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WELCOME

If you are new to the area, or wish to be added to our monthly newsletter titled 'Light in the Shadows' but commonly known as LITS, please email your request for information to stlukeschester@gmail.com or phone the church at (802) 875-6000 and leave us a message along with your name and phone number.

PINS Back-to-School Backpack Project

(PINS is a vehicle for putting faith in action; the ability to make a difference in the lives of local children and youth)

READY FOR SCHOOL?

Soon for some, but to make sure certain students are all ready, PINS (Partners in Service) is on the move. In fact, in another organizational marathon, the PINS project has crossed the finish line. Marcia Clinton, who – for many years – has secured school supplies for students entering grades K-12 in advance of the first day of school, this year consulted with a 13-year-old 9th-grade lad who was very helpful nailing down the truly essential school supplies. Between Covid, supply-line problems, and rising gas prices, Marcia found that ordering items by mail from Walmart was the best bargain. Beth Salisbury had traditionally been faithful at supplying necessities, and she ordered them to come at the end of July; but this year Marcia had to move the date up for stuffing the backpacks because of her involvement in the Windham Fire Company’s fundraiser on August 13, the state holiday of Bennington Battle Day on August 18, and St. Luke’s upcoming Pig Roast on August 20. Long story short, Marcia arranged with Cathy Paul, the Resource Coordinator at the Springfield office of the Department of Children and Families, Family Services Division, to deliver the backpacks to her on Thursday August 11.

Therefore, after church on Sunday July 24, Marcia, David Carey, Sally and John Hoover, and Lillian and David Willis filled the backpacks for the age groups (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12) with the appropriate items. Supplies included – depending on the age groups – hand sanitizers, pencils, pens, erasers, colored pencils, sticky pads, protractor sets, thumb drives, calculators, spiral notebooks, 3-ring binders, and looseleaf paper. Because of Marcia’s advance organization, in about two hours volunteers had stuffed 67 backpacks, only 12 of which were temporarily lacking 1 or 2 items – such as hand sanitizers or 3-ring notebooks – which Marcia soon acquired to complete the remaining packs. In addition, she added 6 more complete packs on Friday July 29. This project that Marcia spearheads is a pragmatic way for St. Luke’s Church to help young people from families in crisis or foster care who have been identified by the Springfield Family Services to start the new school year prepared. Besides Marcia’s personal generosity in securing backpacks, donations from parishioners cover the bulk of the school supplies. If you didn’t contribute this year, it’s never too late to donate to PINS, whose funds are tracked separately. Just indicate that check or cash is for PINS when you donate to the church to help rebuild this wonderful fund that helps young people enter school with confidence.

Thank you, Marcia, for your continuing dedication to this community project that allows St. Luke’s to make a tangible demonstration of caring and respect and, thereby, a real difference to the success and sense of self-worth of students who need a leg up. Each backpack is tied with a card saying, “Filled with love for you from St. Luke’s Church, Chester, Vermont.”

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Donate with a check to:  St. Luke's Church,  P.O. Box 8, Chester, VT 05143

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