News

As we begin the school year and school personnel collect permission slips for Micah’s Backpack, we are getting reports that some families don’t have a microwave oven for children to heat the food received in the bags. If you have a gently used microwave to donate or can purchase a new one, please contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@harc.datachievereview.xyz. New microwaves can be purchased and delivered directly to our office from our Wish List.

HARC grieves the loss of Dr. Michael Parsons, who passed on to the next life on September 2. Mike was an active member of HARC for many years as a lay representative of St. Joseph Catholic Church. He enjoyed participating in HARC’s Interfaith Team, attended nearly every HARC meeting until a stroke last year, and loved discussing books in the Interfaith Book Club.  See Mike’s obituary for more details about his well-lived life.

A viewing will be held at Rest Haven on Wednesday, September 9 from 5-7 pm. His funeral mass is Thursday, September 10 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church

A celebration of life will be held for William “Bill” Pike on Saturday, October 31 at 11:00 am at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Hagerstown.

Bill was a kind soul who loved to volunteer for his church, HARC, Reach, a shelter in Virginia, and in any other way he could help people. As a HARC Hike team member of many years, he loved to shop and prepare meals for both Hike events.  As a representative to HARC for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Hagerstown (UUCH), he made sure the congregation was up to date on all things HARC and participated in any way they could.

Bill served on the HARC board from 2017-2020 and on the board of Reach of Washington County.  If Reach needed a meal, Bill was happy to bring his friends and make one, and he often filled volunteer holes throughout the shelter during the cold weather season.

Most of all, Bill was a good friend who could always find the positive in any situation.  We grieve for his loss and will miss him greatly.

This summer, 22 multilingual children in HARC & AACF’s ENOUGH program read books in some of their free time instead of playing with their phones or watching TV. In the “I Read A Book” program, children read and reported on books to earn credit toward purchasing back-to-school clothing and school supplies. This program culminated in a celebration on August 14.

The “I Read A Book” celebration included certificates and words of praise and encouragement for each child, and each received a backpack of goodies donated by the United Way of Washington County. Joy and exuberance filled the air as each child accepted their award, and the pride of parents was evident.

Bilingual Community Workers Julien Patrick Tete Wabo and Jane Powell created the “I Read A Book” program with the objective to provide children with an alternative to phone use and to strengthen relationships within families.  Books were provided by United Way and Children In Need.

The children who participated were excited about reading, enthusiastic about coming to the office for their interviews, and equally excited about earning money to help purchase back-to-school items. Their engagement was evident not only in their participation, but also in the pride they took in completing the program requirements.

One girl read a book each week and consistently went above and beyond the program’s expectations. Each time she returned a book, she also brought a drawing of a character from the story, sharing her artistic talent with the ENOUGH team (one picture shown here).

Another child chose a book that he loved that was, he later admitted, too challenging for his reading level. However, he did not return the book. He, with the help of his father and brother, persevered. His brother helped with the reading of the book. His father helped with the homework and drew pencil lines on the sheet to enable the son to write neatly and legibly. With the help of his family, the son completed the book and earned the $10 credit.

In the same family on another occasion, the elder brother borrowed a book about deep water ocean life.  With clear exuberance, he literally LUNGED for the book when he saw it, as he just about breathlessly explained what he knew about the subject.  He returned the book with the same exuberance and an improved knowledge about the adaptations of and species found in the ocean depths.

At the celebration, a boy who read six books over the summer was asked if he read a lot before this. “No,” he replied. “I never liked to read.” When asked if he likes to read now, he said “Yes!”

  

HARC is in need of a locking file cabinet, either a 2-drawer or 4-drawer upright unit would work. Wider file cabinets won’t fit in our space. If you have one to donate, please contact Kathy at kathy@harc.datachievereview.xyz or 301-842-4272.

St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Hagerstown, MD) seeks a qualified and dependable Organist/Choir Director to provide musical leadership on a part-time basis. The position covers the 1st, 3rd, and (when applicable) 5th Sundays of each month.

Key Responsibilities

• Service playing — Lead worship using the church’s Möller organ and grand piano.
• Music planning — Select hymns and service music in coordination with the Pastor.
• Seasonal services — Provide music for major liturgical holidays and special services.

Qualifications

• Organ performance proficiency in traditional liturgical settings.
• Experience leading hymns for congregational worship.
• Effective collaboration with clergy and staff.
• Professional reliability and respect for Lutheran worship traditions.

Compensation: Salary commensurate with experience.

For more information, please visit our website (stmarkslc.org) and click on the job description icon.

To Apply: Submit a résumé and cover letter to patakelley@aol.com. Links to audio or video samples of organ performance are welcome. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.