2020 ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS MARKET

Welcome to the 2020 Alternative Christmas Market

Here is an opportunity to honor friends, relatives, or co-workers by purchasing Christmas cards from the following mission and social justice organizations. Your donations will go directly to their programs. This year’s Market will be completely done on the internet. Here’s how to participate:

1. Choose organizations which would be appreciated by the recipients of a donation given in their honor. Detailed descriptions of the organizations follow including websites for additional information.

2. Fill out the order form noting which organizations you are interested in, how many cards you wish to purchase, and the resulting total.

3. Mail the order form plus a check made out to the First and Franklin Presbyterian Church to the church office.

4. We will email you PDFs for the organizations you chose. These PDFs will contain the Christmas card design and an explanation of the donation.

5. Print your Christmas cards on 81/2”x11” paper. If you do not have access to a printer, please note so on the order form and we will print the cards for you.

6. Instructions will be included on how to fold the paper so that the card becomes an envelope to mail.

7. Orders are due by December 1, 2020.

Organizations Participating in the Alternative Christmas Market

Racism

Associated Black Charities – works across Maryland as an educator, advocate, and supporter to eliminate race-based structural barriers and advance long-term solutions that create new opportunities for African-Americans to thrive financially and build a stronger economy for all. www.ABC-MD.org

Baltimore Racial Justice Action – works against racism and other forms of institutional oppression. Their focus is on achieving equity, addressing the dynamics of internalized oppression, and working toward a just environment in which all people have access and opportunity. www.bmoreantiracist.org

page1image5804192 page1image5797744 page1image5812096 page1image5797328page1image5814384 page1image5824368

Hunger

GEDCO/CARES – serves families and individuals in crisis by connecting clients with resources that enable movement towards self-sufficiency. These resources include food and emergency financial assistance services. In partnership with faith-based and community organizations, GEDCO provides affordable housing, supportive services, and emergency assistance to N.E. Baltimore residents. People with special needs are welcomed with the goal of fostering each person’s maximum potential. All clients are treated with dignity, diversity is valued, and growth towards personal independence is fostered. www.gedco.org

First and Franklin Food Pantry – donations will go directly towards purchasing food to stock our pantry. On Saturdays, from 12-2:00, our doors are open to give bags of groceries to our neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity. Each bag contains food for breakfasts, lunches, and several dinners.

Moveable Feast – fosters a community of men, women, and children living with HIV- AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses by preparing and delivering nutritious meal and groceries and by providing nutritional counseling and other services. Their vision is: FEED people FIGHT disease FOSTER hope www.bfeast.org

Violence

Araminta Freedom Initiative – reduces the threat of child trafficking—the buying and selling of minors for the purpose of sexual exploitation—and restores the mind, body and spirit of those who have survived the trauma of modern enslavement. They develop and implement educational initiatives and local prevention plans with churches, schools and communities, while providing individualized, restorative services to victims. aramintafreedom.org

Ceasefire 365 – is a movement dedicated to changing the violent culture in Baltimore into one that is life affirming. They hold four Ceasefire Weekends per year in which they encourage others to host life-affirming events, to commit to community outreach, and to become advocates for the Ceasefire/Peace Challenge in schools, churches, and work places. They also lead Sacred Space Rituals at the site where someone has been killed with the desire to fill that space with love and light, to preach that love has the last say, not violence. www.baltimoreceasefire.com

page2image5815840 page2image5825824 page2image5813760 page2image5826656 page2image5789008 page2image5814592 page2image5801488page2image5805856 page2image5805232 page2image5826448 page2image5816048

Trans Justice Funding Project – is a community-led funding initiative founded in 2012 to support grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people in the U.S. , including U.S. territories. Grants are made annually to small independent organizations committed to trans justice. These are groups committed to creating a world where trans and gender non-comformng individuals and communities have the freedom to self-define and express their genders without fear of violence, discriminations, or harassment, a world where trans people can recognize and honor that their communities have knowledge and expertise in matters relating to our their lives that no one else will have. www.transjusticefundingproject.org

