 | What makes a mission local? A local mission is a form of outreach that is either local in scope, or local in action, or both. For example, the Bowie Interfaith Pantry and Emergency Aid Fund is located on Belair Drive, less than a mile from our church, and is staffed by volunteers from St. Matthew’s and other local churches. Local families that qualify for assistance may use the pantry regularly. Look here for programs where your efforts can make an immediate difference in your community! |
 | Bowie Interfaith Pantry and Emergency Aid Fund is a local mission supported by St. Matthew’s. Non-perishable food items are collected on an ongoing basis; however, items which are especially needed are posted for the designated collection on the third Sunday of the month. While food donations are the primary means that St. Matthew’s supports the pantry, monetary gifts are welcome and volunteers are always needed. Click here for additional information on ways to assist in this mission effort. |
 | Christmas In April is a nationwide social outreach project to assist low-income families with major refurbishing of their home and property. St. Matthew’s sends two teams of volunteers each year, on the fourth Saturday in April, to homes in Prince George’s County. |
Christmas Stocking Project is a program in support of Prison Ministries. Our congregation makes stockings and stuffs them with personal care items and toys for inmates to give their children at Christmas. Over 300 stockings are prepared and distributed each year.
Christmas Sweatshirt Project is a program that supports local schools in the area in need of warm clothing for children without means to stay warm during winter months. The congregation purchases, wraps and distributes over 200 sweatshirts to the schools each year.
 | CROP is a program of Church World Service, a ministry of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the relief, development and refugee assistance arm of 35 Protestant and Orthodox communities. St. Matthew’s sponsors the annual Bowie CROP Walk, which raises money for this program. |
Early Response Team (ERT) was developed to help organize and train people to be prepared to assist when a disaster struck. Several members of St Matthew’s joined this early effort and received training to prepare them for providing relief to disaster victims. Our existing program is designed for “trained second responders” to local and national fire/rescue in the event of disasters.
FISH (FriendlyInstant Sympathetic Help) of Greater Bowie is an organization of Bowie volunteers providing assistance to their neighbors in an emergency. This includes limited transportation, referral service, emergency meals, grocery shopping, and visits to the elderly. FISH is always in need of volunteers, who work when they are available, and donations to help keep this organization running.
Help By Phone is a community non-profit organization that provides such services as transportation to medical appointments for those in need. The ability to listen with care and understanding is rewarded as interesting life stories accompany meeting the needs of the elderly.
 | Knit Wits are a group at St. Matthew’s who enjoy knitting and crocheting. They gather together weekly for an afternoon of fellowship and creating items such as afghans, hats & booties for high-risk infants, colorful lap throws for nursing centers, patriotic lap throws and limb warmers for the wounded troops, neck scarves for the military serving in the Mideast, hats and gloves for a Title One school, and much more. |
 | Meals On Wheels is a program to pick up meals at Prince George’s Hospital Center and deliver them to shut-ins on a scheduled route. St. Matthew’s delivers meals weekly on Tuesdays. |
Missionaries witness and serve in different locales and cultures and and engage in a range of professions and activities. Missionaries are a tangible connection between the church and mission. St. Matthew’s supports the following missionaries spiritually and financially:
 | David Hosey – Intern/Missionary serving in Washington, DC (David’s March 2009 report) |
Prince George’s House Men’s Shelter sponsors a program to provide dinner for homeless men. St. Matthew’s volunteers prepare and serve this meal on the third Sunday and the fourth Tuesday of each month.
St. Matthew’s Environmental Group promotes events and information that contribute to the health of the earth and encourages our elected leaders to enact legislation that’s environmentally friendly.
St. Matthew’s Family Shelter is a short-term, in-church shelter for a homeless family referred to us by local agencies, with limited rehabilitative counseling and daily “host” family contact.
St. Matthew’s Housing Corporation is a non-profit, independent project providing rent-supported housing to low-to-moderate income families. The corporation presently operates and oversees one house in Bowie.
 | Support Our Troops (SUPPOURT) is a church-wide effort to reach out to active duty military and their families in our congregation and in our community. When your loved ones have been deployed, we are a resource for you to turn to for cards and packages as requested. Please contact us at supportourtroops@stmatthews-bowie.org. |
 | “Title I” School Support is an outreach program as a result of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which provides for Federal financial assistance to ensure that all students have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to a high quality education and reach proficiency on challenging academic standards. Children that attend these schools are usually from poverty to very low income families. St. Matthew’s has provided hats, coats, gloves, undergarments, school supplies, and other needed materials to Riverdale Elementary School, a Title I school. |
Warm Nights is a Prince George’s County program managed by Community Crisis Services, Inc. (CSSI). An emergency shelter is rotated at various churches for a seven day period. The program runs from mid-November through mid-April. Each night, the host church shelters, feeds, and offers emotional support for the homeless. St. Matthew’s nomrally hosts during Christmas week. Our 2009 program received this letter of appreciation from Prince George’s County. Click here to read about our 2007 effort and the many organizations and people who participated.
