesives
Lighter Fluid

From the Garage:
Fuels, Gasoline, Kerosene
Antifreeze
Engine Degreasers
Brake Fluid
Carburetor Cleaner
Car Wax, Polish
Roofing Tar
Driveway Sealer
Swimming Pool Chemicals

From the Yard:
Poisons, Insecticides, Fungicides
Chemical Fertilizers
Weed Killers
Moth Balls
Flea Control Products, Pest Strips
Aerosol Cans – Not empty

From the House:
Rubber Cement
Fiberglass Resins
Photo Chemicals
Chemistry Sets
Furniture Polish
Floor & Metal Polish
Oven Cleaner
Drain & Toilet Cleaner
Rug & Upholstery Cleaner
Hobby & Art Supplies
Spot Remover

What not to bring:

Empty containers
Empty paint cans
Empty aerosol cans
Radioactive Waste
Commercial/Industrial Waste
Agriculture Waste
Fire Extinguishers
Infectious & Biological Waste
Prescription Medicines, Syringes
Asbestos
Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks
Non-contaminated motor oil, Antifreeze
No 55 gallon drums

Residents with large quantities must contact the Administrative Office at 518-828-2737 prior to participating. No charge for County residents. Proof of residency will be required.

Thank you for your participation!

Bask in the sounds and sensations provided by trios, duets and solos played by Anthony Bracewell, violin, Julian Müller, cello, and Gili Melamed-Lev, piano as they perform music by Piazzolla, Mendelssohn, Arvo Pärt, Bach, Saint-Saëns and more.
The mission of the Hudson-based Operation Unite, New York, is to produce well-rounded, progressive youth who will enter adulthood with a sense of direction, self-esteem, and social consciousness, and subsequently reinvest themselves into the community from whence they came.
General admission tickets are $30 and $10 for students, to purchase log onto: https://spencertownacademy.networkforgood.com/events/63156-benefit-concert-for-operation-unite