The Grapevine - The Latest News from His Branches

EO Volunteer Training

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Care Net Volunteer Training Sessions

WHERE:

EO @ HBI, 342 Arnett Blvd, Rochester, NY 14619
EO @ GNOC, 916 N Goodman St, Rochester, NY 14609

WHEN:

Thursday, July 23rd @ HBI, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Saturday, July 25th @ GNOC, 8 am – 1 pm
Thursday, July 30th @ HBI, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Saturday, Aug. 8th @ GNOC, 8 am – 1 pm

** MUST COMPLETE ALL 4 TRAINING SESSIONS !! **

Please bring your Bible to all the training sessions because we will be using them throughout the classes.
A coffee break will be provided mid way through each class. You may want to bring a lunch/dinner to eat during that time.
Suggested donation of $25.00 for training materials. If for any reason the donation will be a burden for you financially please contact one of our offices for scholarship. Thank you!

Click here for an application form. If you have any questions please call either Sandi Clawson Clawson at (585) 235-0690 or Kirsten Smith at (315) 524-8508. Thank you!

Kids Bible Club

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:31:00 +0000

19th Ward honor citizens

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:11:00 +0000

Mitzie Collins, J. Bediaku Afoh Manin (President), and Susan Morehouse

The 19th Ward Community Association named Susan Morehouse, founder and leader of the Arnett Block Club, as its Citizen of the Year at its annual Awards Dinner on June 20. Click here to read Mitzie Collins' introductory comments and Susan's acceptance remarks.

Marian Boutet and Sheila Simmons were recipients of the Urban by Choice Award. Boutet is a Police and Citizens Together Against Crime (PAC-TAC) coordinator, Garden Tour chairwoman, and the association's office manager. Simmons is an Association Delegates' Council member and neighborhood volunteer.

David Hawkes, the area's Neighborhood Service Center administrator, and Katrina Hanson, NeighborWorks Rochester program manager, were each recipients of the Quality of Life Award.

A Pro-life Majority

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sat, 16 May 2009 10:46:00 +0000

Focus on Volunteers!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:37:00 +0000

Embracing Options would like to take this opportunity to highlight and thank the people who are the heart and soul, and the hands and feet of the organization. Without them, this ministry could not exist. Their duty and dedication in assisting young women and men through life crises cannot be measured. Who are these amazing heroes? Our volunteers!

Click here to read the special volunteer issue of our Spring Newsletter, Choices for Life, Volume 1, Issue 2.

Citizen of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:20:00 +0000

19th Ward Community Association
Citizen/Merchant of the Year Awards Dinner

Saturday, June 20

Reception 5:30 pm - Dinner 6:15 pm
Unity Health, St. Mary’s Campus Auditorium
89 Genesee Street (free parking in garage)
Tickets on sale now: $20 per person
Call 328-6571 to reserve your tickets

As reported in the May 2009 issue of Update 19:

Congratulations to our 2009 Citizen of the Year, Susan Morehouse. Susan's nominator wrote of the work she has done in founding and leading the "Arnett Block Club, one of the most active Block Clubs in the Ward. Susan brings in guest speakers, organizes numerous activities and maintains an ongoing dialog with the police about drug use and drug houses in the area. She is responsible for organizing the Block Club's summer event that draws people of all ages for a day of community building activities."

When informed of her selection as Citizen of the Year, Susan modestly claimed that she has a wonderful team of volunteers who work on these projects. True, but an effective team needs an effective leader. Susan is known for her persistence in working with City Hall, seeking donations and bringing people together to improve the quality of life in the Ward. Her newest project is sprucing up the foyer of the Arnett Library with a new community bulletin board and coat of paint.

If you have not yet seen the neighborhood garden Susan organized (and personally mows, weeds, waters, etc.), stop in at the corner of Arnett and Wellington. Susan's creativity has transformed a neighborhood eyesore into a restful, beautiful space to stop and enjoy the butterflies expected to visit this summer.

Susan and her husband, Bill, have lived on Wellington Ave. since 1976. Their beautiful home has been featured on 19th Ward House Tours. Susan is an accomplished harpist who teaches privately and offers therapeutic music to hospitals and nursing homes. She has produced two CDs of her music, which can be purchased at Creators Hands or directly from Susan.

Thank you, Susan, for all you do to make the 19th Ward a great place to live.

Please join us in honoring one of our own for her graceful contributions to our community.

Greetings from BT

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:25:00 +0000

BT writes from Jerusalem:

Besides managing the dental clinic and teaching English, I am also involved in a women’s ministry of reconciliation. During a recent retreat we looked at principles of reconciliation during times of crisis when relationships are tested, and we tend to identify with one side or the other. As believers it is important to reach out to one another and make the effort to come together to pray together. Putting this principle into practice during the recent Gaza conflict, some of the women had taken the initiative, and we prayed as Israeli, Palestinian and ex-pat women for people on both sides of the conflict. Even in a small way we can make a difference by praying for God’s mercy and compassion; caring for widows, orphans and strangers; and speaking against injustice and violence on both sides.

