Mission

The Calvary Food Pantry is a significant mission of our church and is located in the building our congregation gave to the 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 1975 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 are supporting the Cayuga County Retired Teachers' Association in Packages for Platoons. This project collects money to purchase phone cards for soldiers at reduced military rates and items requested by soldiers, including magazines. Please remember women's magazines are most welcome! Donations may be left at First Presbyterian Church or Mr. Paul's Barber Shop. Special collection drives are announced on our News and Events page (please scroll to the announcements). If you would like to offer another collection site, please call the church office and we will put you in touch with the coordinator, Joan Haff.

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 tea bags too. Dry them and bring them to Barbara May, who will empty the tea leaves and send them to a collection point for distribution to low income countries, where they are 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.

We participate in the ecumenical One Great Hour of Sharing during Lent and in the Christmas Joy Offering. In May we collect money for "Blanket Sunday," to support purchase of sturdy wool blankets by Church World Service.

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, toddlers' sweaters and infants' sweaters for Church World Service in the spring. Our congregation also contributes postage to ship the items. In the summer of 2007 we answered the call for additional school kits. Thank you to all who contributed.

School Kits, Blankets, and Sweaters for Church World Service

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.

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 our church. 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 notes 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).