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

It’s Annual Bazaar time on November 12-13, 2021 and you are invited to sign up to volunteer. Below are sign-ups needing volunteers. Donations may be brought to St. Thomas’s on Wed., Nov. 10 or Thurs., Nov. 11, 2021, between 9-4 p.m. and should be labeled “Annual Bazaar.”

Volunteer sign-up – many hands make light work! Have fun working with others while making income to be donated to local charities. Questions may be directed to Barbara Graham at 44graham@comcast.net.

Soup Donation sign-up – please include a list of ingredients with your soup. We don’t need the recipe, just the ingredients so customers can check for allergies. The soup should be delivered by Thursday and be in quart containers labeled with the name of the soup and its ingredients. Please put soup containers in the freezer. Questions may be directed to Debbie Kearns at dak2464@aol.com.

Gift Bags/Baskets sign-up – please deliver your donation on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021 while we are setting up for the Bazaar. Questions may be directed to Philippa Sunnergren at phil@sunnergren.com.

Cookie sign-up – please include a list of ingredients with your cookies. We don’t need the recipe, just the ingredients so customers can check for allergies. Cookies should be delivered Friday morning and labeled with the type of the cookie and include its ingredients. If Friday morning is not convenient, contact Carol Palermo at cpalermo625@gmail.com to make other delivery arrangements.

Non-cookie sign-up – please include a list of ingredients with your baked goods. We don’t need the recipe, just the ingredients so customers can check for allergies. Baked goods should be delivered Friday morning and labeled with the type of the baked good and include its ingredients. If Friday morning is not convenient, contact Carol Palermo at cpalermo625@gmail.com to make other delivery arrangements.

One of our returning vendors at the Annual Bazaar is Cherita Brasier. She represents Tastefully Simple. Tastefully Simple not only provides delicious products that are quick and easy, this season they are in partnership with Feed My Starving Children.

There are catalogues in the office with order forms. You can also look at the products available on line at
https://www.tastefullysimple.com

If you order in advance, the order will be waiting for you at the Annual Bazaar on November 12 or 13, 2021. The pre-order offer is available until October 30, 2021.

Thank you for supporting our bazaar and our vendors.

Dear Families of St. Thomas’s and St. Nicholas,

Monday, October 18, 2021, is our opportunity to serve at Hope Dining Room. If you are free between 10 a.m. and noon that day, we would love for you to experience the joy that it gives to be part of a team that makes a simple lunch for people who really appreciate it. 

It is a lot of fun and very heart-warming to help feed people in our community, who REALLY appreciate it. At this time, it is a “grab and go” lunch, because of COVID. All of our kitchen helpers are masked and our guests who are also masked come through the dining room stay 6 feet apart, grab their styrofoam clamshell lunch, and go out another door.

We begin cooking at 10 a.m. at Kingswood Methodist Church on Marrows Road in the Brookside Park community. We finish cleanup by noon.

Here is a Sign Up Genius for the cookies, fruit cups and kitchen helpers:  
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DACA72AAAFF2-hope14  

You may drop off your donations of fruit cups and cookies at St. Thomas’s on Tuesday through Thursday between 9 a.m. and noon or Sunday morning when you come to church. If those times don’t work for you, give me a call or email and I will pick it up at your house.

MANY Blessings,
Madeline Johnson     mad1240@comcast.net

Visit St. Thomas’s Annual Bazaar to be held on
Friday, November 12 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday, November 13 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

You will find unique holiday crafts (many under $10), fresh baked goods, cookie walk (build your own cookie tray!), quarts of homemade soups, St. Thomas’s t-shirts and hoodies, second-hand Christmas decorations, resale shop / white elephant sale, and exclusive new items. Tastefully Simple is taking pre-orders. which you may pick up at the Bazaar.

On Friday and Saturday, join us for lunch, which may be purchased between 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Won’t you consider volunteering? Volunteer sign-ups via Sign-up Genius are available for you to sign up.

All proceeds from the Annual Bazaar go to Outreach Ministries.

Open to the public. Invite your family and friends!

Questions may be directed to Barbara Graham at 44graham@comcast.net.

Dear Families of St. Thomas’s and St. Nicholas,

Monday, September 20, 2021 is our opportunity to serve lunch at Hope Dining Room. We begin cooking at 10 a.m. at Kingswood Methodist Church on Marrows Road in the Brookside Park community. We are usually finished cleaning up by noon.

It is a lot of fun and very heart-warming to help feed people in our community, who REALLY appreciate it. At this time, it is a “grab and go” lunch, because of COVID. All of our kitchen helpers are masked and our guests who are also masked come through the dining room stay 6 feet apart, grab their styrofoam clamshell lunch, and go out another door. 

Here is a Sign Up Genius for the cookies, fruit cups and kitchen helpers:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DACA72AAAFF2-hope13  

You may drop off your donations of cookies and fruit cups at St. Thomas’s, on Monday through Thursday, between 9 a.m. and noon, or Sunday morning when you come to church.    If those times don’t work for you, give me a call and I will pick it up at your house.  

MANY Blessings,
Madeline Johnson mad1240@comcast.net

We will be holding our Annual Bazaar in 2 short months. Soon you will be seeing sign-up sheets to provide baked goods, your wonderful craft items and most importantly your TIME.

There will be sign-up sheets at the Time and Talent Day at our table on September 26, 2021. The sign-up sheets will also be posted on the bulletin board near the Choir Room. Please stop by our display and see some of the items that will be offered at the Annual Bazaar on November 12 and 13, 2021. Also, you will have an opportunity to vote to decide the Saint Tile hot plates that will be produced for sale this year at the Annual Bazaar.

In the meantime, if you have any clear wine bottles (we can take off paper labels), we need about 3 dozen of them. Considering the response in the past for wine corks, I don’t think this will be a problem for our congregation!

Also, any ideas that you have for items to sell at the Annual Bazaar are appreciated.

For questions or ideas, please contact Barb Graham at 44graham@comcast.net.