Click here to read her full report.

Oscar Romero - 3/24/80

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:23:00 +0000

Oscar Romero: Bishop of the Poor

In 1980, in the midst of a U.S. funded war the UN Truth Commission called genocidal, the soon-to-be-assassinated Archbishop Oscar Romero promised history that life, not death, would have the last word. "I do not believe in death without resurrection," he said. "If they kill me, I will be resurrected in the Salvadoran people."

On this 29th anniversary of his death, the people will march through the streets carrying that promise printed on thousands of banners. Mothers will make pupusas (thick tortillas with beans) at 5 am, pack them, and prepare the children for a two-to-four hour ride or walk to the city to remember the gentle man they called Monseñor.

Oscar Romero gave his last homily on March 24. Moments before a sharpshooter felled him, reflecting on scripture, he said, "One must not love oneself so much, as to avoid getting involved in the risks of life that history demands of us, and those that fend off danger will lose their lives."

Click here to read a profoundly thoughtful prayer offered at Romero's memorial service that has become an indelible part of the heritage this brave and humble man left to us.

EO Open House

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:33:00 +0000

Donor Option #2480

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:34:00 +0000

Now, more than ever, we need your help as we reach out to serve women and families in need in the Rochester area.

Please designate your United Way gift to His Branches - it’s as easy as 1 2 3…

Obtain a 2009 United Way Donor Designation Form from your employer or online by clicking here.
Check the last box in Paragraph #3 on your United Way form.
Write “His Branches, Inc.” and enter our organization ID number: 2480.

...or donate directly by mail or through our website. Thanks for your support!

America at the Crossroads

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:09:00 +0000

Dear Friends,

I write to you today with contrasting and conflicting emotions. We have just seen the inauguration of the nation's first black President, and many of us, even those who didn't vote for him, are celebrating that historic moment. Given the scourge of slavery and the suffering of African Americans through most of the past 400 years, our ancestors would never have believed that a black man would someday be elected to the most powerful and influential position on earth. That is, indeed, a political achievement that is unprecedented in the history of this great nation. I congratulate President Barack Obama on his victory and his inauguration. Shirley and I are praying for him, the First Lady, and their children.

At the same time, I am deeply saddened and profoundly troubled by many of the policies and positions that the new president has pledged to support. He has taken dead-aim at the institution of the family and the moral principles on which it is based...

Click here to read Dr. James Dobson's entire commentary on the times in which we live in the February issue of Family Action News.

Risego 1st Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:33:00 +0000

Dear Friends of RISEGO:

March represents our one year anniversary commemorating the completion of “The Arnett,” a Social Entrepreneurship Center dedicated to creating young entrepreneurs. The Arnett includes several businesses and partners that are also willing to share their many lessons with the next generation of business people.

Please join us in March for one or more of the events below and on the attached flyer to meet and support our business partners and the showcasing of entrepreneurial talent in our region.

Jazz and Poetry Night—Friday, March 6th
5-7 pm - Shop, Dine and Tour the Arnett
7-9 pm - Jazz & Poetry

Join us on March 6th for an evening of Jazz featuring young entrepreneurs Gabriel Condon and a host of his friends. Band members include: Alex Coté (drums), Paul Watrobski (bass), Dave Barron (bass), and Rod Blumenau (piano). The band will be joined by a few up and coming poets that will share their expressions.

ARTS Night—Friday, March 13th
5-7 pm - Shop, Dine and Tour the Arnett
7-9 pm - Art Expressions by Richmond Futch & Friends

Join us on March 13th to view the great works of art available for sale and viewing at the Arnett. Renowned artist, Richmond Futch and friends will showcase their art and the source of their inspiration.

Global Entrepreneurship Expo—Friday, March 20th
5-7 pm - Shop, Dine and Tour the Arnett
7-9 pm - Global Entrepreneurship Expo

Join us on March 20th for an evening of celebration as we hear stories from Social Entrepreneurs that are making a world of difference through their businesses and social ventures. Presenters include Kingdom Ventures, Inc., the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship and others.

Youth in social entrepreneurship forum—Friday, March 27th
5-7 pm - Shop, Dine and Tour the Arnett
7-9 pm - Youth in Social Entrepreneurship

Join us on March 27th for an evening dedicated to youth entrepreneurs that want to launch a successful business or social venture. The evening includes a Social Entrepreneurship Workshop and presentations by the youth. The youth will be encourage to take their ideas to the next level by enrolling in Risego’s Youth in Social Entrepreneurship Training Series.

