Category: Community

Celebrating 50 Bermudaful ACS years!

Post author By acs_admin
Post date April 23, 2024

“Now is the time to step off the sidelines. Get involved and change the game.”

– Dr. Kenneth Manders, Bermuda Conference President

Despite the look of paradise in Bermuda, there are real needs lying just below the surface, as many struggle with issues such as the high cost of living and generational poverty. ACS volunteers have been walking alongside those affected since 1974 when the ACS Federation first formed and recently celebrated 50 years of service on the island.

The strong conference and pastoral support for serving the suffering shows with an active ACS team at each of the 11 Adventist churches on the island. Programs range from food and clothing distribution, GED classes and grief ministries.

The consistency of service bore fruit in 2020. Amid a strict COVID lockdown on the island, when residents could only travel within a 1-mile radius of their home, the Bermuda government reached out to ACS Director, Dora Baker to ask for her help. Sister Dora organized her teams to pick up and deliver food to many who would have gone hungry otherwise.

The quick and effective response of the ACS team continued to build trust with country leaders and truly “put them on the map.”

The ACS 50^th Anniversary was celebrated with a 4-day event that included learning and serving together. Bermuda President, Elder Kenneth Manders kicked off the celebration on Wednesday evening with a devotional recognizing that Jesus was a game changer and ACS does the same for our communities. He encouraged us all to step out when we see a need, make people a priority, trust in God and follow Jesus relentlessly.

Thursday was filled with workshops, but not before an inspiring message by the Bermuda Treasurer, Robert Patterson who based a devotion on the story of the Good Samaritan. “Compassion is measured by the obstacles that must be overcome in order to exercise it,” Elder Patterson shared. Who is our neighbor?…”Our neighbor is every soul wounded and bruised by the adversary.”

The island celebrated as well as the ACS team took Friday to serve in various capacities across Bermuda. This included all churches coming together to offer food to over 250 households.

Two members of the original ACS Federation were present to celebrate and reminisced about the original movement, which included the team traveling to NAD ACS meetings in full uniform. This made such a statement that they were given first priority to board the airplane.

Please join us in the celebration of consistent and meaningful service. As Elder Manders

Shared, “now is the time to step off the sidelines. Get involved and change the game.”

Dr. Kenneth Manders, President Berumuda Conference

Robert Patterson, Treasurer Bermuda Conference

Dora Baker, ACS Director Berumda Conference

Community

Walla Walla Tool Library

Post author By wstevens
Post date March 7, 2023

The Walla Walla Tool Library in College Place, Washington, is a valuable community resource that provides access to a wide variety of tools for members to borrow and use for a small membership fee of $25 a year. It is part of the Center for Humanitarian Engagement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a better community by empowering individuals to become engaged citizens and leaders. By offering access to tools and resources, the Tool Library encourages people to learn new skills, take on projects, and become more self-sufficient. This helps to strengthen the community and promote a sense of civic responsibility and empowerment.

The Tool Library Unit is a mobile unit Upper Columbia Conference purchased with the help from a grant given by Adventist Community Services, North American Division.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony College Place Mayor Norma Hernandez stated, “Thank-you for benefiting the community, you are making us a better place.” See More

Courtney Bryant, WWU Security &John McVay, President WWU

Community Community Development Local Church

Ephesus Church Hosts Community Services Training

Post author By acs_admin
Post date July 20, 2022

Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church in New Orleans, Louisiana, hosted a Community Services training for its members on May 28, 2022. It was coordinated by the Community Services team under the leadership of Lucinda Keller and her family. The meeting went very well and all of the speakers who committed to speaking came through. The attendees enjoyed the training, as well as the food and snacks that were provided.

Community Food Aid Food Pantries NEWS

Passing of Long-Time ACS Volunteer Lowell Tripp

Post author By acs_admin
Post date January 10, 2022

We are saddened to announce the passing of Lowell Irving Tripp, one of our long-time Adventist Community Services volunteers, on December 7, 2021 at the age of 100. He was predeceased by his wife of 72 years Betty Jean Tripp in 2018. They both volunteered for Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington in Silver Spring, MD for 20 years after his retirement in 1988 from Adventist Risk Management after working 35 years for the church. They managed the food pantry, picked up food from Safeway and Costco each week, stocked the food bags for customers, organized the food in the pantry, and helped out in other ways.

