As Christians, we seek and serve Christ in all persons through our individual and common witness, through our prayer and through our actions.

Our Mission

The mission of the Outreach Commission is to study, consider and recommend to the Vestry of St. Mark’s Church, the ways in which parish outreach resources can best be deployed with the objective that St. Mark’s makes a positive impact – in Christ’s name – on the world around us.

The Commission

St. Mark’s twelve-member Outreach Commission, appointed by the Rector in consultation with the Vestry, recommends projects and funding levels to the Vestry. 

Funds are not committed to projects without Vestry approval.

The money we use to fund outreach projects is earned at the St. Mark’s May Fair. The May Fair brings together hundreds of volunteers, all working towards the common goal of raising funds to support our Christian outreach.  It has been a tradition at St. Mark’s for more than fifty years.

The Outreach Commission considers projects submitted by:

·         Internal sources- clergy and staff, Outreach Commission members and interested parishioners.

·         External sources- organizations unaffiliated with St. Mark’s Church, seeking funding for their programs.

Most projects are local (New Canaan and Fairfield County).  When appropriate, the Commission considers projects in other parts of the country as well as foreign countries.

Grant Request Guidelines

As a general rule, the Outreach Commission is interested in supporting a relatively small number of projects at substantial levels and for multiple years, rather than making numerous, smaller, annual grants.

Persons and organizations seeking grants should be aware of the following guidelines, which inform our consideration of requests:

• We wish to give witness through our support of programs having a clear Christian mission.

• Projects involving our parishioners as volunteer participants or in leadership positions are of interest. We are interested in building relationships with organizations.

• Projects are encouraged involving St. Mark's Church as a visible partner rather than as a donor.  Through its outreach, St. Mark's Church desires to build a bigger community that incorporates the work of charitable organizations as an integral part of parish life.    

Applying for a Grant

The Commission desires to work with minimal bureaucracy and to reduce applicant paperwork. Applicants for funding should follow this procedure:

• Individuals or organizations should make a brief preliminary proposal requesting consideration for funding by addressing an email (preferred) or a letter to:

Chairman

Outreach Commission

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

111 Oenoke Ridge

New Canaan, CT 06840

The email address is churchoffice@stmarksnewcanaan.org

• The Commission, meeting on the second Tuesday of each month (except August), will discuss all proposals submitted since the previous meeting. Following these discussions, the Commission will advise applicants about next steps, which may include a request for a formal grant application and a meeting with the applicant.  

• A detailed grant application should not be submitted without an invitation from the Commission to do so.  The application is not available on this website.

• Consideration of requests for funding takes place throughout the year, and grants are awarded on a rolling basis. Because the majority of funds tends to be committed in the early fall, however, it would be best for applicants to send letters or emails to the Commission prior to the September meeting.  

• The Commission expects that recipients of grants will keep the Commission informed about the status of projects funded.

Recent Grants 

Grants are listed in the order in which they were made, beginning with the most recent (or most recently renewed) grant.    

Episcopal Bridgebuilders

In their words, “The Episcopal Bridgebuilders is a coalition of Episcopal churches in the Greater Bridgeport area committed to addressing the need for affordable housing in our area and the problem of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic division among our people.” 

Episcopal Bridgebuilders seeks to “provide decent, affordable housing through partnership with leading housing renewal organizations: Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, and Americares Homefront.”

St. Mark’s contributes funds that help cover construction costs and supplies a steady stream of volunteers who help build houses in Bridgeport on scheduled days during the year. For general information, visit http://www.episcopalbridgebuilders.org/pages/923315/index.htm .

More information about volunteering with the St. Mark’s crew is on this website at

http://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org/outreachupdate.asp

San Juan Evangelista, Diocese of Honduras

We have funded the installation of a roof on a newly constructed Episcopal church called San Juan Evangelista, Sesesmil II, in the town of Copán Ruinas, Copán.  (Copán Ruinas, taking its name from the outstanding Mayan ruins there, is located on the west side of Honduras, a few miles from the Guatemalan border.)  Members of St. Mark’s youth group made a mission trip to this church in July 2006, to paint the facility, and plan return visits.

The Episcopal Church is extremely active in Honduras, one of the poorest countries in Central America. For fascinating and detailed information in English and Spanish about the Missionary Diocese of Honduras visit http://www.anglicano.hn/ehome.htm .

