The Grapevine - The Latest News from His Branches

SOHL Day of Prayer

2012-01-13T10:01:00.000-05:00

Sunday, Jan. 22nd is National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (SOHL). Embracing Options is offering FREE bulletin inserts for your congregation. Please click here to read our SOLS Invitation. It contains a letter for your pastor, document "What is SOHL Sunday?" and an order form to order them to share with your church family. Please contact our office at (585) 235-0690 and let us know how many FREE inserts you want for your congregation.

7th Annual SOHL (Sanctity of Human Life) Day of Prayer, Friday January 20th from 12:30 to 4:30 pm (3:45 p.m. we will be a Memorial Service held for the little ones lost to abortion) at Embracing Options, 350 Arnett Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14619. Light refreshments and coffee will be provided.

Invited: All Pro-Lifers in the Rochester area who either stand on the front lines daily against abortion or if you have a heart for the sanctity of human life. We ask Pastors to come pray with and over us to bless us for the upcoming year of this battle against abortion and its ravages on our community. Contact Althea Pitts-Swails at (585) 235-0690 if you'd like to attend or share a brief message of encouragement for all the staff and volunteers in the local pro-life community.

19th Ward Luminaries

2012-01-09T10:04:00.005-05:00

For the past several 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 Monday, January 16th 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. Neighbors make a number of luminaries and set them at the sidewalk edge of their tree lawn from sunset until 9 pm, making a beautiful sight. Some people host warming fires and a hot chocolate stands. This is also a community building event.

Luminary Kits are available for $4.00/kit of 10 luminaries at Menezes Pizza - 445 Chili Ave (open from 12-6 pm), Hunt's Hardware - 390 Thurston Road, the 19th Ward Office, and Boulder Coffee - 960 Genesee St, or make your own. If you arrive at one of these locations and they have sold out, call the NWCA office at 328-6571 (or ask the merchant to call) and we will get more to them if we have any available. Kits are also available at some Delegates' and Block Club Leaders' homes, as follows:

MacClurg Vivian, 191 Winbourne
Sheila Bazil, 53 Arvine Heights
Charlotte Giebel, 500 Brooks Ave, 235-5432
Berda Goff, 143 Maxwell Ave
Sharon Conheady, 114 Melrose
Pat Gross, 393 Wellington Ave, 354-2840
Jay Ross, 129 Trafalgar
Penny Griffin, 66 Monica Street

We also have at least 10 hot chocolate/ cider/ cookies/ movie/ coat giveaway stands signed up. Check out www.luminaryevening.com to determine where they are on the map. Be sure to plan on visiting some of them as you enjoy the luminaries.

And don't forget this year's special MLK programs at the Arnett Branch Library:

Saturday, 1/14, Noon -presentation and discussion on Martin Luther King, Jr and his impact on us today and introduction of a new media project that reflects our neighborhood - a MUST SEE!
Tuesday, 1/17, 4:00 pm - showing of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech

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

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-18T16:39:00.001-05:00

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.

2011 Christmas in the Park

2011-12-12T12:18:00.001-05:00

The Arnett Block Association found a wonderful Christmas tree this year for the Arnett Bird and Butterfly Park on the corner of Arnett and Wellington beside the Library! Once it was up they collaborated with School #29 and the Arnett Branch Library to host a festive day of decorating, in which 350 kids came with home-made ornaments, followed by story reading in the Arnett. A great time was had by all!

Fantastic 2011 Block Party!

2011-08-08T16:25:00.012-05:00

Our annual Arnett Block Party this past Saturday was fantastic, thanks to the generous participation of so many amazing volunteers and contributors. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Click here to see a full size slide show

We've had a very hot and dry summer, but the weatherman was predicting thunderstorms for Saturday afternoon and many of us were concerned. As it turned out, we had a comfortably overcast day with so few sprinkles that most people didn't even notice that rain came down at all! Our God is faithful! So many marvelous people were involved in making our day a success that it will be hard to list them, but I'll give it a try. Our setup crew arrived early and up went the tents! Then Tom Zumbo unloaded his grill, the basketball hoop went up, R Community Bikes arrived, and we closed off Arnett Blvd. between Warwick and Rugby. Richard Stutzman high-fived onto the premises as Happy the Clown, Tom Stefano and Randy VanAuken got the music going, a crowd began to gather, and the party was on! By early afternoon the ZooMobile was here and Victor the Magician was ready to wow the crowd with his amazing show. We knew we were in full gear when Mitzie Collins, Tom Bohrer, their family team had us all in thrall with their Punch and Judy Show!