Lowell was a longtime member of the Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church, and after he moved to Eltern Haus assisted living in 2017 he regularly watched Atholton Seventh-day Adventist Church livestream with his granddaughters Kristina and Amber. A memorial service will be held for him on January 22, 2022 at the Atholton Church in Columbia, MD. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations that can be made to Adventist Community Services.

He was greatly loved and is survived by his daughter Brenda Coffin of Beltsville, MD and companion Alan Jorgensen, son Warren Irving Tripp and daughter-in-law Tammy Tripp of Superior, CO, granddaughter Kristina Dahabura of Columbia, MD who he helped raise, great-granddaughter Amber Gramkow of Columbia, MD who he also helped raise, granddaughter Ashlee Tripp of CO, grandson Matthew Lowell Tripp and granddaughter-in-law Cristina Melendez Tripp of Westminster, CO, and great-granddaughters Olivia Tripp and Ava Tripp of Westminster, CO.

Let us keep the Tripp family in our thoughts and prayers as they cope with this difficult loss.

Community Community Development Food Aid Food Pantries

ReNewed Hope Food Pantry Food Distribution

Post author By acs_admin
Post date December 20, 2021

How do you distribute food to 310 families in just over an hour?
Thoughtful organizing and lots of smiling volunteers!

“God keeps bringing people to be a part of this ministry. About half of those who serve are from the community. This is how God works. He is so amazing!” says Karen, ACS Director of ReNewed Hope Food Pantry at New Haven Adventist Church.

ReNewed Hope Food Pantry in Overland Park, Kansas, experienced a dramatic increase in the number of people they serve each week when COVID-19 came to town. However, they continued to trust God’s guidance and have faithfully served their community each week.

Thank you to Karen and her team inspiring people to… “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

Community Community Development Local Conference NEWS Refugees

Chesapeake and Wisconsin Conferences Help Afghan Refugees

Post author By acs_admin
Post date September 13, 2021

ACS teams in various conferences such as Wisconsin and Chesapeake are providing assistance to refugees arriving from Afghanistan. Wisconsin Conference ACS Director, Alice Garrett, has been in collaboration with the Wisconsin VOAD (WI VOAD) and Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) to help more than 12,000 refugees who are currently being housed at Fort McCoy. They have put together a needs list consisting of new clothing and shoes. Garrett is reaching out to our local churches to collect and deliver goods consisting of new clothing and shoes. “I am so grateful for our churches generosity and money has been turned in so we can purchase some things the Fort is in need of,” said Garrett. “So far, I have good help and we will be able to make this happen,” she added.

Chesapeake Conference ACS team members are also responding to the Afghanistan crisis by providing emotional and spiritual care to the evacuees. There were 36,000 who arrived at Dulles airport in Virginia and thousands of others who arrived in Philadelphia. “These are people who are having to completely restart their lives. Many are experiencing shock. We’re here for them in these moments of change, stress, and loneliness. We’re here to show them care and love and to let them know that they’re not alone,” stated Ignacio Goya, ACS Director for Chesapeake Conference. Click here to read article by the Chesapeake Conference.

Community Donations Emotional & Spiritual Care Local Church NEWS

ACS Responds to Miami Building Collapse

Post author By acs_admin
Post date June 30, 2021

One of our Emotional and Spiritual Care providers speaks with Search and Rescue workers during one of their breaks, offering support to those working on the scene.

UPDATE – July 7, 2021

Adventist Community Services Disaster Response (ACS DR) teams continue to assist with Recovery Efforts in Surfside, Florida. Donations are pouring into the Warehouse which are being sorted and categorized for distribution for families of those affected by the condo collapse. Local churches such as the Tabernacle Seventh-day Adventist Church are being utilized as Distribution Sites where the survivors and other community members can have access to these donated goods that include food, clothing, personal care kits, and other essentials items. Several areas surrounding the Disaster Site are shut down and multiple buildings in Miami have been evacuated due to safety concerns. The American Red Cross is helping displaced residents and emergency providers find a safe place to stay by setting up shelters in a hotel nearby, as well as offering their headquarters to house evacuees. In addition, we are working in coordination with them to provide counseling through our credentialed personnel. ACS Emotional and Spiritual Care providers are teaming up with Red Cross providers to render aid to residents and community members in various areas around the Disaster Site.