Environment

Blue Water Baltimore – strives to restore the quality of Baltimore’s rivers, streams, and Harbor to foster a healthy environment, a strong economy, and thriving communities. They work towards a future where our waterways are safe and enjoyable for all. Blue Water Baltimore takes a holistic approach to make safe, clean water a reality in Baltimore by monitoring water quality and holding polluters accountable; planting trees and replacing hard surfaces with gardens; educating residents and students on how to help protect our water; advocating for laws and policies to fix the problems witnessed firsthand; growing and selling native plants at their Herring Run Nursery; and working hand-in-hand with the communities they serve.

www.bluewaterbaltimore.org

Green Belt Movement – is an environmental organization working at the grassroots, national, and international levels to promote environmental conservation; to build climate resilience and empower communities, especially women and girls; and to foster democratic space and sustainable livelihoods. Founded in Kenya, the Green Belt Movement has planted over 51 million trees as a response to Kenyan women who saw water availability decreasing and the resulting affects on forests and agriculture. They encourage women to work together to grow seedlings and plant trees to bind the soil; store rainwater; and provide food and firewood. In return, the women receive a small monetary token for their work. greenbelt movement.org

page3image3712240 page3image3788992 page3image3788784 page3image3793984 page3image3793776page3image3793568 page3image3793360

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance – enables congregations of PCUSA to witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic events. This year the Market will target our donations to assist those harmed by the wildfires in California and the Pacific Northwest and to the recovery of Beirut after the massive explosion of August 4. www.pda.pcusa.org

Self Development

THREAD – engages students who are at risk of failing high school and who have an abundance of challenges outside the classroom, by matching them with a group of volunteers. This group may consist of up to five volunteers who act as an extended family, doing whatever it takes to provide their student and family with completely customized support. THREAD supports its students for up to 10 years. Benefits in the student/volunteers relationships flow both ways where all involved receive lasting imprints. thread.org

Youth Rising Coalition – is an ambitious group of 14-24 year old entrepreneurial youth who hold a firm belief in job creation in Baltimore. They aim to engage, encourage, and empower each other by sharing experiences and problem solving; learning how to market products; seeking grants and loans and learning financial management skills; and matching adults with youth entrepreneurs to reach their business goals. The Baltimore Presbytery is a proud partner and sponsor of Youth Rising Coalition

www.baltimorepresbytery.org search: Youth Rising Coalition

Women’s Housing Coalition – is dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness by providing affordable housing and supportive service to enable clients to achieve and sustain social and financial stability. They serve formerly homeless, low-income individuals with disabilities, and families. In addition to housing, Women’s Housing Coalition’s services include case management, resident advocacy, and life skills training. Services are tailored to meet the needs of each individual or family and are based on their specific situations and goals. womenshousing.org

page4image3789408 page4image3789616 page4image3789824 page4image3789200 page4image3784624 page4image3784832 page4image3785040page4image3786080 page4image3786288

Partnerships

Baltimore Dakota Learning Camps – is a project created by the partnership between the Dakota and Baltimore Presbyteries. The mission of the camps is to honor and nurture the lives of children, youth, and adults through educational partnership . Each summer, four week long Learning Camps are run by adults assisted by youth volunteers from all four corners of the Dakota Presbytery and by volunteers from the Baltimore Presbytery. Donations will help buy supplies for these camps.

www.baltimoredakotalearningcamps.org

The Presbyterian Church of Taguasco, Cuba – is a sister church with whom First and Franklin Presbyterian Church entered into a partnership of friendship and support in 2014. Knowing that we share faith in Jesus Christ, we joined in solidarity to pray for each other, support each other in worship and service, celebrate one another, and grow our relationships through mutual exchange of visits. Donations will help support the laundry, feeding, and senior programs in Taguasco as well as support their need for a new roof.

page5image3785456 page5image3785664 page5image3785872 page5image3782128