Saint Mark’s Outreach ministry offers a wide range of opportunities for parishioners of all ages to live out their Christian faith in service. Some of the exciting Outreach programs at Saint Mark’s are highlighted below. Financial support for these programs comes from the genreal budget and through focused fund-raising events such as the Red Tag Rummage Sale, Taste of Our Towns food festival, and youth-run bake sales.

Saint Ann’s Church.  Bronx, NY

Saint Ann’s is located in the poorest congressional district (per capita) in the United States. The congregation includes people of Latino, African-American, and Caribbean backgrounds. Because it is in walking distance from many communities with fundamental needs, Saint Ann’s provides a platform for direct aid (clothing and food in particular) and for longer-term programs such as a computer lab for an after school program, which are supported by restricted grant funds.

Saint Ann’s has been a sister congregation to Saint Mark’s for many, many years.  Each Sunday, we deliver food and clothing to the church which has been collected from our congregation. In addition, we hold a holiday food collection each year for Saint Ann’s on the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day. In the Spring, members of our two churches come together for a family-style picnic, sharing in outdoor games, a barbecue and an informal Eucharist.

To learn more, visit St. Ann's website.

Carpenter's Kids Project. Ikowa, Tanzania

In 2006, St. Mark's made a five year commitment to the Carpenter's Kids Project, an initiative led by the Episcopal Diocese of New York in conjunction with the Diocese of Central Tanganyika, Tanzania. The program is designed to provide financial support to enable Tanzanian children orphaned by HIV/AIDS to attend school. As a participating parish, St. Marks finances annual school tuition, school uniform and supplies, and a daily breakfast for a minimum of 50 orphans. In the summer of 2007, four representatives from St. Mark's traveled to Tanzania and had the opportunity to visit St. Peter's, Ikowa (our sister parish) to meet the children and conduct a needs assessment.

To learn more, visit the Carpener's Kids website.

Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry

This interfaith food pantry, sponsored by area churches and synagogues, provides emergency food supplies to residents of Mount Kisco. St. Mark’s supports the Pantry through food drives, financial contributions and by volunteering service on their leadership board. St. Mark's parishioners also work on the rotating teams of volunteers who obtain, stack and distribute food at The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester in Mount Kisco on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings.

To learn more, visit the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry website.

The Community Center of Northern Westchester

The Community Center of Northern Westchester seeks to improve the dignity, security and well-being of persons in our area. The Community Center welcomes broad volunteer involvement and participation by residents and organizations in Northern Westchester.

The Community Center provides supplemental food and clothing to all who need it within the geographic area we serve. The Center also offers employment counseling and classes, and refers those in need to appropriate resources. The center continually identifies and assesses the changing needs and resources of the community, modifying its programs accordingly to meet the needs of its clients in the best possible ways. Located at 84 Bedford Road in Katonah, the center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

To learn more, visit the Community Center of Northern Westchester website.

Emergency Shelter Partnership

The Emergency Shelter Partnership is an interfaith coalition of community and religious organizations that provides short term emergency shelter for those needing protection for the winter elements. The program operates for roughly 21 weeks from Novemeber through March, providing overnight shelter, dinner and breakfast to typically 10 -12 guests. Over 15 religious organizations host the shelter on a rotating basis and many more community groups and indiviuals lend support through donations of volunteers. meals and funds. St. Mark's hosted the shelter in November of 2006 and again served as host in February of 2008.