Our Christmas Eve Offering
Following a tradition that began in 1961, each year Federated Church donates the entire offering collected at its four Christmas Eve services to an organization or cause whose program or goal would be significantly impacted by this generous gift. None of the money is used for Federated's operating expenses.
Organizations are invited to apply to be the recipient of the offering starting in late September with a deadline of October 30 for all applications. Our Board of Mission & Outreach reviews all applications and selects the recipient in November so an announcement can be made prior to the Christmas Eve services.
The 2009 Christmas Eve offering will go to
Seeds of Literacy, a Cleveland-based program that provides one-to-one turuoring in basic education and GED preparation for adults who are motivated to change their lives.
A sampling of recent past offerings includes:
| 2008 |
Youth Jobs Partnership program of Scranton Road Ministries |
$37,280 |
a workforce development initiative operating in the Cleveland Public Schools focused on creating employees with a commitment to excellence. The program creates a highly-competent workforce with marketable skills and a solid work-ethic, and transitions each graduate into either gainful employment or further training. |
| 2007 |
MedWish International |
$49,100 |
dedicated to saving lives & the environment through the recovery and recycling of donated medical supplies area healthcare providers must discard
|
| 2006 |
Back Bay Mission, Biloxi, Mississippi (UCC) |
$52,300 |
to hire a staff person to specialize in housing rehabilitation in the wake of the Katrina devastation
|
| 2005 |
Northeast Ohio Adoption Services |
$46,400 |
provide adoption and foster care services to teens and school-age children in the child welfare system by recruiting, preparing and supporting specialized families
|
| 2004 |
Youth Challenge |
$54,800 |
to bring together children with physical disabilities and youth volunteers who enrich each other's lives through one-on-one participation in adapted sports and recreational activities
|
| 2003 |
Applewood Centers, Inc. & Chagrin Falls Park Community Center (shared by two programs)
|
$55,500 |
to help teenage girls with dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental illness (Applewood) and to help the youth of the Chagrin Falls Park through added recreational programming (CFP Community Center)
|
| 2002 |
South African Ministries (shared by four programs) |
$74,300 |
Sparrow Rainbow Village AIDS Hospice for children, Forest Hills Dutch Reformed Church, YouthNet, Nederburg School
|
| 2001 |
Interfaith Hospitality Network |
$56,000 |
to help renovate the space for a new West Side Family Center to provide services for homeless families in Cleveland
|
| 2000 |
St. Paul's Express at St. Paul's Community Church |
$59,900 |
the After School Prevention Resources drop-in program for at-risk teens
|
| 1999 |
Mark Simone Medical Fund |
$141,000 |
for expenses related to his liver transplant
|
| 1998 |
St. Paul's Community Church |
$51,200 |
to replace the roof on our sister church on Cleveland's near west side
|