Women of the Parish

The purpose of the Women of the Parish 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 help to the parish, community, diocese, and the world.

Mary Hull Chapter

The Mary Hull Women of the Parish group was formed in the 1950s by a group of young women who wanted a morning group 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 group, which has a wide range of ages. Besides participating in the Lenten Luncheon series and several outreach projects, this group undertook a series of Bible studies this past year. Please call Nancy Chesnutt at 838-7843 if you have questions or would like more information on Mary Hull.

 

Maynard Marshall Chapter

The Maynard Marshall Women of the Parish group 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 the oldest Women of the Parish Chapter at St. Helena’s. Established in 1945, it was named for a priest who served St. Helena’s for 24 years. For more information, contact Marnie Fyfe at 524-8026.

 

St. Francis Chapter
The St. Francis Women of the Parish group is an active group of women, many who are professionals and work outside the home. The ladies meets at 6:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise advertised. These ladies 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. For more information, contact Diane Escalante at 524-4211.

 

St. Anne’s Chapter

The St. Anne’s Women of the Parish group meets in members’ homes at 10:00 a.m. on the second Monday of the month from September until May. St. Anne’s mission is to increase fellowship among the ladies and to expand their knowledge of and commitment to St. Helena’s and to the Episcopal Church. Most of the St. Anne’s ladies are from Fripp, Dataw, Harbor, and Lady’s islands, but any woman of St. Helena’s parish is welcome. This group sponsors an annual project, making crosses for Palm Sunday on the Friday before. Everyone is invited to participate. For more information, contact Margaret McKeown at 524-2826.

 

Melissa Burrus Chapter

In the tradition of the other Women of the Parish groups 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 group’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. They meet monthly and work on preparing a lunch for the Lenten Luncheon series, help with baked goods at the Fall Bazaar, and offer their services at the Spring Tour of Homes. New members are always welcome. For more information, please contact Bet Rhodes at 252-9777.


Annual Events

 

Nearly New Sale
Thursday-Saturday, August 19-21, 2010

This sale is not only a great fundraiser but also an event enjoyed by everyone who participates, whether as a worker 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, setup, 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 help, please call Diane King at 838-2290 or Vola Whitcomb at 524-1776.

 

Fall Luncheon and Meeting
Tuesday, October 5, 2010

 

All women of the parish are invited to the Women of the Parish Fall Luncheon meeting is held in the Parish Hall. Watch The Weekly Herald for details, and make plans to attend. For more information, contact Carole Knapp at 525-6935.


Fall Bazaar
Saturday, November 6, 2010
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Fall Bazaar Preview
Friday, November 5, 2010
5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

 

 

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 Women of the Parish 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! Lay ministers 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 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. the week before the bazaar. For more information, contact Annie Pollak at (843) 538-6497. 

 

 

 

Spring Tour of Homes

Candlelight Tour
Friday, April 8, 2011
Plantation Tour
Saturday, April 9, 2011 

  

St. Helena’s Women of the Parish 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 and beyond. Planning for the tour begins months in advance, as committee members locate properties to be included. Countless parishioners attend to the myriad details of preparation, culminating in a day of non-stop activity. Women, men, and youth of the parish handle tickets and tour books, arrange flowers, decorate homes, park cars, act as docents, and serve food. The dates for the 2011 tour are Friday, April 8 (Candlelight Tour), and Saturday, April 9 (Plantation Tour). Ticket information will be posted on this website in January 2011.

 

Annual Meeting and Spring Luncheon
Monday, May 16, 2011

 

This event is planned each spring for all ladies of the parish. Every woman in the church is invited to our Spring Luncheon. We elect new officers and enjoy a light lunch and fellowship. Watch The Weekly Herald for details, or for more information, contact Carole Knapp at 525-6935.


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 Saint 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 Women of the Parish 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. Women of the Parish 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 lay ministers go to the camps and work with the children at the school than ever before. Our Women of the Parish collected toilet articles and clothing all of last year at their monthly 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 Parish Hall. St. Helena’s Women of the Parish worked with helpers from Savannah River Baptist, Christian Outreach, and Women Aglow to give out “personal care kits” and clothing. For more information, contact Barbara Everett at 525-1990.


Mission and Outreach

Barbara Everett holds information on Water Missions International, while Judy Divine displays the $10,000 check sent to fund a water purification unit for tsunami victims in South Asia.

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 Women of the Parish support more than 20 local charities and foreign missions. With a renewed focus on these endeavors, the women of St. Helena’s 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 Women of the Parish 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. Locally, we are reaching out to the growing Hispanic community, particularly to the migrant workers and their families. For more information, contact Tamy Cargill at 524-8026.

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 Women of the Parish 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 budget. Applications for scholarships are available for download here and also are available in the church office. The deadline for returning your application is May 25, 2010. For more information, contact a board member of the Women of the Parish. 


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. For more information, contact Laura Trask at 524-0022, Eugenia Henderson at 470-0786, or Bet Rhodes at 525-9777.


Funeral Receptions

This Bereavement Ministry provides support and assistance to parish families at the time of a family member’s death. Families of our parish are offered prayer, sympathy, or food in the home or at a reception following the funeral service at St. Helena’s. The lay ministers offer service for the glory of God to those grieving. Dignity and grace with compassion are reflected by lay ministers. Each reception is elegantly given with the best that our teams can offer. Over and over, we receive notes from families, thanking the clergy, staff, lay ministers, altar guild, choir, ushers, Sunshine Committee, and Stephen Ministers who have joined together during a time of need. The Bereavement Ministry needs lay ministers 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 lay minister list, please call Maude Hornsby at 521-7569. You will probably be called no more than once or twice a year.


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.

Have you checked your "little blue box" lately? It should be heavy and overflowing! Whenever it gets full of your thanksgivings, praises, and hopes, here’s what to do:

• Convert your change and bills to a check made out to UTO or United Thank Offering.
• Place your UTO check in the offertory plate any Sunday, and I’ll send it in for you.
• Send your check directly to UTO at DFMS (Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society), P.O. Box 12095, Newark, N.J. 07101. Make sure you write Diocese of S.C. on the memo line.
• Place your now empty "little blue box" out where it can be seen and used by all family members!
  
  For more information, please contact Nancy Pickering at 263-0444.