Mission
The Calvary Food Pantry is a significant mission of Auburn First Presbyterian Church and is located in the building our congregation gave to the Presbyterian mission in the eastern part of the city in 1869.
Unity House occupies the Case Mansion on the church grounds. The church purchased the neighboring mansion in 1976 to secure its continued use for Unity House, and worked with the volunteers to build staff and secure regulatory approvals for mental health and related services. First Presbyterian church members serve on the Unity House board.
We contribute to Presbyterian missions through the Presbytery and participate in the ecumenical One Great Hour of Sharing during Lent and in the Christmas Joy Offering. We provide financial support to local organizations including the Rescue Mission and Chaplaincy of Auburn Memorial Hospital, and to missionaries in France, Afghanistan, and India through mission organizations.
Special projects supported recently include Packages for Platoons to provide phone cards and magazines for soldiers, cyclone relief in Myanmar, and the Lost Boys Clinic in Southern Sudan. In February 2008 we invited missions in our community to join us for Lenten study suppers, and helped several organizations obtain needed items and more volunteers. Our support for the Matthew House hospice and the Chapel House Homeless shelter began at that time.
We provided major support in 2007 to The Heifer Project which has the mission of ending world hunger and improving use of the world's resources. The project buys a cow, goat, or other producing animal for individuals, who care for the animal and use the income to feed and clothe their families. Seven Auburn churches raised funds and sponsored a Heifer Project Community Education and Fund Day in October. Our church began with a children's pageant on September 16 and by early October met the goal of raising $500 to purchase one heifer and $20.00 to purchase a duck. In total we raised $719 in donations, with an additional $95 raised by a member through sale of crafts.
The Men's Club meets weekly for prayer and discussion, and raises funds throughout the year to benefit many causes. The men dedicate much time and effort to the care and maintenance of our church building and the grounds.
The Women's Association (Supper Circle) raises funds throughout the year to benefit many causes. In the spring the women hold the "bakeless bake sale." They also assemble school kits and cleaning kits, and collect knit blankets, and toddlers' and infants' sweaters for Church World Service. Our congregation also contributes postage to ship the items. In the summer of 2007 we answered the call for additional school kits and in 2008, the call for additional cleaning kits. In 2010 we all joined to answer the call for hygiene kits for Haiti. Every year in May we collect money for "Blanket Sunday," to support purchase of sturdy wool blankets by Church World Service. Thank you to all who have contributed.
School Kits, Blankets, and Sweaters for Church World Service
Church members and friends who visit are asked to save the pull-tabs from metal soda cans for the Shriners. These are used to support children's hospitals.
Please save Campbell's soup labels and leave them in the box in the kitchen. We clip the coupon on the label to support area schools.
Please save tea bags too. Dry them and bring them to the church, where members will empty the tea leaves and send them to a collection point for distribution to low income countries, to be made into decorative designs. These products are sold world wide. This mission project of church women is making it possible for people in low income countries to raise their standard of living.
Individually our members are found throughout the community as well as in our church, volunteering their time and effort and giving generously to many causes and church programs, continuing a long tradition. In his 1936 History of the First Presbyterian Church Auburn New York, Rev. Malcolm L. MacPhail Ph.D. notes the many elders, deacons and members who were prominent citizens. Dr. MacPhail points out that our street map resembles a list of our members' names, including Beach, Bradford, Case, Dayton, Derby, Dill, Fitch, Foote, Hardenbergh, Holley, Lansing, Nelson, Parsons, Perrine, Seymour, Steel, VanAnden, and Willard (page 61).