The Social Action Committee is involved in a number of initiatives for community outreach, education and social justice. The Committee encourages and enables members of the congregation to reach out to the larger community of Grand Rapids, the Country, the World. Congregational participation is needed and welcomed. We are looking forward to working with "Beyond Sunday" to increase this participation. Ideas for new projects are also welcomed, especially from those who want to work on those projects themselves. It has been accepted SAC policy that positions on any issue are not made in the name of Fountain Street Church as a whole, but by sponsoring groups within the church, with which congregants can choose to be involved.
Following is a list of organizations to which we contributed this year. These disbursements are in addition to the funds already set aside for our annual GRCC scholarship. Many volunteers also contributed their time to these organizations along with the SAC contact persons.
RISES (Running In Solidarity with El Salvadorans)
ANSWER (American-Nepal Student & Women's Educational Relief)
2010 New Orleans Trip
Grand Rapids Planned Parenthood
Grand Rapids Habitat for Humanity
Grand Rapids Home Repair Services
GRCC Scholarship
Blandford Nature Center
Grandville Center Arts & Humanities
Westminster Church Child Development Center
FSC Pastor's B Fund (assistance for non-congregants)
RIF (Reading is Fundamental)
Grand Rapids Athletic Youth Football Program
FSC ArtPrize Venue Operations
Grand Rapids Montessori School
Reverence for Life Sunday Exhibitors
Alzheimer's Association, Grand Rapids Chapter
FSC Character School (to assist with bird house project)
Institute for Global Education
Fair Housing Center
Interfaith Hospitality Network/Family Promise, Grand Rapids Chapter
Oxfam (Pakistani flood relief)
Albert Schweitzer Hospital
Heartline Ministries
In the Image
International Aid, Inc.
God's Kitchen
Campus Elementary School
Degage Ministries
West Michigan Environmental Action Council
Throughout the year we are also involved in participatory projects such as the Hunger Walk, Holiday Food Baskets, AIDS Walk, and The Citywide Food Drive. SAC and congregation volunteers participated in a fix-up project at Heartside Ministries. We co-sponsored, with other organizations, several events held in the Social Hall.
Historically, the period between Christmas and tax returns can be a lean stretch for many people - bills from Christmastime come due combined with potentially higher monthly utility payments and perhaps medical costs from family illnesses. Food prices continue to increase. Although the seasonally adjusted state unemployment rate has dropped in recent months, it remains an unacceptable 8.4%. Adding to this potent mixture is the fact that last fall Governor Snyder signed legislation that 1.) enforces a 4-year lifetime limit on cash assistance and 2.) limits unemployment insurance extensions to 20 weeks. These conditions can create a recipe for disaster for many underserved families in our community. In theory, Caseworkers at the Department of Health and Human Services, (DHS), are working with cash assistance recepients to ease the transition, such as helping pay rent and utility bills for three months. However, anecdotal stories coming across our Social Ministry Director's desk reveal that these DHS payments may be received late by the landlord or utility company, resulting in eviction notices and/or utility shut-offs.
Our Social Ministry Director has a monthly Pastor's B budget of $1,000 to parse among the many requests she receives daily, (up to as many as 10/day). For 2010 and much of 2011, her Pastor's B allotment could be crunched as 40% for rent, 30% for utilities, and 30% for transportation. Since last fall, those percentages have shifted to 70% for rent, 27% for utilities, and 3% for transportation. While there are several interpretations of this data, these statistics reveal that a number of area families are struggling to stay warm and off the streets. Because of your generosity, FSC is able to provide some rays of hope to desperate families. Thanks to the Caseworkers at ACCESS of West Michigan, FSC's financial assistance is combined with that from other area Houses of Worship, which helps stretch dollars and ultimately serves more families. Together, we DO make a difference!