Special thanks go out to Rora, Nancy, and all the other faithful members of the Arnett Block Association whose tireless planning, preparation, and free food service made the whole event possible; to the City of Rochester for letting us block off Arnett Blvd. and sending RPD Officer Miskell and "Nero" with their K-9 show and Officer Deirdre Hammond who signed up dozens of kids (!) with Operation Safe Child; to Michelle Preston, Aya Kaufmann, Cynthia Hobbs and Doug Smith for manning the helium balloons and decorating so many eager faces; and to Debra Parris and her flag team for their inspiring act.

We were delighted that the Genesee Street Fire House sent their big fire truck and team and that the Rural-Metro Ambulance squad was able to join us for the afternoon, giving hundreds of kids a chance to investigate and actually climb up into a real fire truck and ambulance!

Overwhelming gratitude goes out to R Community Bikes for their generosity in fixing one bike after another all afternoon; to City Councilman Dana Miller for his lively performance as our Master of Ceremonies; to all our sponsoring merchants who provided us with so many generous donations and raffle prizes; to Sarah Love, Stacey Markum, Brittney Bryant, Dee Skelton and Althea for running our Grace Family Medicine / Embracing Options booth; ; to Bruce Tehan from the Arnett Branch Library for his kids' story time; to Robert Matthews for setting up and running a spectacular hoops competition all afternoon; and to Leronne Evans and members of the New Life Gospel Choir for the wonderful tribute they paid to our Lord by leading us in open worship before our God and Maker at the close of the afternoon.

Remarkably, everyone pitched in and helped, so even the cleanup was a breeze and by 5 pm you never would have known the event had happened. Already folks are making plans for "next year's Block Party." Want to help? Just give us a call! God bless you all!

A Great Banquet!

2011-05-31T14:13:00.010-05:00

Our second annual His Branches Banquet, hosted last week at the Oak Hill Country Club, was a great success thanks to many behind-the-scenes workers and wonderful community support! Over 200 staff, friends, and new supporters of our ministry gathered for an evening of celebration of past and ongoing accomplishments and exhortations to keep up and expand the good work.

After enjoying a delicious dinner and time of fellowship with friends, both old and new, we were ministered to with music, testimony, and a new video that refreshed and stirred our spirits. Our guest speaker, Dr. Karl Johnson, inspired us with a comparison between what His Branches is doing now and the moving story of Atticus Finch in Harper Lee's classic "To Kill a Mockingbird," and our host for the evening, John Gramlich, urged us to pull together to reach even deeper in meeting the needs and opportunities that surround us.

When it was all over, we were left with not only the encouraging glow of spiritual support but the tangible reality of profoundly encouraged staff, new volunteers, and nearly $40,000 in donations and pledges to undergird our ministries in the months ahead. A hearty "thank you" goes out to all who participated in making our 2011 "Healing Hands" Banquet such a success. We're already starting to talk about next year!

19th Ward Luminaries

2011-01-09T21:13:00.006-05:00

Luminaries in front of 374 Wellington Ave last year

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 Monday, January 17 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 Menezes Pizza - 445 Chili Ave (open from 12-6 pm), Hunt's Hardware - 390 Thurston Road, and Boulder Coffee - 955 Genesee St,
or make your own.

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.

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

SOHL Commemoration Events

2011-01-01T14:36:00.000-05:00

Sunday, Jan. 23rd is National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (SOHL). Embracing Options is offering FREE bulletin inserts for your congregation. Please see the attached file. It contains a letter for your pastor, document "What is SOHL Sunday?" and an order form to order them to share with your church family. Please contact our office at (585) 235-0690 and let us know how many FREE inserts you want for your congregation.

