Episcopal
Church Women
All adult women who attend The Parish Church of St. Helena (Episcopal) are
also members of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW).
The purpose of the ECW is to provide programs of worship, study,
service, and fellowship that will strengthen and deepen the spiritual
lives of its participants. Through fellowship, we expand our circle of
Christian friends. Through our projects, we provide financial and
volunteer help to the parish, community, diocese, and the world.
We publish a handbook annually and encourage everyone to pick up a
complimentary copy. The book is a wealth of information as
well as a convenient directory and includes a calendar of
events, plus information about the ECW committees and their monthly
meetings. The handbook is available in the ECW Room.
If you are not currently involved in ECW activities but think you might
like to be, feel free to call for more information. You may want to
look into joining one of the five ECW Chapters that meets monthly. All
women are welcome and encouraged to join any ECW gathering, so please
don’t feel you have to wait for an invitation.
Contact: Gail Mullen, ECW President, 525-0120
ECW Chapters
The ECW Chapters offer a great opportunity to make friends, learn of church
activities, pray, and study. Sometimes we hear that ladies are waiting to be
asked to go to a meeting. Please just invite yourself and show up! If you want
to find out more about each group, call the ladies listed below or President
Gail Mullen.
Mary Hull Chapter
The
Mary Hull Chapter was formed in the 1950s by a group of young women who
wanted a morning chapter that would meet in the homes of members. It
was named for Mary Hull, a much-loved member of St. Helena's who
devoted most of her life to helping others. Many of the original "young
women" are still members of the chapter, which has a wide range of ages.
The chapter meets for morning coffee, a business meeting, and a
religious study program at 9:30 a.m. in the Ridley Room of the Parish Hall on the second Tuesday of the month. Study subjects often reflect the seasons of
the church year and timely topics of interest in today’s
church.
Contact: Mary Lou Cullen, 525-0304
Maynard Marshall Chapter
The Maynard Marshall Chapter meets at 12:30 p.m. on the second
Tuesday of each month in members' homes for a social hour, a business
meeting, and Bible study.
Maynard Marshall is oldest ECW Chapter at St. Helena’s.
Established in 1945, it was named for a priest who served St. Helena's
for 24 years.
Contact: Marnie Fyfe, 524-8026
St. Francis Chapter
St.
Francis Chapter is an active group of women, many of whom are
professionals and work outside the home. The chapter meets at 7 p.m. on
the second Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise advertised.
Members of this chapter are active in the parish life at St.
Helena's. The focus is on spiritual growth within the group and
outreach to the church and the community, as well as enjoying
fellowship. Traditional projects include constructing crafty Christmas
creations to sell at the Fall Bazaar, making and sending "Exam Week
Care Packages" to parish college students, and sending Valentine cards
and gifts to the children at York Place. Several service and
educational programs are underway, and some meetings feature speakers
on topics of interest.
Contact: Diane Escalante, 524-4211
St. Anne’s Chapter
St. Anne's Chapter meets in members’ homes at 10 a.m. on the
second Monday of the month from September until May.
St. Anne's mission is to increase fellowship among the members and to
expand its members’ knowledge of and commitment to St.
Helena’s and to the Episcopal Church. Most of St.
Anne’s members are from Fripp, Dataw, Harbor, and
Lady’s islands, but any woman of St. Helena’s
parish is welcome.
This chapter sponsors an annual project, making crosses for Palm Sunday
on the Friday before. Everyone is invited to participate.
Contact: Margaret McKeown, 524-2826
Melissa Burrus Chapter
In the tradition of the other ECW chapters at St. Helena’s,
this group of young women, most with small children, joined together to
fulfill their desire for Bible study and fellowship and to share common
interests and projects. The chapter’s name was chosen as a
tribute to a charter member of the group and a parish leader, Melissa
Burrus, who died suddenly in November 2000.
The chapter meets about four times a year and works on presenting a
Lenten Luncheon, helping with baked goods for the Fall Bazaar, and
volunteering at the spring tours. New members are always welcome.