One particular survival story was told by a young lady who lived in the collapsed building. She explained to our Providers that her mother had saved her life. Upon inquiring as to how this was so, she went on to share that the only reason she was not home on that fateful night was because her mother had fallen ill earlier in the day. She decided to leave her apartment and stay with her mother that night just to ensure that she would be okay. As she spoke, she got emotional and our Providers offered to pray with her. Right there in the middle of the hotel lobby, our Providers prayed and asked God to continue to be with her and her mother. At the end of the prayer, she asked if she could receive a hug. Though as Providers we are careful with how touch is used, each of the Providers embraced and asked God to be with her. “There are more stories that could be told, but needless to stay ACS is participating in work that will have impact on those affected by this event,” said W. Derrick Lea, Director of NAD ACS.

Click here to read article on the Miami building collapse by NAD Communications.

ACS Warehouse Management team sorting through boxes of donated goods.

ACS personnel cleaning and preparing a couple of extra rooms in the Tabernacle SDA Church for distribution of supplies.

W. Derrick Lea, NAD ACS Director, meets with the Providers to ensure that they are abreast of their role in lending comfort and support.

ACS and Red Cross providers discussing on how to coordinate the counseling sessions.

Comfort animals worked in concert with our Emotional and Spiritual Care providers.

Care Providers praying with the young lady who resided in the building but was not home on that fateful night.

ACS Providers connecting with people in the community.

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UPDATE – July 1, 2021

ACS Disaster Response personnel from the Southeastern and Florida conferences assembled early this morning at Feeding South Florida in Pembroke Park which will be utilized as a Warehouse. It is located about 15 minutes away under normal traffic conditions from the Disaster site. This area of the city is shut down currently allowing only designated response personnel and residents within a 15-block radius of the site, and police are ensuring these restrictions are enforced through verification of credentials every other block. ACS conference directors Conrad Duncan and Robert Moore outlined the plan of operations for the team. Each person was designated with a particular role and then a tour of the facility was given to the entire team.

In addition to collecting the donated goods that come in, we have identified various Distribution Sites which include our local churches. We will utilize our ACS Volunteers to operate at these sites in order to be able to provide these goods directly to families of those affected. In addition, the team traveled to the Disaster site and met with Serve Florida at their Command Center. They discussed what support ACS would consider helpful which included travel cost coverage for our volunteers, increased messaging to the public of the donations that will be helpful, and transportation support for the Warehouse to deliver goods to those affected.

Video: Southeastern Conference ACS Director Robert Moore and Florida Conference Ryan Amos speak about ACS involvement.

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A 13-story condominium tower, Champlain Towers South, located near Miami, Florida, partially collapsed in the early hours of June 24, 2021 morning. Sixteen people have been confirmed dead and around 150 unaccounted for. We are working together with the ACS teams at the Southern Union Conference, and Florida and Southeastern conferences who are assessing the situation in order to determine how to best serve the affected community. The local authorities of Florida State have requested ACS to assist with Warehouse operations. ACS Disaster Response (ACS DR) leadership from both conferences are working in a coordinated way to form a Warehouse Management team and are in discussion on how the Recovery Efforts will take place. ACS Directors Robert Moore and Conrad Duncan have each identified trained members from their conference that will outfit this team for 24 hours a day during the first week of operations.

In addition to the need for a State Warehouse, we are also attempting to set up Distribution Sites for community members. We’ve also been asked by the American Red Cross whether our Emotional and Spiritual Care Providers could be utilized to provide assistance for families affected by this tragic event. We will be in discussion with them to determine the particulars of this assignment for this phase. Since Florida has been the site of several challenging circumstances, we have credentialed Providers who are ready to be of service. W. Derrick Lea, Director for North American Division Adventist Community Services, is currently onsite meeting with our ACS team members at the Warehouse to put the operational plan in place, set schedules of those assigned, and collaborate with authorities responsible for overall Response in the community. “The days will be long, but we trust that many will be helped through our efforts, and that those who observe us will see Christ working through us,” said Lea.