6th Annual SOHL (Sanctity of Human Life) Day of Prayer, Friday January 21st from Noon to 5 pm (4 p.m. will be a Memorial Service held for the dear little ones lost to abortion) at Embracing Options, 350 Arnett Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14619. Light refreshments and coffee will be provided.

Invited: All Pro-Lifers in the Rochester area who either stand on the front lines daily against abortion or if you have a heart for the sanctity of human life. We ask Pastors to come pray with and over us to bless us for the upcoming year of this battle against abortion and its ravages on our community. Contact Sandi Clawson at (585) 235-0690 if you'd like to attend or share a brief message of encouragement for all the staff and volunteers in the local pro-life community.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T07:22:00.017-05:00

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.

Caroling in the Park

2010-12-13T08:02:00.003-05:00

You and your family are invited to come

Caroling in the Park

on the corner of Wellington and Arnett

Wednesday, Dec. 15th 6:30-7:30 PM

Come see the Holiday Tree our neighbors decorated!

We will be singing Christmas Carols around a fire!

Santa might pay us a visit!

Join us for some Holiday fun for you and your family!

Harden Receives LHHL Award

2010-09-20T18:23:00.002-05:00

The Leo Holmsten Human Life (LHHL) Committee presents the 14th Annual Leo Holmsten Human Life Award to Rev. James R. Harden, President/CEO CompassCare Pregnancy Services, 2001-present; Leader of CompassCare National Optimization Training, 2006-present; Medical Conversion Consultant and Executive Trainer of Pregnancy Resource Centers for the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, 2004-2007.

Friday evening, October 8, 2010, 5:45 to 9:00 PM
Hyatt Regency Rochester
125 East Main Street, Rochester, NY 14604

$50 per person, tables of 8. RSVP by September 29.

Please contact Dorothy (585-342-4175) or Cathy (585-381-4927) for more information.

The LHHL Committee is comprised of individuals who believe in the God-given principle that human life is sacred and must be nurtured from the moment of conception through natural termination in death.

To that end the Committee seeks to unite disparate, life-affirming groups and organizations in promoting identification and public recognition of area individuals demonstrating sustained achievement and promoting related, legal pro-life activity in the defense of innocent, human life.

Free Art Classes

2010-09-18T13:25:00.002-05:00

Free Art Classes for everyone age 14 and up!

336 Arnett Boulevard

Kuumba Open Studio and Art Lab at The Arnett is an arts and entrepreneurial program designed to teach art skills to people ages 14 and up. Kuumba Consultants and RISEGO team up to offer this exciting community arts program.

Students will learn screen printing, home designs, jewelry making. These skills will be used to create arts and crafts for sale. Students will also learn business skills and create a marketplace to showcase and sell their creations. This will enable students to earn money from what they have learned. The culminating event will be a Kuumba/ RISEGO Marketplace Sale at The Arnett Building.

Format: 6 Saturdays

9-9:30 am - Sign up with registrar
First 15 people will be accepted for class

9:45 -11:45am - Instruction with Master Artist/Craftsperson

12-2pm - Open Studio work on whatever you like

Calendar/Classes

September 25th and October 2nd - Screen Printing

October 9th and 16th - Create things for the home

October 23rd and 30th - Jewelry making

Saturday November 6th- Kuumba/RISEGO Marketplace Sale

This program is funded by the Arts and Cultural Council DEC Community Arts Grant.

2010 Block Party! Wow!!

2010-08-08T10:32:00.006-05:00

Our 2010 Block Party was a wonderful success yesterday, thanks to the generous participation of so many amazing volunteers and contributors. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Click here to see a full size slide show

We've had a hot and muggy summer, but Saturday turned out to be the best day of the season so far. Our God is faithful! So many marvelous people were involved in making our day a success that it will be hard to list them, but I'll give it a try. Our setup crew arrived early and up went the tents! Then Ron Coleman unloaded 2 giant charcoal grills, Albert Algarin set up his snow cone machine, Tom Stefano got the music going, Richard Stutzman high-fived onto the premises as Happy the Clown, and a fantastic circus atmosphere began to emerge. We closed off Arnett Blvd. between Warwick and Rugby; Ron and Beverly fired up their grills; and a crowd began to gather that included almost everyone in the neighborhood by mid-afternoon. When Jeff Peden and Joe Showers opened up their Airplay Jugglers stage, we knew the show was on!

