Category Archives: Church

The Barnes and Noble
Fundraiser for Santa Maria Urban Ministry
is coming soon! This fundraiser is to collect money to finish the SMUM playground.

Since 1983 SMUM has provided basic services in the inner city
of San Jose, CA: both short-term needs such as food, clothing and transportation,
and long-term transformation through education, counseling, and after-school
and seasonal programs. SMUM serves the needs of the community and promotes
self-sufficiency. My husband and I are volunteers for SMUM’s Studio 17
after school homework and computer lab club – this is a great program!

Shop at the five Barnes and Noble stores in the San Jose area (Almaden,
Gilroy, Westgate, Pruneyard, and Stevens Creek) on
Monday, October 6. Invite your friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
If you are unable to shop on that day, you can place an order by phone at
any time from now until closing on October 6. (Be sure to mention that this
is part of the fundraiser for SMUM.) Present this voucher at Barnes and Noble
when making your purchase on 6 October:

Pictures from the 2007 ballet folklorico group dancing at last year’s
SMUM benefit sale:

Images Copyright 2007 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher

My home parish of St. Andrew’s
Episcopal Church (Saratoga, CA) hosted its 2nd annual Youth Dinner and Dance on
Sunday night. St. Andrew’s large and active youth community plans, manages, cooks for,
and runs the popular event to raise money for their Mission Trip. Sunday’s cajun-style
dinner was excellent and there was much sharing between those with catfish and those
served pork.

This past June, the youth Mission Trip was to Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi (on the U.S.
Gulf Coast), to rehabilitate houses as part of the
Katrina
recovery effort. Next summer, they plan to work in Mexico.

The Dinner and Dance is fun both for those who work and those who dine. My son Paul
was again one of the table servers. John, Laura, J.R. and I bid on auction items;
Laura won a day at a local spa. One of the unexpected treats was not only listening
and dancing to the CSB Big Band
but also looking at their elegant instruments during breaks. Photos:

Ready for dinner

Dance floor

Ready to serve

CSB Big Band

Saxophone mouth

Electric Guitar

Saxophones

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher

Powered By Ringsurf

Please Join Us – All Are Welcome!

U2Charist and World MDG Blogging Day

My church is preparing to present a
“U2Charist” on 20 September 2008
at my home parish of
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church (13601 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, CA).
A U2Charist combines music from the library of humanitarian band
U2 with worship and Holy Communion. For more
U2Charist information, call 408-887-2977. Also in development
is World MDG Blogging Day
on 25 September 2008 in support of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

St. Andrew’s speaker at the 20 September U2Charist will be
Peter Kithene,
Founder, President, and CEO of Mama Maria Kenya and the Mama Maria Clinic. Peter Kithene
was orphaned at age 12 but went on to found Mama Maria Kenya and the Mama Maria Clinic
during his Junior Year at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 2007, Peter was chosen one out of over 70,000 applicants from 93 countries to be CNN’s Global Heroes honoree of “Medical Marvel” for his work in developing rural healthcare in Africa.

The funds offered at the event will benefit Kithene’s project
Mama Maria Kenya, and
Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD). This month,
ERD achieved a
4-star rating from Charity Navigator for sound fiscal management. 4-stars is the
highest possible rating.

The U2Charist is a project of the 18 Episcopal member churches of the Santa Clara Valley Deanery, to bring wider attention to the
Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight health and welfare goals supported by nearly all of the 192 United Nation countries, including the United States.

Photos of Peter Kithene and Mama Maria Kenya

Peter Kithene

Mama Maria Clinic, Kenya

Peter Kithene with Patient

Images Copyright 2008 by Peter Kithene

We went to a graduation party yesterday. John and I volunteer weekly at
SMUM (Santa Maria Urban Ministry) Studio 17, an
after school homework and computer lab in San Jose. Yesterday, we went to SMUM
with Jessica and Paul for the end of year pizza and cake party. This summer,
Studio 17 will offer weekend activities, including a karate self-defense class
by Jessica. Here are photos from the party:

SMUM Big Girls

Brother and sister

Lining up for cake

Ice Cream Cones

Compukidz Bilingual Toy Laptop

Loves her computer

Graduation picture

Graduation picture

Graduation picture

Graduation picture

Computer boys

Pattycake rhyme games

Carlos’ 13th Birthday

Studio 17 picture

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson

John and I volunteer a few hours a week at Studio 17, the grade school
homework and computer lab program of
Santa Maria Urban Ministry (SMUM). SMUM provides
basic services in the inner city of San Jose, CA: both short-term needs
such as food, clothing and transportation, and long-term transformation
through education, counseling, after-school and seasonal programs.

Last week, John showed the girls who came for Studio 17 the
Apple Photo Booth software on his Mac laptop. They were delighted.
Here are the girls having fun with John and Padre Lorenzo:

Images Copyright 2008 by John Plocher and Katy Dickinson