RISEGO, 336 Arnett Blvd., Rochester, NY 14619

For information about the events or RISGEO, please call 585-413-3388 or via email.

Palm Sunday Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:10:00 +0000

A long-time 19th Ward tradition will continue with the Palm Sunday Breakfast on April 5th at the Presbyterian Home, 256 Thurston Road. The event is from 8 to 9:30 am, and the featured speaker is Mayor Robert Duffy. Westminster Presbyterian Mission cosponsors the occasion together with St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Community of the 19th Ward. Proceeds from this function will support the 19th Ward Community Association.

Tickets are $7 per individual, $11 for a couple, or $15 per household. They are available at the Community Association Office, 216 Thurston Road (328-6571), or from Chris and Bettie Lindley at 235-2217.

The tradition of the 19th Ward Palm Sunday breakfast goes back over sixty years, originally being hosted by Westminster Presbyterian Church. After a hiatus of a few years, the event was resumed. The featured speakers focus on key community concerns for 19th Ward residents. The Presbyterian Home underwrites the occasion, enabling all the money to go to the 19th Ward Community Association.

19th Ward Luminaries

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:18:00 +0000

Dear Friends,

For the past few years the 19th Ward has celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday in a public manner and will be doing so again this year. On Sunday, January 18th there will be a FREE concert by the Rochester Oratorio Society at 3 pm at St. Monica’s Church.

On Monday, January 19 there will be luminaries throughout the area. The luminaries themselves are small paper bags weighted down with sand or kitty litter and containing a votive candle. Luminary kits are available at Hunt’s Hardware, and Tops Market will have kits for sale on Saturday, January 10 and Sunday, January 11.

Neighbors make a number of luminaries and set them at the sidewalk edge of their tree lawn from sunset until 9 pm. Some people host warming fires and a hot chocolate stands. This is also a community building event.

A further community building activity is the 19th Ward Family Skate Night on Sunday, February 1, at the Genesee Valley Ice Rink from 6:45 to 8:15 pm. Admission is free but skate rental is $3.

If you have questions about either of these events, please call the 19th Ward Community Association’s office 328-6571.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:23:00 +0000

Greetings from the Morehouses!

We deeply appreciate all your support and look forward
to serving together with you in the coming year.

Click here to read our holiday letter.

Santa vs. God?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:57:00 +0000

OK, Virginia, There's No Santa Claus.
But There Is God

My 8-year-old son, Caleb, puts his hand on my shoulder; he wears an expression that shows he wants to have a man-to-man talk. "Dad," he says, "I know there's no Santa Claus." He rattles off his indictments, starting with the pure physics of the enterprise. There's no way one guy can visit every house in a single night. And how does he get into houses with no chimneys? Then there's the matter of zoology – not a single nature book on our shelves mentions flying reindeer. Perhaps most important for an 8-year-old, there's the weight of public opinion – none of Caleb's friends believe in Santa any more. He leans close, his voice taking that tone of worldliness that is at once endearing and saddening to a parent. "He isn't real, is he?"

Perhaps a more responsible parent would confess, but I hesitate. For this I blame G.K. Chesterton, whose treatise "Orthodoxy" had its 100th anniversary this year.

Click here to read Tony Woodlief's essay in today's Wall Street Journal.

News from Jerusalem

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:19:00 +0000

BT writes from Jerusalem:

This has been another year of change. As I was writing my last letter I did not know what would happen at the end of August. When Dr. Mousa told me he had to close his practice in Tiberias it meant that I would have no clinic or dentist to provide a dental program for the needy.

After helping many hundreds of the Lebanese with extensive dental care I expected at some time to gradually phase out the service, but not to suddenly stop with so little notice. The day I got the news I began to inform our patients, one of whom was a believer who had been referred by the pastor of a local fellowship. She thought the service was too important to lose and asked her pastor if he could help. To make a long story short, I discussed the project at length with the pastor and we agreed, with an initial six month commitment, to partner to support the service thus making it available to even more needy people referred by the fellowship as well as the Lebanese. This plan allowed Dr. Mousa to keep the clinic and continue working with us.

It is a solution I neither initiated nor thought possible so I can only thank God for it. As I reflect over the past 25 years of my ministry I can clearly see the Lord’s hand enabling and guiding me, even through circumstances that I could not anticipate and could not understand. Life is full of uncertainty, but we have confidence in the Lord.

Click here to read B's 2008 Holiday newsletter.

Christmas Caroling!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:42:00 +0000

Christmas Caroling in the Park

Join us on Tuesday, December 16th from 7:00-8:00 pm
at the corner of Arnett and Wellington.

All are welcome! Bring flashlights or candles. Hot cocoa provided.

Questions? Call Susan at 436-1628.