Special thanks go out to Rora, Nancy, and all the other faithful members of the Arnett Block Association whose tireless planning, preparation, and free food service made the whole event possible; to the City of Rochester for letting us block off Arnett Blvd. and sending RPD Officer Miskel with his K-9 show and Sergeant Frank DiPrimo who signed up 65 kids (!) with Operation Safe Child; to Kim Tookes, Maeve Cullinane and Sarah, Kristen Peden, and J.J. Kaufman for manning the helium balloons and decorating so many eager faces; to rap artist and brother Cuevas Walker; to Mr. Beau the Clown for his wonderful show; and to our own award-winning Wilson Academy Step Team for their amazing hand-clapping, foot-stamping, step dancing performance (see bonus YouTube video below).

We were delighted that the Gardiner St. Fire House sent their big hook-n-ladder and team and that the Rural-Metro Ambulance squad was able to join us for the afternoon, giving hundreds of kids a chance to investigate and actually climb up into a real fire truck and ambulance!

Overwhelming gratitude goes out to R Community Bikes for their generosity in giving away 15 free bikes this year and fixing numerous other ones; to City Councilman Dana Miller for his lively performance as our Master of Ceremonies; to all our sponsoring merchants who provided us with so many generous donations and raffle prizes; to Michelle Preston (who somehow disappeared when Crayola the Clown showed up), Sarah Love, Stacey Markum, Sandi Clawson and Althea for running our Grace Family Medicine / Embracing Options booth; to Lisa McElroye for her free massage demonstrations; to Jeanne from the Arnett Branch Library for her kids' story time; to Michael Peace and Bethel Express for hosting an open house at Risego; to Rob Matthews for setting up and running a spectacular hoops competition all afternoon; and to Leronne Evans and the entire New Life Gospel Choir for the wonderful tribute they paid to our Lord by leading us in open worship before our God and Maker at the close of the afternoon.

Remarkably, everyone pitched in and helped, so even the cleanup was a breeze and by 5 pm you never would have known the event had happened. Already folks are making plans for "next year's Block Party." Want to help? Just give us a call! God bless you all!

Step Team in Action

2010-08-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Block Party August 7th!

2010-07-26T12:28:00.016-05:00

Saturday, August 7th - 12 to 4 pm!

350 Arnett Blvd (street closed for party)

Step Team - Music - Fire Truck - Balloons
Food - Jugglers - Face Painting - Clown Show

Story Time - K9 Team - Bicycle Giveaway
Raffle - Games and Prizes - Bike Repair Clinic
Child ID - New Life Gospel Choir and More!

Stop by and meet your neighbors!

Help us get the word out -
Click here for a printable flyer!

"New Normal" on Abortion

2010-06-06T09:48:00.005-05:00

Americans More "Pro-Life"
For second year straight, "pro-life" and "pro-choice" closely matched
by Lydia Saad

PRINCETON, NJ -- The conservative shift in Americans' views on abortion that Gallup first recorded a year ago has carried over into 2010. Slightly more Americans call themselves "pro-life" than "pro-choice," 47% vs. 45%, according to a May 3-6 Gallup poll. This is nearly identical to the 47% to 46% division found last July following a more strongly pro-life advantage of 51% to 42% last May.

While the two-percentage-point gap in current abortion views is not significant, it represents the third consecutive time Gallup has found more Americans taking the pro-life than pro-choice position on this measure since May 2009, suggesting a real change in public opinion. By contrast, in nearly all readings on this question since 1995, and each survey from 2003 to 2008, more Americans called themselves pro-choice than pro-life.

Click here to read the Gallup Poll's full report.

