Shawl Ministry Outreach

Recently I received the following e-mail I thought you might be interested in reading:

Hello Ms. Brown,

My name is Donna Williams-Pettaway I am the Activities Director for the Hamilton Grange Senior Center in Central Harlem. We are one of the oldest senior centers in the Harlem New York area, we are sponsored by the Convent Avenue Baptist Church and The Department for The Aging.

I was writing to let you know that I have started a knitting and crocheting program here at the center for the seniors who attend. We meet every Wednesday from 10am to 12pm. One of my seniors mentioned the Shawl Ministry and expressed an interest in creating Knitted items which would be donated to your good cause. I wanted to gain alittle more information so as to aquire the materials we may need to participate. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Best regards,

Donna Williams-Pettaway

This probably came to me as a result of the Shawl Ministry's participation in the Alternative Gift Market. I told her of course she can be part of our virtual Shawl Ministry and instead of shipping shawls to Summit that they go to people in Harlem who need them.

The Shawl Ministry now has funds to be used to purchase supplies or for publicity. Anyone who would like to participate as a knitter or chrocheter is welcome. I will be available as a teacher and coach. Also the Deacons are responsible for telling me the names of persons who could use a shawl so when you have a finished product we will bless it and send it on it's way. There are a number of prayers that can be sent with the shawls . I will try to have a page on the Christ Church website that lists the prayers. I got these prayer from a Shawl Ministry Group which is a part of the Yahoo Groups. One of the members of that group listed the prayers that they use.

So remember this is another way to spread the word of God through the work of our hands. The people who have received the shawls to date have been very grateful for them. Since I am writing this before the heat comes up in my house I am wearing the shawl that was donated to me by a UCC member.
Jeannette Brown