Worship is inextricably tied to the outreach efforts of this community. As we receive the sacrament each Sunday at Eucharist, we remember that we give because of what we have been given. This year, we continued our Advent tradition of bringing various themed donations to our nativity creche. And for Christmas, the Saints purchased gifts for a dozen families through our Samaritan House giving tree. For Lent, we took up a community offering for the Flathead Warming Center, collecting basic needs items for the housing insecure and funds to assist with their move into a new facility. Through our daily Lenten coupon booklet, we were able to support Episcopal Relief and Development’s 1000 Days of Love.

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This year, we started a Mother’s Day diaper and feminine hygiene products drive that collected 3,812 diapers, 1,264 tampons, 1,672 pads, and 5,060 baby wipes for North Valley Food Bank and Samaritan House. This fall, we collected backpacks and supplies, as well as nearly $1k to purchase gym shoes and additional school supplies for low wealth students, distributed through the North Valley Food Bank.

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While our cooperative feeding ministry in Hungry Horse was unable to meet in-person for much of the year, we continued to direct funds to the Martin City Food Bank so that our neighbors could continue to eat. But by June, All Saints joined the Methodist and Lutheran churches in Columbia Falls in providing “to-go” meals at the old Canyon Elementary School on the last Thursday of every month.

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Though we are a small non-profit, in many ways we are better able to respond to immediate and specific needs than larger and less nimble agencies. When the Brush family of Evergreen lost their trailer home and all its contents in a fire on June 21, all it took was a couple of texts to make a list of the family’s needs and start a collection. Through a line item in our budget and generous support of the Rector’s Discretionary Fund, we spend about $20k annually addressing needs like medical care, car repairs, funeral expenses, gas and food money, utility payments, veterinary bills, rent, train and bus tickets, and lodging to help domestic abuse survivors. The vestry also created a COVID-19 relief fund, giving donors the ability to directly support those in the Flathead who have been severely impacted by the pandemic. Money cannot solve every problem, but for some folks, a modest amount of money can solve an awful lot.

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The coming year, we hope to continue these generous traditions and explore more opportunities for “hands- on” service. Mtr. Mikalya and Fr. Charlie are already organizing service days with the St. Michael’s Wood Bank and a Rise Against Hunger food packaging event with Christ Church, Kalispell and St. Patrick’s, Big Fork.

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As a community, we support a vast number of outreach agencies. Over the last twelve months, through the budget and special offerings we’ve supported:

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· North Valley Food Bank
· Columbia Falls Food Bank
· The Bishop’s Discretionary Fund
· The Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem
· Samaritan House
· The Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force · Flathead Youth Home
· The Flathead Warming Center
· The Abbie Shelter
· The Brush Family
· Rise Against Hunger
· The Canyon Community Dinners
· Receiving and Giving in Faith