Bike Clinic Rocks 'n Rolls

2010-05-24T17:27:00.003-05:00

R Community Bikes (RBC) and His Branches held a neighborhood Bike Clinic in our Arnett parking lot last Saturday that exceeded all expectations. After being postponed for 2 weeks due to the heavy storm we had on May 8th, we had a great turnout and were able to give away 18 reconditioned bikes in a free lottery to kids who had lined up in eager anticipation. RBC's expert volunteer crew of bike mechanics was also on site with parts and tools to repair an estimated 50 or more bikes that showed up that day. There were many happy faces as donated bikes (and helmets provided by the Rochester Police Department) were given away to children.

R Community Bikes a non-profit organization that recycles bikes in Rochester. RCB gave away over 1500 bikes to the Rochester community last year. Thanks to a grant, they have a trailer for bringing bikes, tools, and parts to off-site events. Their shop/warehouse is at 226 Hudson Avenue, and volunteers are welcome!

Our next collaborative event will be on Saturday, August 7, from noon until 4 pm when RCB will join us again for our annual Block Party. Be sure to come and bring your neighbors and friends!

Banquet a Great Success!

2010-05-17T12:24:00.004-05:00

Our first annual His Branches Banquet, hosted last week at the Oak Hill Country Club, was a great success thanks to many behind-the-scenes workers and wonderful community support! Over 225 staff, friends, and new supporters of our ministry gathered for an evening of celebration of past and ongoing accomplishments and exhortations to keep up and expand the good work.

After enjoying a delicious dinner and time of fellowship with friends, both old and new, we were ministered to with music and testimony that refreshed and stirred our spirits. Our guest speaker, Mr. Paul Marshall, illuminated a whole new dimension of prolife ministry - the impact of abortion on the men involved - and our hostess for the evening, Jennifer Burch, urged us to pull together to reach even deeper in meeting the needs and opportunities that surround us.

When it was all over, we were left with not only the encouraging glow of spiritual support but the tangible reality of profoundly encouraged staff, new volunteers, and over $30,000 in donations and pledges to undergird our ministries in the months ahead. A hearty "thank you" goes out to all who participated in making our 2010 Banquet such a "Celebration of Life". We're already starting to talk about next year!

GFM Gets Help

2010-04-27T12:35:00.003-05:00

Medical center gets support after thefts

In the first two weeks of this month, the Grace Family Medicine center on Arnett Boulevard was the inexplicable target of repeated thievery and vandalism.

Since then, staff at the medical center, which has served underprivileged families in the 19th Ward for the past 32 years, has been the target of the community's generosity and support.

The center was broken into at least four times in 12 days in early April, and was vandalized at least two other times during that time period, said Dr. William Morehouse, Grace's medical director...

Several other nearby locations have been vandalized, including a building next door which houses RISEGO Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to creating young social entrepreneurs in schools, and the library at 310 Arnett Blvd.

Grace has rung up a pricey list of unexpected expenses, including having to replace all the locks in the office, alter the roof where the thieves were getting in the office, replace the medical freezer, and fix about 10 broken windows — including a $475 window that had to be replaced twice. That is in addition to the loss of the cash and the computers.

Fortunately, Morehouse said, the community has responded in a "wonderful and generous" way.

"The community has been very supportive, the neighbors have all rallied around us and responded with very generous donations," he said, estimating large and small donations have totaled about $6,000. "They are people who know what we do here, and people we have possibly helped in the past."

Grace Family has served the 19th Ward since 1978 when Morehouse and a group of Christians came together with the goal of providing health care and other services to underprivileged communities.

Click here to read the entire article by Jon Hand, D&C staff writer.

Spring Banquet at Oak Hill

2010-04-17T13:33:00.001-05:00

His Branches, Inc.

Grace Family Medicine and Embracing Options

Invite You to

Our Spring Fundraising Banquet

Embracing His Branches for a

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Seating begins at 6:30 pm

Dinner & Program 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Oak Hill Country Club

346 Kilbourn Road, Rochester, NY 14618

With featured Speaker

Mr. Paul Marshall

Vice President of Ministry Development

Care Net Pregnancy of Central New York

Click here to RSVP before May 1

An opportunity to make a financial gift will be extended.

