ECV Christmas Giving Opportunity - for CCA (with NHV)!

ECV Christmas Giving Opportunity - 3 ways to help out!

1. Give $$ to purchase Gifts for kids at CCA's Steppingstone Transitional Housing Program! ($25 = 1 kid's gift) - collecting donations on Sundays (12/4 & 12/11)
2. Buy Gifts for the kids! - wrapped gifts collected on Sun. 12/18
3. Volunteer and Meet the Families at Steppingstone Christmas Reception! - Tuesday, 12/20 from 5:30 - 7:30pm at 660 Winchester Ave. (need 4 - 5 volunteers)

I'm so excited to share with all of you a wonderful opportunity to share some Christmas love to local children in New Haven this holiday season! 

We'll be partnering with the New Haven Vineyard Church (located in West Haven, the church we planted out of) to provide presents for the kids in Christian Community Action's Stepping Stone Transitional Housing Program!

The idea is this - ECV will be buying Christmas gifts for 15 children (in 9 families - half of the families who live in the housing units), ages ranging from 6 months - 17 years, who currently live in Steppingstone's Transitional Housing units. The parents of these families are working hard to find jobs and more permanent housing to provide for their families, and often don't have money left over to buy presents for their kids. So, we have a list of kids (and their wishlists!) who we will purchase and wrap the gifts for, which we will then give anonymously to their parents, who will then give the presents to their kids - it imparts a sense of dignity for the parents to do it this way.

So, how can you help out? There are 3 ways (you can do one, more or all of the below)!

1. Give Money: We will be collecting donations during our NEXT TWO Sunday Gatherings (12/4 & 12/11) - We hope to spend $25 per kid, so you can choose to "sponsor" part of a gift or more! If you can't make it on a Sunday, then feel free to email Hannah to arrange sending your donations to her (checks payable to ECV, write "CCA Christmas" in memo).
   
2. Buy/Wrap Gifts: If you LOVE shopping (and/or wrapping gifts), we are looking for people who will buy the actual gifts for the kids! We will provide you the name, age, gender, and wishlist of kid(s) that you want to buy gifts for and we will be collecting wrapped gifts on Sunday, 12/18. You can shop alone or with friends/kids/your homegroup! Email Hannah if you are interested in doing this.
3. Volunteer and Meet the families at Steppingstone Christmas Reception! - On Tuesday, 12/20, from 5:30 - 7:30pm at 660 Winchester Ave., we will be co-hosting a Christmas reception at the Steppingstone building to meet the families who've received our gifts! We'll provide punch and cookies, etc. We need about 4 or 5 people from ECV to represent us at the reception, so if you are interested in attending/helping out with this (this is a great opportunity to meet the people we've bought the gifts for), then let Hannah know.

If you are interested in helping out in any way or have any questions about this, just email Hannah.
Hope you can help out and share the love this Holiday Season!

ECV Christmas Eve Service

Date: Thursday, December 24th (Christmas Eve)
Time: 6:00 - 7:00pm
Place: Dwight Hall Chapel (67 High Street - between Elm & Chapel Streets)

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel..."

Please join us for our ECV Christmas Eve gathering in Dwight Hall's Chapel (right on Yale's Old Campus)! There will be singing, reading, and reflecting on the mystery of the incarnation of Jesus.

Childcare will be provided.

Hope to see you there!

In case you need them - Directions to Dwight Hall at Yale:

Dwight Hall is located on the Yale University Old Campus, which may be entered via Phelps Gate, on College Street between Elm and Chapel Streets. Dwight Hall is directly across the courtyard from Phelps Gate and our offices are in the wing of the building that features an accessible wheelchair ramp entrance.

If you need a detailed map Yale Campus, click here and search for "Dwight Hall."

Join us as we celebrate Christ's birth on this earth.

ECV Holiday Donation Opportunity to Refugees!

What: Donations for Refugees being assisted by IRIS
When: Sunday 12/13 & Sunday 12/20
Items to Donate: See List Below

This Christmas season we are going to collect items to give as gifts to one of ECV's partners, IRIS - Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (www.irisct.org). IRIS welcomes and resettles refugees- people fleeing persecution- from all over the world, including Iraq, Congo, Cuba, Afghanistan, Sudan, and other countries. IRIS helps them get started in their new lives in the US by providing basic needs and services, and helps them acculturate. We'll be hearing a partner update about IRIS this coming Sunday (12/13).

IRIS collects donations from the community to outfit refugees with everything they need in their new homes. Imagine fleeing your home and arriving in a new country with only 2 suitcases, if that! Now imagine coming from a place like Baghdad or the Congo, where the weather is VERY different, and coming into New Haven on a snowy/slushy, COLD day like today!

Over the next 2 weeks, we are hoping to help refugees in New Haven by collecting:

• New thermal underwear for adults and kids, any size
• New socks for adults and kids (including trouser socks for women)
• Pots & pans (these can be used/from Goodwill as long as they're in good condition and are clean)
• Umbrellas

If you would like to contribute to the collection, please bring these items to church on Sunday 12/13 or Sunday 12/20.

(These donations are tax-deductible. If you would like a thank you letter and receipt from IRIS for your donation, please contact Kelly Hebrank at kelly (dot) hebrank (at) gmail (dot) com)

Thank you!

ECV Christmas Eve Service!

Date: Wednesday, December 24th (Christmas Eve)
Time: 6:00 - 7:00pm (with light refreshments afterward)
Place: Dwight Hall Chapel (67 High Street - between Elm & Chapel Streets)

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel..."

Please join us for our ECV Christmas Eve gathering in Dwight Hall's Chapel (right on Yale's Old Campus)! There will be singing, reading, and reflecting on the mystery of the incarnation of Jesus.

Childcare will be provided. Light Refreshments to follow in the Dwight Hall Library.

Hope to see you there!

In case you need them - Directions to Dwight Hall at Yale:

Dwight Hall is located on the Yale University Old Campus, which may be entered via Phelps Gate, on College Street between Elm and Chapel Streets. Dwight Hall is directly across the courtyard from Phelps Gate and our offices are in the wing of the building that features an accessible wheelchair ramp entrance.

If you need a detailed map Yale Campus, click here and search for "Dwight Hall"