On March 3, 2022, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, stated that over 1.2 million Ukrainians have become refugees, approximately 50% of them children, in neighboring countries, plus thousands displaced in-country.

It is critical that we unite around the globe for peace. Our support and voices are critical in helping to end this calamity. Our prayers and support matter.

This Sunday, following each service, a representative from PLAST will be in the great hall, selling t-shirts for $20 each, in support of aid to Ukraine.

PLAST is the Ukrainian branch of Boy Scouts, for boys and girls of Ukraine, ages 6-23. Faithfulness to God is paramount, because Plast has an idealistic worldview that commands belief in a higher meaning of life, in the Creator of the whole world. Just like Scouts in the US, Plast doesn’t teach religion, but requires from its members practical religiosity based on Christian principles. Plast doesn’t discriminate among faiths and respects each religious faith, but requires living in accordance with Christ’s teachings and the requirements of the faith to which the Scout belongs.

The Annual Bazaar 2021 Committee cannot thank our parishioners enough for you support for our recent Annual Bazaar. We met last week to review the bazaar and make decisions about the distribution of the funds that we raised.

We wanted to let you know that through your support in time, donations, and your generosity at the bazaar, we were able to distribute $4,500 to the following organizations who help to support our neighbors.
Newark Empowerment Center
Newark Senior Center
Newark Area Welfare Committee
Blue Hen Bounty food pantry

Thank you all again! Barbara Graham

Dear Family of St. Thomas’s,

On December 17, 2021 Hope Dining Room, which is a mission of outreach to those in need, will be giving a Christmas goodie bag to each guest who comes in. They are going to make 60 bags. Each participating church is putting something in the bag. I volunteered St. Thomas’s for clementines. We are hoping to put 2 clementines in each bag, so we will need 120 clementines.  Please signup at   https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DACA72AAAFF2-hope16

If you volunteer for this project, please put  your bag of clementines in the box labeled “Hope Dining Room” outside the office by December 16, 2021. If you can’t get  them to church, give me a call or an email, and I will pick them up at your door.

MANY Blessings,
Madeline Johnson   < mad1240@comcast.net >

What an amazing congregation we have at Saint Thomas’s! There were a lot of unknowns this year when planning the return of our Annual Bazaar.

First, we moved the date from early December 2021 to early November 2021. In the past, we found that there were at least a dozen other bazaars on the weekend we traditionally held ours. We hoped to attract those early shoppers and at the same time be a bit easier on ourselves. We also wanted to be able to distribute the funds raised before the Christmas holidays.

Second, we realize that many people are still not comfortable in crowds or near people they do not know, for various health reasons.

Third, torrential rains were predicted for Friday, the first day of the Annual Bazaar.

None of our concerns deterred the congregation and friends of Saint Thomas’s.

With the help of the committee: Deb Kearns, Joy Lynam, Connie Malin, Carol Palermo, Philippa Sunnergren and Barb Graham the Annual Bazaar was a resounding success. Even with the hard work and planning of the committee, we would not have had the success that we did without the participation of our wonderful and generous congregation. From making beautiful crafts, to baking delicious treats, to donating items for the White Elephant sale, to supporting the Annual Bazaar through many purchases, once again our parish family stepped up. Our vendors, new and returning, added to our success.

So, a great big THANK YOU, to all who helped give us the opportunity to help those in our community less fortunate than us. We will be distributing the funds raised to local groups in need in the next few weeks.

Barbara Graham

Dear Family of St. Thomas’s,

As it gets colder, we think of those with no warm homes to sleep in.  Last year, the Hope Center opened and our homeless friends had a warm place to live. Some got jobs and their own apartments! Others, are now out on the street again, as the Hope Center is FULL – at 400 people (mostly families with children).

The churches in Newark will be providing shelter (on nights where the temperature falls below 20 degrees), using Code Purple. Last year, when we thought the Hope Center was the permanent solution, and we had to remove all the items from the undercroft for mold and asbestos remediation, we donated all our blankets to the Newark Empowerment Center. 

We must, once again, renew our blanket supply. If you have an extra single-size, washable blankets, there will be a blanket collection box outside the office at St. Thomas’s. 

More info to come about the details of Code Purple, which will be a little different, to observe COVID guidelines. There is an organizational meeting this next week to work it all out.

MANY Blessings for your generosity to those with no homes,
Madeline Johnson