Dinner is complementary ~ Adults only as seating is limited ~ Semi-formal attire

Good News at GFM

2010-04-16T09:44:00.001-05:00

Grace Family Medicine staff

After a rash of break-ins over the past 2 weeks (see below), we seem to be coming back out into the open again, now stronger in spirit and faith than before! We won't say it hasn't been a struggle, both from the physical damage and loss as well as the emotional sense of vulnerability and violation, but we're pulling together as a team and moving forward.

The support of our families, neighbors, and the community as a whole has been overwhelming! So far we've had donations come in from all over the continent (yes, the entire continent) as a result of our wired world, national news media reports, Facebook, and text messages and have been able to repair all our broken windows, replace our locks, secure our roof entry points, and beef up our alarm system. We are so grateful to our wonderful God and all of you. Keep those cards and letters coming!

GFM Clinic Robbery

2010-04-12T20:45:00.002-05:00

Rochester medical clinic robbed
WHEC News Video link

By: Pat McGonigle - Channel 10

A family health clinic in the City's 19th ward has been ransacked by thieves five times in the last two weeks. One of the doctors at the clinic told News 10NBC he has had enough.

Grace Family Medicine here on Arnett Boulevard has been serving the 19th Ward since 1978. It's a family health clinic that caters to people with Medicaid, Medicare or no insurance at all.

Five times over the last two weeks, burglars smashed in windows and broke into the office.

Dr. Bill Morehouse showed us some of the damage today. He says there are no drugs, prescription pads or cash in the office so the thieves are only stealing office equipment which only weakens a community’s resources, already operating on a shoe string. Dr. Morehouse said, “Windows broken, small items stolen, most recently yesterday -- seven windows smashed, computer stolen, a very valuable computer and we're beginning to have difficulty meeting the needs of people here."

Dr. Morehouse says he thinks people in this neighborhood know who's been doing this. So he's asking them to come forward and tell police who has been breaking into the clinic. Dr. Morehouse says he'd like to get that person some help.

The Grace Family Medical Clinic is upgrading its security and alarm systems because of the break-in.

GFM Break-Ins

2010-04-12T19:50:00.024-05:00

"Old-Fashioned" Clinic Burglarized Five Times
Break-in news video

Reported by: Evan Axelbank, Channel 8 News

It's gotten to a point where doctors and nurses aren't surprised to find this kind of damage.

"It's sapped their enthusiasm and energy, it's kind of like OK, what am I going to find now?" said Bill Waldert, the clinic's business manager.
Only two weeks ago the only thing they had to worry about were patients, of which three fourths are on medicare or medicaid.

"This is a good old-fashioned family practice," said Waldert. "We take care of the babies right up through the grandparents." But now, broken glass and broken windows and ransacked offices are signs that they're under an almost constant assault by an unknown burglar.

"Its really got us stumped right now," said Waldert. "A little but of money, a lot of broken windows, a couple of computer monitors, but there really is not anything in here, there's no reason to come in this building."

It has started to feel like a cat and mouse game. After they changed the locks yesterday, they came in to find that burglars came in through this window. Bill Waldert has a message for them.

"We're here to try and do some good for you and your families. Please let us go about our business," said Waldert.

Even though the break-ins have been frustrating, Grace Family Medicine is going to plow ahead.

"God knows we don't pay them very much. So they are here because they want to be here, and so they can be a positive resource for the community."

The broken glass hasn't shattered their spirit.

EO Opens Webster Center!

2010-04-02T12:28:00.009-05:00

By: Nicole Friberg, Webster Center Director

What is Embracing Options? We are a Christ-centered Crisis Pregnancy Center. We address the needs of individual women by sharing the Gospel and empowering them to make positive life-affirming choices. Embracing Options is a Care Net affiliate. Care Net is a national network of 1,180 pregnancy centers that provide free support to pregnant women.

The United Methodist Church of Webster Outreach House Embracing Options committee consists of Ray and Laurie Dutcher, Dave and Bobbi Olson, Pastor Lee, and Nicole Friberg. We have been meeting, working and praying on this for a little over a year.

