You can participate in the following projects in many ways.  If your time is limited, you may wish to make a financial donation by writing a check payable to St. Matthew's Church and indicating which program you want to support.  If you would like to roll up your sleeves and get personally involved, please consider the projects listed below.
Other outreach efforts are made during the year.  Please check the Sunday bulletin for announcements, as well as St. Matthew’s on-line bulletins.  For further information, please contact our outreach directors, Carolyn Bollman and Beverly Talanian, at the church office (949-219-0911; office@stmatthewsacc.com).

St. Matthew's Special Ministry - HAITI

In 2006, the Most Reverend Mark David Haverland, Ph.D., Metropolitan and Archbishop of the Anglican Catholic Church, created the Missionaries of St. Paul the Apostle to be the Church’s network of clergy and laity who will support the missionary clergy and their ministries.  On November 30, 2008, the Venerable Donald S. Lerow was appointed ACC Mission Society Executive Secretary to assist in the oversight of these foreign missions.
Archbishop Haverland has chosen the Missionary Diocese of the Caribbean as the first foreign mission to receive support from all Anglican Catholic churches.

Since 2006, St. Matthew’s Church has chosen to particularly support Father Bien-Aime and his work in Haiti by means of funds, clothing, and school and medical supplies.  In an effort to become more personally involved, a group of men from St. Matthew’s spent a week with Father Bien-Aime in Haiti during the summer of 2009.  They returned with deepened respect for Father Bien-Aime, optimism for improving the lives of Haitians under his care, and increased desire to further his efforts. Haiti Mission Team: Chris Becher, Ted de la Haye, Tim Schmidt, M.D.

HAITI – Croix-des-Bouquets

Haiti is the world's oldest black republic and second oldest republic in the western hemisphere after the United States. Located in the West Indies, it occupies the western third of the island Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. About the size of Maryland, Haiti is two-thirds mountainous.

Haiti is the poorest and most backward country in the Western Hemisphere.  Of the approximately nine million people who live in Haiti, there are several thousand extremely wealthy families, while an estimated eighty percent of the population are mostly illiterate, unemployed, and live in absolute poverty – abused, starving, and diseased.  There is a small middle class, comprised of civil servants and other state-sector employees.  All education and medical services are entirely private and quite expensive. Major birth defects and childhood deaths from malnutrition and disease before the age of five affect 75% of the children.  Only one out of every five children attends school. 

During the greater periods of mass starvation, the United Nations – in conjunction with former President Clinton, musician Wyclef Jean, and other individuals and organizations – directs emergency food to Haiti.  Even during the best of times, however, nutritious food and sanitary water are in short supply. 

Since 1994, the Very Reverend Jean Bien-Aime (Dean and Vicar General) has been the priest of our sister church in Haiti, Saint Therese de L’Enfant Jesus.  He believes that the Holy Spirit is directing him to bring the loving message of Jesus Christ to the people of Haiti and has faith that God will provide what is needed to educate, to feed, and, most importantly, to welcome Haitians into the family of God.

• Saint Therese de L’Enfant Jesus church, Tapio:  the Very Reverend Jean Bien-Aime, Dean and Vicar General. 
  ( This is St. Matthew’s sister church in Haiti)
• St. Vincent de Paul church, Monnonville:  Reverend Beaudelet Baptiste.
• Notre Dame de la Grace chapel, Port-au-Prince:  Reverend Bien-Aime, Priest-in-Charge.
• Our Lady of Lourdes chapel, Port-au-Prince:  Father Jean Barnabe, Rector.

God has given St. Matthew’s the opportunity to reach out and help some of the poorest among us.  The desire of St. Matthew’s Outreach is to financially support the work of Fr. Bien-Aime through the Anglican Missionary Society with the schools, health care center, and orphanage under his supervision. 

In light of the 80% illiteracy rate, one of the most important needs in Haiti is education.  That only one in five children attends school is heartbreaking.  Literacy will enhance employment potential and empower Haitians to have greater control of their lives and to govern their country in a democratic manner.

Port-au-Prince:  Under the direction of Father Bien-Aime, the Institution Fondamentalle of St. John school employs 12 teachers and serves 185 students.

Tapio:  In this mountainous village of 15,000 (80% under 18 years old), Father Bien-Aime’s School Sainte Augustin serves 450 students with a staff of 12 teachers.  The children are also given lunch each day, which is often their only meal of the day.  With additional funding, the school could accommodate as many as 800 students.

Monnonville:  Under the direction of the Reverend Beaudelet Baptiste, the St. Vincent de Paul school serves over 100 students.

