Library Team
November 2020

October Library Team Life Group Service Project

This month the Library Team was blessed to help serve with the American Baptist Women (ABW) at the church. Over the years, ABW has made "Ditty Bags" for the Seafarers Ministry of the Golden Gate "Christmas at Sea"  at Oakland, CA; Basically it is Christmas "stocking stuff" in homemade bags for the seamen working on merchant ships that use Oakland harbor, so they have a gift to open Christmas Day.

During the year, ABW participants cut and sew the bags, take donations, buy the toiletry items and add them to the donations they have received. In October they pack the bags and deliver them to the Seafarers Ministry in Oakland. As you can imagine, this year was a little different due to the COVID-19 pandemic:  Since March the women have worked at home, sewing the bags and completing them with the crocheted string closures. 

What they didn't know was whether or not the Seafarers Ministry was even going to have the project this year, or whether or not a packing team was going to be available to pack the bags.  To make a long story short, a couple of weeks ago Barbara, ABW President, was advised that YES, the Seafarer Ministry Project was on and hoped groups would bring the filled bags to Oakland on October 24th.  

Maxine moves fast when it comes to finishing a project! She visited every dollar store in the area, bought all the toiletry items available, then counted them multiple times; and she got a team of helpers to pack the bags. Then, with masks and proper social distancing, Maxine directed and worked with Abbie, Elizabeth, Crystal, Jerri and Kathy, to pack the bags.  Maxine and Abbie delivered 130 filled bags from SCFBC and supplies and bags from Pacific Grove Baptist and Grace Baptist in San Jose.

Thank you to people who donated money or items for this project and to the following ladies who made hats, sewed bags, strung the ties in the bags, gathered materials in early 2020: Evie, Ruth, Virginia, Abbie, Wilma, Daphne, Luba, Varina, Lisa, Rosa, Lizbeth and Gladys.