At Embracing Options, we offer free pregnancy tests, on-going peer counseling and friendship, referrals for medical care, referrals for legal assistance or other needed community services, referrals for adoption or foster care, post-abortion counseling (PACE), and referrals to a church.

Embracing Options is a para-church ministry. Everything we do for our client, we do to point her in the way of God and His love. We show her that she has potential, because she is created in the image of God. We give her a Bible to have for her own. When hurting women encounter Jesus Christ in the midst of their crisis, their lives are forever changed.

I am excited to say that our opening date was March 29th. Our hours of operation are Mondays from noon - 5 pm and Thursdays from 10 am - 2:00 pm.

I cannot speak for everyone who is on the committee, but I can tell you why I feel the calling to be involved in this. As some of you may know, our three children are all adopted. If their birth mothers had not chosen life, we would not have them here with us today. We thank God every day that they chose life, so we could be so blessed with these three amazing children.

To be Pro Life does not just mean we are against abortion. To be Pro Life means we honor, respect, and love all of God's creations from conception to death.

You may be asking yourselves, what can I, as a member of our congregation, do to help? There are many ways. We are looking for volunteers to peer counsel (requires 16 hours of Care Net training, provided by us). We are also looking for volunteers to join on our electronic prayer team (we need prayers for our volunteers, director, committee, and our clients). If you feel God is calling you to any of these, please contact Nicole at 585-545-4690.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jer.1:5

Music at Arnett Library

2010-02-14T07:58:00.001-05:00

Remembering Samuel McCree

2010-02-07T07:48:00.000-05:00

Rev. Samuel McCree’s way led to many outreach ministries in Rochester

The Rev. Samuel McCree Jr. of Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church stands inside the shelter his church was building in September 1994 for women fleeing domestic violence.

In the basement of the church founded by the Rev. Samuel McCree Jr. is a large hall where more than 10,000 free breakfasts were served last year.

Just down the street from Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church is the Southwest Area Development Corp., an economic-growth agency.

McCree was the visionary founder of those and about a dozen other ministries in southwest Rochester. His impact in the neighborhood was so great that after he died a decade ago at age 52, the street where Zion Hill is located was renamed from Bronson Avenue to Dr. Samuel McCree Way.

That rare honor was indicative of the impact the Alabama-born McCree made and continues to make, say longtime friends and associates.

“He was one in a million, believe me,” said Dolores Johnson of Frost Avenue, a member of Zion Hill who knew McCree almost since he arrived in Rochester in 1969 to attend what is now known as Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. He graduated in 1971.

“His legacy was to bring everyone together, to help each other. You know, ‘Reach out and touch someone.’ We don’t have a lot of that now.”

The son of an Alabama minister, McCree might seem to have been destined for a life of ministry. What was unusual was his approach to ministry — reaching out to drug addicts and battered women and people with AIDS, an approach that some ministers shunned as a fast-food style of ministry.

The result is a collection of community organizations that McCree founded, such as Project Spirit, which helps people recover from addictions; Project Faith, serving those with HIV or AIDS; Operation Open Arms, which helps abused women; and Esther House, a haven for mothers and children fleeing domestic violence.

McCree also created a scholarship program, now named after him, which awards at least $5,000 in financial aid to college students annually.

Former Rochester Mayor William A. Johnson Jr., who worked closely with McCree for years when Johnson was head of the local Urban League as well as when he was mayor, recalled McCree’s vision for renovating the former St. Mary’s Hospital.

McCree wanted to convert the hospital into a health care center to revitalize the Bull’s Head neighborhood. The plans never came to be; the campus, now operated by Unity Health Systems, is no longer a hospital but still is a hub for several programs and services.

McCree’s plans seemed overly ambitious to Johnson at first, but he became an advocate.

“I learned never to underestimate his determination,” Johnson said. “We had other ministers who never had that vision. But (McCree) was a firm believer that if he could start a program, a lot of people who were skeptical would come around. That was the optimism that he exuded.”

In 1994, Johnson traveled with McCree to McCree’s hometown of Mobile, Ala., where they examined the impact of urban renewal on the African-American community. Six years later, Johnson returned to eulogize McCree, who died of cancer in 2000.

