Our Benevolence giving tries to address the range of human needs as outlined in Matthew 25:34-36, targeting issues of hunger, poverty, incarceration, illness, and the needs of refugees. In a growing awareness of our environmental responsibilities, we also have one Benevolence that targets wildlife and land preservation. Our Benevolence giving is supported by the pledges of our congregation and the church tries to maintain a ratio of Benevolence giving that is minimally 10% of our total church expenditures.

Every year two or three Elders are assigned to review the Benevolence budget.  They solicit annual reports from the recipient programs, investigate new programs, look at the overall balance of our giving, and recommend changes in dollar amounts.  This sub-committee reports their findings to the Board of Elders which then writes up the new proposed budget and submits it to the Trustees to be sent to the congregation.
 

Description of Programs

            (The date in parentheses is the year we began our giving.)

Alfred Area Food Pantry:   The Food Pantry is housed in the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Alfred Station and serves people of the Alfred-Alfred Station area. The children of our church bring food for the Pantry every Sunday which is collected during the Children's Time in worship. Adults also contribute both food and volunteer time at the Pantry.

Allegany County Senior Foundation: (2009): Identifies the unique needs of seniors living in Allegany County that are not being met by current services, and tries to efficiently coordinate and fund if necessary non-governmental efforts to fill those gaps.

Almond Good Samaritan House:  (1994)  The Almond Union of Churches in Almond, NY (the next village over) administers this house which provides temporary housing to people in need.  The maximum stay allowed is 30 days.

Arbor Development: (formally SCCAP): (1999) Provides services and affordable or transitional housing in New York's Southerntier to victims of domestic violence, the mentally ill, and low income people.

Cameron Community Ministries:(1995)  This ministry began as a soup kitchen in one of Rochester's poorest districts and has expanded to offer medical services, counseling services, teenage pregnancy prevention programs, youth services, and many other innovative programs.

Christian Sojourners:  (1987) A local mission to Haiti supports volunteer doctors, special medical needs, and adult trade schools. Run by the First Congregational Church of Wellsville

Children’s Defense Fund: (1997)   A national non-profit organization targeting the needs of children, particularly those living in poverty.  Children’s Defense Fund has many programs designed for use in churches, synagogues, and religious groups to raise awareness of and minister to the needs of children in the U.S.

Colgate Rochester Divinity School:  (1970s) Many of our pastors, including the Rev. DeMott, have received their training in theological studies from this seminary.

Comfort House of Allegany County: (2010) A house in Wellsville, NY operated for the purpose of providing assistance and comfort care to terminally ill residents and their families. Can accomodate up to two terminally ill patients and family members at a time.

Discretionary Fund:  Reserved for emergency help with any sudden private, community, or global disaster.  If not needed during the year, it is generally redirected by the board to other missions.

Faith in Action: (1998) Coordinates a large network of volunteers who visit the homebound in the wider Hornell area (including Alfred).  Volunteers may also help out with odd jobs, and provide other small services to their assigned person.  Several members of the congregation volunteer with the Interfaith Caregivers.

Foundation for the Children of Haiti: (1992)  This mission's largest priority is maintaining and enlarging a children's hospital dedicated the summer of 1993.  Has developed a carefully arranged human chain to get contributions past the repressive military government which is hampering work for the education and health of Haitian children and their families.

Gil's Hills:  (1984)  A lodge and farm buildings on a 50 acre tract near Wellsville donated by Gil Parker.  Staff works with troubled pre-delinquent youth.  Shelter, activities, social, and spiritual guidance are provided for young people.  During one recent year they reported helping 300 children in various ways.

Habitat for Humanity: Genesee Valley Chapter:  (1993) Habitat for Humanity provides low cost housing by working with a family to build their own home.  The Genesee Valley Chapter covers Allegany County and beyond.

Haiti Outreach: (2007)  After a youth service trip to Pignon, Haiti to help build a home for a family, our youth urged the church to support the work of Haiti Outreach in that region. Haiti Outreach is a community based organization that, among other things, funds scholarships for school children and is digs wells for villages to provide clean drinking water.

Heifer International: (2011) Provides breeding animals to poor communities globally with the understanding that the recipients will pass along some of the offspring to other families in their community. For many years, our church has taken special collections to support the work of Heifer and in 2011, the Board of Elders decided to add it to our regular annual giving.

Pastor's Fund:  Emergency funds for the pastor to use for individuals in need.

Peaceprints Prison Ministry (formerly Cephas Attica): (1985) This program has helped return to society individuals who no longer view crime, drugs, or alcohol as a desired way of life.  It provides counseling, housing, emergency services, job/skills/work/ethic training.  Their success rate betters the statewide rehabilitation record by 140%.

Red Cloud Indian School:  (1997) A member of the congregation developed a connection with this school when she had a "sister school" relationship between her Day Care and Red Cloud.

Vive: (2009) Provides temporary housing and assistance to world wide refugees seeking asylum, primarily those who will be relocating in Canada. Our church became involved in Vive through one of our youth who, after graduation, did an Americorp internship with Vive.

Western New York Nature Conservancy:  (2002)   As people of faith, we believe that we have a responsibility to care for the earth as well as its inhabitants.  The Western New York chapter of the Nature Conservancy buys and preserves important habitats for wildlife and flora in our region of New York State.

In addition, the Board sponsors a community UNICEF drive in the fall, supports distribution of Christmas baskets to families in need, collects an offering for Church World Service Blanket Fund in the winter, has given special offerings to Matthew 25: Ministries for crisis relief, and takes on an intergenerational special service project each year during the weeks of Lent.

(Updated 5-25-2011)