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BRYN MAWR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Habitat Step Stool Blitz
Mission During 2021 our eight mission committees – Outreach, Worldwide Ministries, Hunger, Peacemaking, Environmental Justice, Refugee Support, Anti-Racism and the Mission Council continued their important work of supporting more than 50 partner organizations who received over $500,000 in mission support, inviting BMPC members to work alongside one another in hands-on service opportunities, and encouraging us to understand more about the ways the church and individuals can make an impact in the world. Here are a few highlights from the year: The Hunger Committee once again was overwhelmed by the generous response of church members to the increasing problem of food insecurity in our community and region during the pandemic. Gifts to the BMPC Hunger Fund totaled over $101,000. Donations were distributed throughout the year with the majority of our partner food cupboards and feeding programs receiving over $3,000 in additional funding throughout the year. In June the Hunger Committee joyfully welcomed volunteers back into the BMPC Kitchen to resume inperson casserole blitzes, another essential part of our Hunger Ministries. In the fall we hosted our first in person and intergenerational service day since March 2020 as we welcomed the staff of Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia to lead us in a step stool building blitz. Children, parents, Confirmation students, mentors and older adults helped build and paint step stools that are given to Habitat families as they move into their new homes. The stools are a reminder of all the partners who helped them create a permanent home for their families. In response to the mass evacuation of families from Afghanistan following the U.S. military withdrawal after 20
years of conflict, the BMPC Refugee Support Committee committed to welcoming and caring for an Afghan refugee family in partnership with Nationalities Service Center. During the fall volunteers worked on preparing the first floor of Foerderer House to serve as a temporary apartment. The kitchen was updated, new carpeting was installed, and walls were painted. Members and friends worked together to coordinate furniture donations. A group of volunteers researched how to best stock and equip the kitchen. In early December we were blessed to welcome the Sepah family to live as our neighbors here on the BMPC campus. The committee continued its good work through the end of the year, enrolling the children in Lower Merion schools, introducing them to local shops and resources, helping them connect with doctors and dentists, and immediately beginning the process of writing a resume and looking for work. After so many months of not being able to work together, of feeling unable to make a difference when crises happened around the world, providing hospitality and care for the Sepah family was a beautiful way to connect with one another and renew within our community our commitment to care and compassion in the world.
