Our Mission Reaches to the Local Community, the Nation and the World!

Flowing from the heart of a believer, God's love is like a natural spring.  It rushes forth with power and strength and brings life to all it touches.  We are challenged to put the living water of God's love to good use for the benefit of others.  Through our mission giving, we are channeling the rivers of love, caring, and support to the dry, parched places where there are few natural springs.

 

Meet Sharyn Babe in Haiti - Presbyterian Mission Worker We Help Support

Sharyn Babe is a mission co-worker appointed to serve in Haiti since 1987, first with Project HELP and since 1991 with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  By invitation of the Episcopal Church of Haiti, Sharyn serves at the Episcopal University (UNEPH) as professor of educational technology.  Sharyn served for many years as a mission co-worker with her husband Rodney, but Rodney resigned in March of 2008 to work with PREPEP, which is funded by USAID.   For more than a decade the Babes worked with CODEP (Agricultural Development Program of the Comprehensive Development Project), which was formerly known as Cormiers Development Project. The Cormiers project is sponsored under a covenant between the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Episcopal Church of Haiti.  A native of Pennsylvania, Sharyn earned her B.A. in fine arts and an M.Ed. in counseling from Pennsylvania State University. From 1983 to 1986 she was the coordinator of the Job Training Partnership Act programs for youth and adult literacy in Altoona, Pennsylvania.  Prior to leaving for Haiti in 1987, she worked for the Juniata Valley school district as an elementary guidance counselor. 

Beth-El Center (1988) (formerly the Combined Parishes Action Committee or CPAC). The Beth-El Center helped nearly 300 people including about 50 children in its 34 bed homeless shelter last year. The Soup Kitchen feeds about 60 people every day at 90 New Haven Avenue here in Milford. Beth-El provides shelter, food, spiritual support and help to attain self-sufficiency to the residents and other needy people in Milford. www.bethelmilford.org

ChildFund International (1978):  The child that we currently support is Trevor Laurenz who lives with his mother and two younger sisters.  They are members of a Lakota Sioux Tribe. His birthday is June 22, 1996.  Besides monthly financial support we send cards, Christmas and birthday gifts. www.childfund.org

Christian Community Action (1978):  Located on Davenport Avenue in New Haven, CCA was started in the early 60’s as a Christian response to the needs of the poor in that area. Emergency housing for burned-out families, clothing, food, furniture and assistance for families in trouble are all a part of this endeavor. Support is derived from area churches and individuals who are concerned for the needs of the poor. www.ccahelps.org

Isaiah House (1983): Isaiah House is a halfway house for former convicts, and was established to help redirect the lives of these men. Last year we provided Christmas gifts for the women of Mary Magdalene House, a sister halfway house, to wrap and give to their children. www.isaiahhouse.org

Mary Magdalene House (2009)  Mary Magdalene House is a 15 bed work release program for women.  The goal of the program is to enhance public safety by reducing recidivism as we assist offenders in making successful transitions to community living.  Services include room and board, accountability, needs assessment and individual treatment plans, case management, employment readiness and job development.  All services are provided through a gender responsive program model.

Milford Pastoral Counseling Center (1985):  The center is a place for persons to talk with a Christian professional who is trained in counseling.  The center offers a non-profit pastoral counseling and referral service to people of the greater Milford area. Counseling services are available for individuals, couples, and families. www.thecounselingcentre.org

One Great Hour of Sharing (1979):  This ecumenical offering shares God’s love with people experiencing need.  Our gifts support ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development that help people find safe refuge, start new lives, and work together to strengthen their families and communities. www.pcusa.org/oghs/

Presbyterian Church USA - General Assembly (1978): The designated portion of our GA mission has been directed to Rodney and Sharyn Babe, missionaries in Haiti. Their work is primarily in agriculture and teaching the people skills needed to become more self-sufficient. www.pcusa.org

Presbytery of Southern New England (PSNE) (1978):  PSNE provides funding from the 34 churches in our Presbytery for many worthwhile projects.  Some of these are campus ministries, inner city ministries for children and adults, assistance to churches that are making mission trips to the Gulf Coast, relief efforts, and other causes that are brought to their attention, including a grant last year to Beth El Center in Milford.  Part of our giving to PSNE Mission has been designated to Project Learn in Bridgeport, which is an after-school tutoring program for children. www.psne.org

Salvation Army (2000):  Helping the needy and homeless for over 100 years, the Salvation Army has expanded its outreach programs to include more than 100 countries with the Gospel preached by its officers in more than 160 languages.  Among the Salvation Army programs are disaster relief, daycare centers, summer camp, holiday assistance, services for the aging, AIDs education, residential services, medical services, running shelters for battered women and children, family and career counseling, vocational training, correction services, and substance abuse rehabilitation.  The Salvation Army aids more than 30 million people a year in some way. Our contribution stays in Milford. We began filling back packs with school supplies in 2001. www.salvationarmyusa.org

Orphanage at Prachakittisuk Church, Thailand. (2009):  The children at the Reverend Sirirat’s orphanage come from the hill tribes, neighboring countries and from mothers and fathers who have lost their lives to HIV, drug addiction and desperate conditions. Children who never knew their parents and who have no one to call “family.”  These children have literally been given a second chance at life. Without any documentation of where they were born, they will have difficulty ever attaining citizenship. But with the help of the local schools and Pastor Pusurinkham, they attend school and learn to be children knowing they are loved.  Her church is an intrinsic part of the community; part congregation, part artisan craft center. The wares she sells help sustain her village and prevent desperate and hungry women from selling their bodies and their children into the sex trade. rev_sirirat@yahoo.com

World Vision (1978): World Vision is an international organization committed to the vision of bringing hunger under control.  Their message is that all of God’s people the world over need to be fed - spiritually and physically.  In addition to food, World Vision workers help the residents build wells for better water supplies, teach agriculture improvements and basically try to help toward better management of resources as they find them. www.worldvision.org