The Missions ministry team continues its efforts at reach out to our local community and have continuing relationships with all of the groups below. There are many opportunities for our members to become involved in providing Christian love and care in our community.
All Faiths Food Bank
First Presbyterian Church is in partnership with All Faiths Food Bank to be an emergency food distribution point. All Faiths delivers items to FPC for our distribution and we use the parking lot outside Fellowship Hall. The food distribution is from 9:30-11:00 am and is by drive-through with our FPC volunteers loading cars as they circle in the parking lot during the allotted time. Contact the church office for more information.
Caritas
Latin for charity, love, compassion, generosity, and benevolence, Caritas is a cooperative effort of five churches in downtown Sarasota, providing emergency assistance to those who find themselves in acute financial need. We join with these other community churches to provide food to hungry neighbors at the First Baptist church facility on Main street. FPC serves on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Thursdays.
Family Promise
Did you know that one out of every four people who is homeless is a child? Or, that families with children make up 40% of the people in this country who are homeless?
Our mission is to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence. Family Promise responds by integrating educational outreach, smart programming, effective policies, and the hands-on work of thousands of volunteers. They provide food, shelter, and support services for homeless families. They provide advice and advocacy for at-risk families. They accomplish their work through independent affiliates in 39 states (and counting). Family Promise works community-by-community, utilizing existing local resources to provide for homeless families as they work to get back on their feet. These resources include available congregational spaces for sleeping and meals, donated goods, and — most importantly — volunteers. Today, they have mobilized more than 125,000 volunteers from coast to coast in our commitment to building communities and strengthening lives. (familypromisesarasota.org)
Resurrection House
Resurrection House serves as a day resource center to the homeless of Sarasota. Their range of services include showers, restrooms, laundry, counseling, medical treatment, food, clothing, legal advice, veteran’s counselor, post office, phone and many more. Operating with only a small paid staff, it is the 200+ volunteers that allow Resurrection House to provide its multitude of services to an ever-increasing number of clients. (resurrectionhousesarasota.org)
Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity (SURE)
SURE’s mission is to unite people of faith in Sarasota County so that they can powerfully hold systems accountable in the community to a Godly standard of justice. For over a decade, SURE has been a definitive ministry in Sarasota, crossing lines of faith, denomination, age, race, geography, and income. As members of SURE First Presbyterian Church works hard to build relationships in our congregation and community, discuss our concerns for the city and county, research solutions to serious problems we select, present them to the proper officials and work with them to make “sure” our community is a just one. (SURE)