New Canaan Meals-on-Wheels

This organization delivers cooked food to those who – for whatever reason – cannot shop for or prepare nutritious meals.  Many recipients of delivered meals pay for them. St. Mark’s contribution helps pay for meals delivered to those who cannot afford this essential service.  Several dozen volunteers from St. Mark’s Church are actively involved in this organization. Information: 203-594-5318

The Lion’s Den Book and Gift Store

The Lion’s Den Bookand Gift Store is a non-profit bookstore sponsored by and located at St. Mark’s Church and open to the community.  The store itself was the generous gift of a St. Mark’s parishioner; the Outreach Commission grant helped with start-up costs.  A part-time manager and volunteers run the shop. Information: 203-966-4515, email: Bookstore@stmarksnewcanaan.org

New Canaan GetAbout

CaTS (Career Transition Services)

Sponsored by St. Mark’s Church and the Presbyterian Church in New Canaan, this project provides support and counseling for people who are making a career change or have lost their jobs and are transitioning to new careers.  New Canaan CaTS has proven extraordinarily effective and maintains a particularly useful website for job seekers. Detailed information is available at www.newcanaancats.org.

Camp Hand in Hand

Camp Hand-In-Hand is an independent summer day camp licensed by the State

of Connecticut, now in its third season.  Its mission is to bring together young children from diverse cultural, ethnic, economic, and religious backgrounds and  provide them with an exciting and enriching summer experience.  St. Mark's provides the venue for the camp and has been the largest donor.  In addition, the Camp has been supported by groups like the United Way of New Canaan, Interfaith, the Rotary Club, the Exchange Club, and the New Canaan Sewing Group, Inc.  Information: 203-966-6920 or visit their new website: http://www.camp-hand-in-hand.org/.

Pivot Ministries

Pivot Ministries is a Christian residential program in Norwalk and Bridgeport that aids men who have been put at risk by drugs and alcohol. They address addiction as a spiritual problem; their approach is focused on the Bible and the healing power of Jesus Christ.  They are supported by a number of churches and other institutions.   Information: 203-838-7685

Other St. Mark’s Outreach

   St. Mark’s Church supports programs of organizations in ways other than making direct grants. Examples include: 

   New Canaan Food Pantry

The Food Pantry, established by St. Mark’s Church in 2003, is a branch of New Canaan’s Department of Health and Human Services. It collects and distributes food to needy families in New Canaan, of which there are a surprisingly large number. Clients of the Food Pantry obtain vouchers for food from the Department of Health and Human Services. The Food Pantry is located in the Undercroft of St. Mark’s Parish House. The program is currently run by a volunteer St. Mark’s parishioner and is served by numerous other volunteers from the parish and other organizations in New Canaan.  Food distributed at the Food Pantry is collected from many sources. For information about receiving food from the Food Pantry call the New Canaan Department of Health and Human Services at 203-594-3076 or go to www.newcanaan.info. For information about contributing financial gifts or donating non-perishables (food may be dropped off in the Church House foyer during regular business hours or on weekends) call (203)966-4515 or send email to churchoffice@stmarksnewcanaan.org . 

      St. Mark’s Nursery School

This school, established in 1991 for three-and four-year olds, is licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Health Services, is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and is a member of the National Association of Episcopal Schools.  Numerous St. Mark’s parishioners have served on its board, and many students are from St. Mark’s families. Detailed information is on this website at http://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org/nurseryschool.asp

Musica Leonis

The Messiah, produced in December, and the Courtyard Concerts produced in June and July. Information is available on this website at  http://stmarksnewcanaan.org/concertsspecialmusic.asp.  

   Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon

These organizations hold regular meetings at St. Mark’s Church.

§         Alcoholics Anonymous meets on Sundays at 8pm at St. Mark’s Church.  However, AA meets seven days a week at numerous locations. A complete guide to meetings in the area is online at http://www.ct-aa.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=0&tabid=1

§         Al-Anon is a 12-step program helping families and friends of alcoholics learn to live and cope with this disease. Meetings are on Mondays and Tuesdays, at noon, at St. Mark’s Church. There are many Al-Anon meetings in the area, listed on the Connecticut Al-Anon website at http://www.ct-al-anon.org/.