Degage vouchers are on sale every Sunday at the Common Quest Bookstore in the Social Hall for $2.00/each. These vouchers, which can be redeemed at Degage Ministries for an inexpensive meal, to rent a locker for a week, or to wash clothes, and more. They are given out by our Sunday Hospitality Ministry and the Social Ministry Director to downtown non-congregants who need assistance. These vouchers are better than cash to hand out - cash can be used to purchase a number of items, whereas these vouchers can only be redeemed at Degage Ministries for specific services. You can purchase vouchers to help replenish our stash, which is purchased with Pastor's B funds, or you may hand the vouchers out yourself, or both! For additional information, please contact Lisa Nadziejka at either (616) 459-8386 ext. 221 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Any FSC'er can act as a sponsor in completing a SAC grant application on behalf of any charitable organization or non-profit that you hold in high esteem and believe that the goals and purpose of the agency intersect well with FSC's mission to "Free the Mind, Grow the Soul, and Change the World". Previously, grant amounts have varied from $200.00 to a maximum of $2,000.00! If this perks your interest, please don't delay! Applications for the SAC fall grant cycle will be accepted until September 26th. Our Church-Wide Open Forum will be held on Sunday, October 2nd. Applications can be found below or are located in plastic slots outside the Church Office. For additional information, please contact Lisa Nadziejka at either (616) 459-8386 ext. 221 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Please check out the newly updated SAC bulletin board in the Social Hall for more news!
SAC is always interested in hearing from the congregation regarding possible new agencies to research and/or fund. If you have suggestions, please contact our Social Ministry Director, Lisa Nadziejka, at either (616) 459-8386 ext. 221 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
To view the SAC Grant Application, please click HERE.
To view the SAC Process Criteria for Funding Proposals, please click HERE.
Family Promise
FSC has joined Family Promise by becoming a support partner to one of the founding Churches of the Grand Rapids Chapter of Family Promise - one our downtown neighbors - First United Methodist Church, (FUMC).
What is Family Promise? Family Process is one of only two agencies in Grand Rapids that allow homeless families to remain together while in shelter. In the evenings during week-long rotations, Houses of Worship provide interim housing by converting some of their classrooms into bedrooms, thereby allowing members of each family "together time" at the end of the day. Each family has the privacy of an entire classroom. Week after week, volunteers do it all - fix and serve evening meals, followed by clean-up, facilitate family activities in the evenings, provide child care, serve as tutors and mentors, sleep over, "take down" classrooms each Sunday morning, and move cots and all family belongings to the next House of Worship on the rotation list.
What is a Support Partner? When FUMC hosts a rotation of families for a week, typically 3-4 times/year, FSC provides volunteers to cook and serve dinner, clean up, engage in activities with the children in the evening, and stay the night, (along with a FUMC volunteer), on Tuesday and Thursday during that rotation week. FUMC supplies the building and FSC provides assistance, (i.e. food, warm bodies, caring hearts, and open minds).
How to help? We would like to see more FSC'ers join our support crew as we help homeless families get a foothold back into mainstream society. You are truly "Changing the World" by participating in Family Promise. Can you prepare a salad or dessert or read stories to school children several evenings per year? Then you can be a part of our Family Promise crew!
Come aboard! Please contact Judy Botts, FSC Family Promise Coordinator, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , stop by the SAC Table in the Social Hall on Sundays.
FSC can be proud that over many years it has helped provide food for hungry families. By bringing in cans and boxes of food, as well as cash donations on the 1st Sunday of every month, we supply food for the ACCESS Pantry Network. Actual food collected goes to the Bethel Pentecostal Church Pantry, and cash and checks go to ACCESS to support the whole program. But what's the best way to help.....with food or money? Feeding America West Michigan, (formerly Second Harvest Gleaners), gathers excess, surplus, leftover, and discontinued food, and distributes it to food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and special programs like our Christmas Basket Drive. They sell the food to the programs at a very low cost to cover their administrative expenses. For instance, at FSC a donor can give a $10 check to ACCESS, and this can be leveraged to buy $200 worth of food from Feeding America. Your contribution will go farther, and you can more easily take a tax deduction for it. On the other hand, they are often missing such foods as canned fruit, soup, canned meats, cereal, and pasta. If you, or your children, want to bring in cans or boxes of food, the pantry will especially welcome these items. We understand that bringing the food is a tangible way to help. So please contribute each month in the way you like, money or food items, and a BIG thank you from all who benefit!
We are there the first Monday of every month for about three hours and could always use an extra hand or two. Our initial team of congregants has become a successful and sustainable part of FSC's Social Outreach Programs. Starting in January 2012, we would love to add a 2nd group from FSC to volunteer another day each month...it only takes a few hours. You will feel as if you are really making a difference and enjoy some great camaraderie, as well! We need about 8-10 people to form a core group. No special skills are required. If you would like more information about this rewarding opportunity, please contact Penny Barstow at either (616) 940-9094 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or stop by the SAC Table in the Social Hall on Sundays. You will be glad that you volunteered!