Orphanage: Port-au-Prince

Father Bien-Aime has rented space for an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, which houses 22 young girls.  Although the facility is primitive by our standards, it provides a safe haven for these girls, who otherwise would be starving and living on dangerous city streets controlled by criminal gangs. These girls receive three meals a day, an education, and, most importantly, a safe, loving, Christian environment under the care of Father Bien-Aime and his staff.

Sponsorship  We are looking for sponsors to contribute $20/month to help feed and care for these children at the orphanage.  Additionally, you may correspond with a particular child selected from the photos we have received.  Father Bien-Aime will be happy to translate all your letters to the girls. 

Health Center: Tapio

Through this clinic – the only health center in Tapio – the two nurses on staff are able to provide basic first aid.  Additionally, Father Bien-Aime has developed pre- and post-natal feeding programs that serve approximately 35 mothers and their babies.  The center needs medical supplies (antibiotics, cold and cough medicines, pain relievers, fever reducers, e.g.), vitamins, and money to pay the salaries of those working at the facility.  St. Matthew’s Outreach will be asking for contributions of medical supplies when we know exactly what is needed; these will be taken directly to Father Bien-Aime.

Although this facility can accommodate 4 beds, it has none.  The nearest hospital is in Port-au-Prince or Croix des Bouquets, a 3-to-5-hour walk from Tapio.  Father Bien-Aime’s vision is to see this existing facility fully equipped and staffed.

Tapio’s Future
In addition to the above projects, Father Bien-Aime is continually involved in improving the roads in and around Tapio, increasing farming productivity, and building houses stable enough to withstand Haiti’s seasonal floods.  More accessible sanitary water and electricity are additional needs for the village.

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If you would like to support Father Bien-Aime’s work in Haiti, please make your check payable to St. Matthew’s Church.  On the memo line, write “Haiti Relief ”.  All designated funds received by St. Matthew’s Church will be forwarded monthly to the Anglican Missionary Society with instructions for their distribution to Fr. Bien-Aime.

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Haiti’s History
Haiti was one of the richest colonies in the eighteenth-century French empire, when African slaves were brought to work on the various plantations.  In 1791, the slave population revolted, and in 1804 slave forces defeated Napoleon's army, establishing their independence from France.  Dessalines, one of the leaders of the revolt, authorized slaves to seize the land of their former masters and to divide it among themselves.  Although these new landowners were able to raise enough food for their families, they did not produce enough extra to create a stable economy.  Consequently, Dessalines resorted to forced labor and became a dictator.  Without democratic leadership, Haiti fell into economic corruption, bankruptcy, political anarchy, and personal tyranny, which persist to the present day.

There is now some hope that Haiti's President Rene Preval can improve security, unify the nation and its different economic classes, and improve the food supply. 

Recently, Jean-Max Bellerive has been appointed Prime Minister, replacing Michele Pierre-Louis, who was removed owing to feelings that she was not moving fast enough to solve Haiti’s problems.  We are hopeful that, under Bellerive’s leadership, the Haitian government will do more to support its own producers of rice and beans, thereby becoming more independent of foreign imports.

St. Matthew's Orphanage: Cordoba, Veracruz, Mexico

This new (2002) orphanage of 10,000 square feet houses 55 children, with the capacity to house 100.  Away from the crowded city, the children are thriving in their new facility on five acres of land.

On July 1, 2002, 47 children at Casa Hogar Peregrinos de la Palabra de Dios were moved into their new home from a rented, 2,000-square-feet, four-bedroom house on a small residential lot on a noisy commercial street in the city of Cordoba in the gulfcoast state of Veracruz, Mexico. Their new home is approximately 10,000 square feet on five acres of land about two miles from town. It can accommodate approximately 100 children, but now houses just fifty-five.

A devout Christian couple, Jesus and Santa Torres, manage the facility, and have themselves adopted two children in addition to parenting three children of their own. Their love of children and their desire to help orphans prompted them to start the project approximately fifteen years ago at great personal sacrifice.

The state provides little in the way of financial aid. The children are brought to Casa Hogar by the civil authorities and by others who find them on the streets. Children are also received as a result of court orders related to abuse, family disintegration, or the death of parents. Jesus Torres, the director, has a pickup truck, which he takes into the surrounding mountains to buy vegetables from Indian farmers. He then cleans, boxes, and sells them to local markets, using the proceeds to help provide for his family and the orphans.

The children contribute to their own support by selling tamales, made at the orphanage, on the streets two nights a week. The orphanage is further supported by financial donations and by local markets with donations of food in such poor condition that it cannot be sold in the community. The children at Casa Hogar are proud and happy in their new home, where they now have a chance to develop a strong sense of self-worth and dignity in spite of having lost parental love and guidance. Jesus and Santa insure a loving, Christian upbringing for these children.