Contact: Bet Rhodes, 525-9777
Annual Events
Nearly New Sale
Thursday-Saturday, August 21-23, 2008
This sale is not only a great fundraiser but also an event enjoyed by
everyone who participates, whether as a volunteer or a shopper. When
you are cleaning out your closets, remember the Nearly New Sale--normally held in August--and save everything in
good condition until the next summer! We need clothing and accessories
for the whole family. We also need lots of helpers during sorting,
set-up, and pricing time. This work is fun-–you make new
friends while helping with this worthwhile project. Unsold items are
donated to local charities. For more information or to volunteer, call Vola Whitcomb at 524-1776 or Kathey Sammons at 466-0151.
ECW Fall Luncheon
All women of the parish are invited to the ECW Fall Luncheon meeting
that is held in the fall in the Parish Hall. Watch The Herald and Sunday
bulletin for the date of the luncheon, and make plans to attend.
Fall Bazaar
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Our Fall
Bazaar is famous throughout the Lowcountry, thanks to the multitude of
dedicated parishioners who contribute their time, talent, and ideas to
the success of this ECW fundraising event. Featured booths include
the Holiday House, Boutique and Crafts, Church Mice, Bargain Spot,
Frozen Foods, Baked Goods, Books, Plants, Paws and Claws, Silent
Auction, and much more!
Volunteers are needed the week before and the day of the event and
throughout the year for crafting our famous Church Mice, making wreaths
and ornaments, canning and sewing. If you have a
“crafty” talent, let us know. From one item to 100, all are welcome!
Donated items in resalable, good condition may be picked up and stored. Space is
limited, so be sure your donations are "really good stuff!" They may be dropped
off at the Parish Hall between 9 a.m. and 5p.m. the week before the Bazaar.
Spring Tour of Homes
St. Helena's ECW held the first Spring Tour of Homes in 1956 to help
raise funds for a new parish house. The event has grown in scope and
popularity, attracting visitors from all over North America.
Planning for this event begins months in advance, as committee
members begin locating properties to be included. Countless
parishioners attend to the myriad details of preparation, culminating
in two days of virtually non-stop activity. Volunteers handle tickets
and tour books, arrange flowers, decorate homes, park cars, serve as
docents, and serve food. They also see beautiful homes and meet
fascinating people. I
See "Tours" for details.
Lenten Luncheons in 2009
Tuesday, March 3
Tuesday, March 10
Tuesday, March 17
Tuesday, March 24
Tuesday, March 31
The
Tuesdays during Lent offer a special time of spiritual reflection and
fellowship at noon. A speaker presents a short talk related to a theme,
followed by a light lunch prepared and served by one of the ECW
Chapters. A small donation is asked for the lunch.
Contact: Gail Mullen, 525-0120
Annual Meeting and Spring Luncheon
Thursday, May 15, 2008
This event is planned each spring for all ladies of the parish,
regardless of age. It is always a fun event and a chance to bring your
daughters and granddaughters to a "church social!" This is also the
time we elect our new officers for the coming year.
Every woman in the church is invited to our Spring Luncheon. We will
elect new officers and enjoy a light lunch and fellowship. Hopefully
our working women can attend, and as always our youngest ladies are
welcome. Watch The Herald and Sunday bulletin for the date of the
luncheon.
Funeral Receptions
When a
funeral is held at St. Helena's, the family of the deceased is offered
help with food in the home or a reception in the Parish Hall. When a
reception is preferred, the ECW hosts the event.
The Bereavement Ministry needs volunteers who are willing to provide
cookies or help set up and serve at the receptions, which occur on short
notice. If you would be willing to be on the volunteer list, call
Maude Hornsby at 645-2099. You will probably be called no more than
once or twice a year.