Open House a Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:17:00 +0000

This morning we had a great turnout of enthusiastic visitors and generous supporters at our Fundraising Open House. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all the staff and volunteers who helped make our event such a success and to our guests for taking precious time during the holiday season to come out and offer your support. We appreciate your involvement and are looking forward to working more closely with all of you in the future as we seek to improve the quality of life of all in our neighborhood.

God bless you!

A thought experiment

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Here's an excerpt from a thought-provoking article about health care disparities, written by Dr. Douglas Kamerow (graduate of Rochester's Family Medicine Program) and published in a recent issue of the British Medical Journal, that would be of interest to anyone who heard Dr. Morehouse's talk at the His Branches Open House earlier today:

Our perfectly designed US healthcare system

The interregnum between a presidential election and the inauguration is a time of feverish activity, in which the president elect and his staff decide who will help them govern and what they will try to do first. The press and pundits speculate breathlessly on who will be appointed and what they will do first. As I write this, for example, we have just learnt that the new administration’s secretary of health and human services is likely to be a respected former US senator, Tom Daschle. He has written a book about healthcare reform, which is likely to be his assignment when he starts in January.

I’ve been musing about the United States and how perfectly designed our current healthcare system is. Perfectly designed, of course, as every system is, to achieve exactly the results it gets, as quality improvement guru Don Berwick famously said. In its own way, it is really rather remarkable. Here’s a thought experiment to illustrate what I mean.

Click here to read the whole article.

Fundraising Open House

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:32:00 +0000

Open House
at
His Branches

Saturday, December 6th
10:30 am to Noon
340 Arnett Boulevard

Our Open House includes:

Free Continental Breakfast
Tours of Our Facility and Risego Businesses Next Door
Talks about Our Mission and Services
Booths with Program and Health Information

For 30 years we have provided medical services to anyone who comes through our door. We offer:

Christ-centered Medical Care for Entire Families
Sponsorship of Rochester Youth Year Outreach Worker
Embracing Options Pregnancy Care
Space for Community Groups
Medical and Nursing Student Training
Community Partnerships and Investing

In these economic times, more people require the sliding scale care we offer. Please contact us at 235-9000 to sign up and find out how you can help!

Safety Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 01:57:00 +0000

Please join us for a Safety Seminar sponsored by the Arnett Block Association and put on by the Rochester Police Department. Find out what you can do to be safe on the street.

When: Tuesday, November 18th
Time: 6:15 to 6:45 pm
Where: Arnett Branch Library

Change Has Come

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:04:00 +0000

Yesterday America's voters went to the polls and chose leaders for our future. Many of us have been praying earnestly for God's hand to be upon our land through our democratic process. Today the results are in, and we would like to congratulate all who have won election to office and wish them well in their endeavors. We are particularly holding up our new President-elect, Barack Obama, and his running mate and transition team as they prepare to pick up the reigns of our country in these unusually challenging times. While we may disagree with the stands they have taken on some issues, especially the critical ones of abortion and homosexuality, we pledge our full prayer support for them as they seek to bring healing and restore stability, both at home and abroad.

Click on the picture above to view Senator Obama's encouraging acceptance speech, and click here for a link to the website of his transition team.

God bless you!

Pastoral Care, Mental Health

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:38:00 +0000

Bishop Orville Beckford and Bishop Herman Dailey discuss the benefits of training to recognize mental health problems.

His Branches has been hosting a monthly meeting of community pastors and mental health professionals from the University of Rochester Medical Center for the past four years. Recently City Newspaper ran an article about the program:

In the city's underserved African-American and Hispanic communities, ministers often encounter people suffering from serious mental health problems. And frequently, it's before anyone else, including family members and physicians, says Silvia Sorensen, a researcher in the University of Rochester's Department of Psychiatry.

"Ministers are faced with people who have mental health issues on a regular basis because of the work they do," says Sorensen. "And they don't necessarily have the training or background to recognize what's going on, or the information needed to refer people."

As part of the Department of Psychiatry's Aging Well Initiative, Sorensen developed a seminar in conjunction with the city's African-American faith community to help provide ministers, pastors, and lay counselors with the counseling tools they need.

Click here to read the entire article by Tim Louis Macaluso.

Holiday Open House

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Kingdom Ventures is hosting a Holiday Open House from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Friday November 7th and Saturday 8th at Risego's historic “Arnett” building located beside us at 336 Arnett Blvd.

The event is designed to provide you with an opportunity to find unique gifts as part of your holiday shopping. You can also see art demonstrations, grab a coffee or cider, and enjoy lunch or dinner at The French Quarter Café!

Click here for an Open House flyer and product listing or here for more about Kingdom Ventures, a map to the event, additional product information, and stories about their unique mission.

Please join us and support a business that is not only changing lives on Arnett Blvd. but around the globe as well.