Contact Person: De Forest D. (Skip) Spindler

St. Matthew's Military Outreach: Camp Pendleton Marine Base, Oceanside, California

We welcome all who wish to express their gratitude to our brave men and women who are sacrificing their lives to protect our safety and freedom. We want to support our military abroad and assist our military families here at home.  We have listed several ways that you may participate in this outreach to those who do so much for us.

We encourage you to get involved in at least one of the following ways to express your thanks to our military and their families both at home and overseas.

• Donate some of the supplies needed for the “coffee bar” that Chaplain Daniel McGrath (who is part of St. Matthew’s family) has set up for the Marines under his care.  When the battalion is not deployed, the men train on and maintain amphibious assault vehicles.  Having a “cafe” in the workspace enables the chaplains to interact informally with the men, providing a relaxed setting where they can share any needs or concerns they may have.  We can help in this ministry by supplying coffee, sugar packets, and powdered cream (or liquid cream if it doesn’t require refrigeration).  If you leave the items on the Outreach cabinet in the foyer, Father McGrath will take them each Sunday.
• Volunteer with the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (San Onofre office, Camp Pendleton) to help young married couples with financial management and budget planning for babies.
• Create bags full of items for Marines with spinal cord injuries, including thank-you notes for their sacrifices to protect our country.
• Serve Marine graduates from the School of Infantry at their “concrete barbeque” gathering in San Onofre (1:30pm-4:00pm).  Contact Cheri Ketner at St. Matthew’s to participate.
• Help with care packages that are sent throughout the year to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
• Provide childcare a few hours a month at Camp Pendleton.
• Correspond with our military in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  
  Write thank-you notes to our wounded Marines upon their return from the Middle East.

Sudan: Diocese of Aweil

This diocese, under the leadership of Bishop Wilson Garang, joined the ACC in 2007.  After 20 years of war, the people of South Sudan are trying to rebuild their lives.  Bishop Garang is intensely involved in efforts to improve education, medical care, nutrition, and the care of orphans in this area.  Above all, however, he is dedicated to the conversion of souls.

Bishop Wilson Garang, along with clergy and parishioners of the Diocese of Aweil in Southern Sudan, joined the ACC in 2007.  This diocese covers parts of the states of Bahr-el-Ghazal and Warrup, is very remote, and is spread over a very large territory. The diocese has about 15,000 members, with more baptisms and confirmations at each visit from Bishop Garang!

Southern Sudan has experienced years of civil war with the North, but is currently keeping peace.  The people of the north are associated with predominantly Middle Eastern Arabic culture.  The Sahara Desert divides the country, and the culture of the South is primarily Sub-Saharan traditional African.  Most of the natural resources are in the South; however, the people of the South have not had access to the benefits of these resources and lack education, health care, clean water, electricity and the most basic of human dignities.  After 20 years of war and depredation, the South is trying to reconstruct and move forward.  It is a daunting task. 

Locally, Bishop Wilson prays and works for literacy and self-sufficiency for his flock and for the conversion of souls.  There are many needs and many ways to help for those with a heart to do so.  These people are most grateful for any assistance we can give. Currently, the ACC is seeking to fund the purchase of a truck for the diocese.  This would do wonders in terms of distributing medical supplies and helping those with dire medical emergencies.  There are very few vehicles in the diocese: most people walk miles and miles for anything, and many are afraid to travel because of the memory of war. 

It would also be a true gift to build a school and orphanage, as there are many, many orphans as a result of the years of war.  Also, education is sorely lacking in Southern Sudan, particularly for girls.  To change that would be a present blessing and an investment for the future. For more informaiton you may visit this website.

Outreach to the Homeless of Long Beach, California

Fred Newkirk, pastor and director of Inner City Ministries, preaches and teaches the Word of God three times a week to the poor and homeless of Long Beach.  He tells us that “hygiene kits are a marvelous gift for those who live out of their backpacks.”  This is a simple yet effective way for us to reach out to the needy in our own community.

Every Sunday night, at his Basement Fellowship, Pastor Fred Newkirk serves dinner and preaches the saving, forgiving love of God to the poor and homeless of Long Beach – substance abusers, gang members, down-and-outers. These are men and women without jobs, without homes, without hope, into whose hearts the “Preacher Man” speaks of the life-changing gift that Jesus offers.

We are enthusiastic about participating in Pastor Newkirk’s Inner City Ministries by creating hygiene kits that he will distribute to these men and women. Items needed include washcloths, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, facial cream, combs, hairbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, etc. You can package them yourselves in a Ziploc bag, along with a note of encouragement (your first name only, and no address) and leave them on the Outreach cabinet. Or you can donate the items and our high schoolers will package them for you. Thank you for your compassion for those whose shattered lives need to be made whole through the power and love of Jesus.