Contact: Maude Hornsby, 645-2099
Hispanic Ministry
Several years ago the women of the diocese were urged to become
involved with ministries to the growing Hispanic communities in South
Carolina. At St. Helena’s, the Lord answered our prayers by
making known to us the needs of migrant workers who come to work the
tomato harvest on St. Helena Island between May and July each
year.
Beaufort County has an excellent program for migrant workers and their
families, and the public health nurse contacts the ECW with needs that
are not addressed by the county.
In 2005, St. Helena’s was more involved than ever with the
ministry to approximately 1,000 migrants who work in our fields for
about six weeks every summer. ECW paid for eye screenings and glasses
for more children this year than in the past. We also paid for
medication for head lice and the foot fungus caused by the heavy rains
and wet ground. This year we had more volunteers go to the camps and
work with the children at the school than ever before.
Our ECW collected toilet articles and clothing all of last year at
their monthly chapter meetings. The one item we were short of was
underwear, especially girls’ panties. In the fall we will
publish a list of needed items for those who would like to donate.
These should be marked “Migrant Ministry” and
brought to the ECW room.
St. Helena's ECW women worked with volunteers from Savannah River
Baptist, Christian Outreach, and Women Aglow to give out "personal care
kits" and clothing.
Contact: Barbara Everett, 525-1990
Mission and Outreach
St. Helena’s has a long history of mission and
ministry. The Women’s Auxiliary of the Mission Board was
established in 1871. Its ministry ranged from “mission
boxes” for the southern Episcopal churches devastated by the
Civil War to sending nurses to China. Currently, our ECW supports more
than 20 local charities and foreign missions.
With a
renewed focus on these endeavors, the women of St. Helena’s
ECW continue to seek new mission fields. We have committed to Water
Ministry International, which brings clean, disease-free water to third
world countries. St. Helena’s ECW sent $10,000 from their
emergency fund to Water Missions International in Charleston to fund a
water treatment unit that can produce drinkable water for up to 4,000
people. U.S. Air Force planes transported these water purification
units to the tsunami disaster areas.
↑ Barbara Everett, Mission and Outreach
Chair for St. Helena’s ECW,
holds information on Water Missions International, while ECW
Treasurer Judy Divine displays the $10,000 check the ECW
sent to fund a water purification unit for tsunami victims in South
Asia.
Locally, we are reaching out to the growing Hispanic community,
particularly to the migrant workers and their families. For more
information or to volunteer to help with these efforts call Barbara
Everett.
Contact: Barbara Everett, 525-1990
United Thank Offering
The UTO and its “blue boxes” are long-standing
traditions in the Episcopal Church. UTO began in 1889 in Alaska,
founding a church, and continues today, funding outreach projects in
the U.S. and around the world. Two Ingatherings, in May and November,
are conducted at St. Helena’s by the ECW.
Contact: Nancy Pickering, 986-1153.
Scholarship Funds
The Martha Webb Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Martha Webb Memorial Scholarship Fund was named in memory
of one of St. Helena's "own" missionaries who spent more than 25 years
in the Episcopal mission fields working with children. This fund was
established by the ECW following Miss
Webb’s death in 1973.
Sources of the fund are individual memorials and gifts, including gifts
from former recipients of awards from the scholarship fund and annual
appropriations from the ECW budget.
Applications for scholarships are available in the Parish Office in
January for the following academic year.
Contact: Dr. Lila Meeks, 522-0779.
The Melissa Burrus Scholarship Fund
The Melissa Burrus Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to
celebrate the life of Melissa Burrus, a Christian wife and mother and a
nurse. The fund is administered by a board of St. Helena’s
church members.
The goal of the fund is to assist with educational expenses of
Christian men and women who are accepted into a regional school of
nursing. Awards are determined by the board based on the number of
applicants, the amount in the fund, and current tuition and expenses.
Applicants must be accepted into a regional school of nursing, describe
their involvement in faith-based activities, and submit letters from two
church leaders attesting to their character and spiritual commitment.
Contact: Laura Trask, 524-0022, Eugenia Henderson, 470-0786, or Bet
Rhodes, 525-9777.
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