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St. Bart’s in the World
This vibrant umbrella ministry is committed to exploring opportunities for global commitment that make a difference in our world through projects that help to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of the human family.
The group focuses on a variety of working areas, including global and third world
issues, AIDS, and international partnerships including those that advance the Millennium Development Goals (see below) to eradicate chronic extreme poverty.
 On
November 30, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon , Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, top entertainers and activists gathered to commemorate World AIDS Day. AIDS remains the world's most disastrous pandemic – and the most preventable. Sponsored by St. Bartholomew's, The Hunger Project, UNAIDS, Global Coalition against AIDS, TB and Malaria (GBC), the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the World Council of Churches and many other organizations.
Performers included 2007 Grammy award-winner Angelín Chang and the Harambee Dance Company (right). Other UN officials and staff, representatives of Missions and civil society organizations, and partners in the city government are also participating. Soledad O'Brien of CNN (above) served as emcee for the event.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
At the start of the new millennium, leaders from 191 nations, including the United States, agreed on the Millennium Development Goals, a plan to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015. St. Bartholomew's joins our national and worldwide Anglican Communion, Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD, the international development arm of the national Church), and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), by designating 0.7 percent of our giving toward this worldwide effort to eradicate extreme global poverty within the next decade. Join St. Bart's and the World to become involved in ongoing MDG awareness and advocacy projects.
Update: Our commitment to fund .7% of our giving toward organizations doing effective work on one or several of the MDGs involved funding four organizations from our 2006 pledge and plate giving.
Habitat for Humanity
Our Habitat for Humanity Team grows stronger each year, and participates in local builds as well as taking on overseas projects in areas where housing is in critical need. A combination of “Raise the Roof” benefit concerts, personal giving and some grants, have also enabled our St. Bart’s Habitat Team to be a very generous financial contributor to Habitat For Humanity.
AIDS Orphans Partnership
The Episcopal Diocese of New York and the Diocese of Central Tanganyika have formed a partnership in which parishes from both dioceses link up in a mutual relationship of prayer, communication and support. This is an important ministry that helps children orphaned by AIDS to remain in their communities and parishes instead of being sent to orphanages.
St. Bartholomew’s, along with other New York parishes, has agreed to provide $50 per child per year for school fees, breakfasts, uniforms, shoes and books—and to do this for 100 children per year over the next five years. We have reached our first-year goal of $5,000 and sent this through our diocese to the Diocese of Central Tanganyika (all administrative costs are covered separately; therefore every dollar given is going directly to support the orphans’ school and nutritional needs).
We have been matched up with the Mvumi Makulu parish and 100 of their children. The most needy children received their new shoes and school uniforms on February 24.
Click here to see a gallery of photos taken on distribution day. Click here for our most recent update.
The purpose of this new relationship with the parishioners of Mvumi Makulu is to increase understanding between our parishes. If you’d like to send a message of support, contact Kevin Bean to send the message through an electronic bulletin board.
If you’d like to see first-hand where your contributions have made a difference, you can join one of the diocesan-led trips to Tanzania. St. Bart's parishioners are going on two trips in 2007 and more trips are planned for 2008.
• Giving Cards to benefit the AIDS Orphans Partnership Giving cards, with proceeds benefiting our AIDS Orphans Partnership, are available at St. Bart’s Central or during coffee hour. For more information, contact
St. Bart’s Central.
If you'd like to contribute toward our 2007 $5,000 goal, please write a check to St. Bartholomew's Church and include "AIDS Orphans Partnership" in the memo line.
Contact the Rev. Kevin Bean at
bean@stbarts.org or 212-378-0215.
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