Outreach

This ministry provides weekend food for selected children at several of the local schools and our own preschool. The students have been identified by the school district as “Families In
Transition” (homeless). A group of church volunteers pack the bags weekly with healthy food & snacks and deliver them to the schools.  The items are donated or paid for by our congregation, fundraising events and community members outside of our church.

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We will start packing food in the middle of September for the 2023/2024 school year. Love in a Backpack is so appreciative for the following items:

• any individually wrapped single serve purchased food items such as applesauce, fruit cups, protein bars, juice boxes, Lance cheese or peanut butter crackers, beanie weenies, etc.

• We are always in need of plastic grocery bags from Walmart, Public, or any similar bags from other stores.

• The food items and grocery bags can be left in the Love in a Backpack box which is in Fellowship Hall under the television. For more information, please contact Karen Andrews, email: Kaiganscho@aol.com, (386) 682-5222.

For most of the past 12 years, St. Mark has sent a team of volunteers to serve at the Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee.

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The GKTW Village is a lodging resort for seriously ill or disabled children and their families. These “Make-A-Wish” families are treated to a week-long, cost-free fantasy vacation visiting the Orlando theme parks. The Village relies on a vast number of daily volunteers offering the families a variety of services and fun activities. Our team spends 5 days (and 4 nights in a rented house) helping by scooping up ice-cream sundaes (including at breakfast!), serving food or carrying meal trays in the dining room, operating a carousel, driving a shuttle or delivery cart, and partying each evening with the kids and their families. The children will melt your heart with their smiles and giggles! The families will bless you beyond measure!

 

We look forward to our 9th mission trip February 2-6, 2026! Team member recruitment is in progress! For more information, please contact Sherri Hunter
email: Sherri.dhunter@gmail.com;(386) 503-3687

This outreach ministry is designed to provide a safe and caring place each week for adults in need of supervision allowing their caregivers a few hours of respite time.

Church volunteers engage the participates in supervised games, art projects, and singing. It is truly a “Joyful Day” for the participants, caregivers, and our volunteers!

This program is open to all participants from the community.