Our Hope Dining Room service with St. Nicholas happened on Dec. 21, 2020.  We prepared 55 meals,  served 36 of them and took 19 to the Newark Empowerment Center. We also provided MANY toiletries and cookies for the Christmas Goodie bags for the guests at Hope Dining Room.

We joined forces with St. Nicholas to provide mittens, hats and socks for the tiny children at St. Michaels Day Nursery in downtown Wilmington. I delivered all of our collection to St. Nicholas on January 10, 2021.

Two years ago our CREW (teens) collected warm sweaters, coats, scarves, gloves and socks for use at Code Purple which did not happen 2 years ago, because of the mild winter.  There were only 3 Code Purples called and we didn’t get any of them – they were done by 3 other churches in Newark. This year, Code Purple can’t be done in the churches, because of the pandemic. So, after consultation with Kelly Tompkins and Belinda, I took all the boxes of warm clothes to the Newark Empowerment Center. They will keep some of the items and send some to the Hope Center, where many of our homeless friends are staying.

I would like to THANK all of our St. Thomas’s family for their generosity and care for people who truly need help.  The needs are many and St. Thomas’s always steps up, royally!!!   BLESS you ALL!!!

Respectfully submitted,
Madeline Johnson

Merry Christmas, St. Thomas’s family!  Every year, St. Nicholas Parish provides help to the St. Michael’s Day Nursery in downtown Wilmington. It is the oldest early childhood education program in Delaware and was started in 1890! They provide high quality, affordable childcare and early education to children, 8 weeks old to 5 years old.

St. Nicholas collects mittens, hats and socks for those tiny children and we would like to supplement their collection.  St. Thomas’s has done LOTS of outreach lately and PLEASE do not feel you must participate in ALL of it – that’s kind of overwhelming!

There is a box outside the St. Thomas’s office if you would like to contribute any of those items. They will be delivered to St. Nicholas on January 10, 2021. You still have time to knit  🙂

Many Blessings to ALL,  
Madeline Johnson     mad1240@comcast.net 

Our wish list is filling out and the enthusiasm for the project with Tarbiyah School is spreading through the Parish.  Thank you everyone who has shopped and donated. Our coat collection is growing and our diaper donation, with the exception of pull-ups, has been met.  There is still room for hats, gloves, candy, books, toys!  And of course – coats!  It’s cold outside. ?

The date by which we need your donations is December 10, 2020*.  We will be putting the goody bags together ? and doing final shopping this coming weekend. Everything will be delivered to Tarbiyah on December 15, 2020. 

 2020 has been an unusual and difficult year.  Whatever you can give is meaningful and appreciated. GIving brings both the giver and the receiver sparks of joy- something we all need at this time.  The joy we give and get brings this season’s meaning close.

Again, thanks to all at St. T’s, you are wonderful!

* if you have ordered something that has not yet arrived, let us know so our shopping lists reflect your gift. If you need something picked up, that can be arranged.  See more information at Tarbiyah or how to give.

Jill Englund Jensen

Good Morning families of  St. Thomas’s and St. Nicholas,

On December 18, 2020, Hope Dining Room gives each person who comes to pick up lunch, a goodie bag. The items in the bag are being provided by all the churches that serve, during the month. We are donating hotel-size toiletries and cookies.

I think we have the cookies covered, but we are still in need of small toiletries. There is a box just outside the office at St. Thomas’s, labeled “Hope Dining Room”.  If you have any small toiletries to share, the door at St. Thomas’s is open Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. – noon. If you can’t make that schedule, give me a call, and I will pick them up at your house.

Many Blessings to all,
Madeline Johnson   mad1240@comcast.net  

Greetings St Thomas’s People!

Thank you to everyone who is working to fill the wish list of our neighbors who are in need.  Our box in the Church foyer has new goodies added daily, but… We still have needs that haven’t been met.  Please see info for this project and check out specific information about giving items or donating money.

We still need candy (miniature candy bars, candy canes), crayons, and washable markers to fill our 50 Goody bags. And, with the coming of cold weather, any donation of a new coat, mittens, hats (male and female, sizes children’s 4-adult) are really welcomed by our friends who are not only dealing with winter, but with COVID and record unemployment.  This is a year unlike any other in terms of needs. 

I am asking all of you to prayerfully consider how you can help.  Tarbiyah is doing good work in our community – let’s join in!

Best,  Jill
Jill Englund Jensen

What is Tarbiyah?
Tarbiyah is a Muslim School located in Newark, Delaware. They are dedicated to teaching all of their students love, kindness, and respect.

What have they done during the pandemic?
The Tarbiyah School has distributed 1.3 million meals since March to children in Northern Delaware in need of food. They currently have 13 distribution sites, giving out a total of 5,000 to 7,000 meals every day, but they want to do something extra special for the holiday season.

What does St. Thomas’s need from you?
We Need Donations of:
● New Adult and Kid Size Coats
● New Hats and Gloves
● Educational Toys/Games
● Stuffed Animals
● Goody Bags – Sign Up to Donate Supplies for Goody Bags
You do not need to sign up to donate coats, gloves, hats,stuffed animals, or educational toys.

What do I do with my donations?
Donations can be dropped off in the Great Hall at St. Thomas’s Episcopal Church, or you can contact Jill Jensen at jeejensen@gmail.com to request a pick up. The children and youth at St. Thomas’s will prepare the donations for distribution. Our goal is to have all donations by Thursday, December 10, 2020.

Don’t Like Shopping?
You Can Donate Money at St. Thomas’s Online Donations.

Print and share our flyer.

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

As the cold weather approaches, the Newark Empowerment Center is in need of sleeping bags to keep our homeless friends warm at night. IF you happen to have any sleeping bags that are no longer in use, I will put a big box outside the office at St. Thomas’s today, to collect them.  I will take them to the Empowerment Center. IF you would rather take them there yourself, they are located in the parking lot, behind the Newark Methodist Church (parking lot is off of Delaware Ave.)  The Empowerment Center is open from 1 – 3 p.m. (on weekdays) and they serve lunch from outside at that time, so you can just drive up and someone will  take it right from your car.  (no contact)

MANY Blessings,
Madeline Johnson

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

Next Monday, November 16, 2020, is our Hope Dining Room day! Here are the duty times and jobs:
Preparing the meal: 10 – 11:45  a.m. (3 people)
Serving the meal: 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  (2 people)
Doing dishes and cleaning up: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (2 people)

We can only have 5 masked-people in the kitchen at any one time and serving is done from a table in the front of the room, as a “grab and go”.  Our guests come in one door and walk across the room, grab lunch, and go out the other door – 6 feet or more apart,  ALL of them are masked as well.

If you are free on Monday, November 16, 2020, we have a job for you! Here is the Sign up Genius for the fruit and dessert: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DACA72AAAFF2-hope3

You may drop off your donations of food at St. Thomas’s on Wednesday or Thursday between 9 a.m. and noon, OR before the 9 a.m. service on Sunday. There is a box for Hope Dining Room outside the office. If that is not convenient for you, give me a call or an email and I will pick it up at your door.  If you would like to volunteer to help in the kitchen, please email me or call.  No experience is necessary!

MANY BLESSINGS,   Madeline Johnson