While the disease ravaged McCree’s body, he got out of his hospital bed and returned to his church, Johnson said, appealing to the congregation to increase donations that had begun to dwindle during McCree’s absence.

“He said, ‘You’re not giving to Sam McCree, you’re giving to Zion Hill,’” Johnson said. “A month later, he died.”

The church is still going strong, with about 1,200 members, and McCree’s widow, Laura, remains heavily involved.

The Rev. Richard Douglass, who became pastor when McCree died, mentioned other charitable organizations that the church sponsors, such as a health and fitness ministry, a prison ministry and Project Connection, which puts needy people in touch with social-service agencies.

“We see our mission beyond these four walls,” Douglass said. “I meet people who come to this city who say, ‘I have to come to Zion Hill. I have to find out, who is this Dr. McCree?’ His name is not only local, but national. His passion for being his brother’s keeper is what drives us to do the number of outreach ministries we do.”

McCree worked with the Rochester School District, as director of parent and community development, before becoming a minister. Douglass said McCree always saw education and the church as interrelated, a sentiment echoed by Derrick Smith, a voice instructor at the Eastman School of Music who met McCree when he was 14.

“It always bothered him if there were African-Americans who were obviously talented, who didn’t apply themselves,” said Smith, 51, who said McCree was responsible for his going to Talladega College in Alabama, McCree’s alma mater. “He felt that kids needed to see that there are books, not only the Bible, that people are reading.”

The Rev. Errol Hunt, presiding elder of the Rochester-Syracuse district of A.M.E. Zion churches and a close friend of McCree’s, talked of McCree’s vision and how McCree’s congregation helped Hunt’s church build Frederick Douglass Village, a collection of 23 homes on Clarissa Street.

“In season and out of season, (McCree) never stopped doing what he was called to do,” Hunt said. “His philosophy was, if your brother is down, you stop to lift him up. He was blessed by God. I miss the kind of fellowship I had with him.”

By Alan Morrell, Staff writer, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T15:03:00.000-05:00

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.

New Vision in 2010

2009-12-23T15:00:00.004-05:00

As 2009 comes to a close, we’re anticipating the new plans the Lord has for us to fulfill. This past summer, in response to the growing need at His Branches, we pulled together a development committee that includes Board members, some staff, and others willing to donate their time. We recognize the urgency to establish ourselves on a solid financial base with community support to keep our doors open during these times of deep economic stress. Meeting monthly, the Lord has blessed us with expanded opportunities and relationships with individuals and with local community action groups who can help.

In July we met with the Ad Council of Rochester to “write our vision on a tablet” (Habakkuk 2:2-3) and clarify what we’re called to do. The Strategic Round Table met for 3 hours to generate ideas and identify the challenges we face. With the help of 10 marketing professionals who volunteered their time, we prioritized a lot of great ideas. We learned the importance of website optimization, how to tailor our message, and how to recruit administrative staff that can help us reach our goals. We all came away energized and encouraged. Our upcoming fund raising banquet on May 13th is one of the ideas we are moving on. More to come on that!

Our heart is to reach the people of Rochester for Christ by shining His Love openly through medical and crisis pregnancy care. There are a few groups that are talking with us about opening other crisis pregnancy offices similar to or in conjunction with Embracing Options. We would like to expand in our support of these groups. The spiritual hunger and physical needs are obvious but our resources are limited. Please help us to continue this work of mercy in our community.

Click here to read the December print version of The Grapevine.

Arnett Block Association

2009-12-18T06:41:00.001-05:00

Several years ago, in response to concerns voiced by neighbors on Arnett Boulevard, Dr. Morehouse’s wife, Susan, gathered a group and started the Arnett Block Association. We’ve been meeting once a month ever since then with neighbors, police officers, building inspectors, and landlords, working to reduce the crime, drug dealing, and gang violence in our area, closing each meeting with prayer. The group has spearheaded several positive community projects, including hosting a Bible Club and Block Party in our parking lot every year. This year we’ve arranged to have Rochester Community Bikes hold a Bike Clinic where 15 bikes and helmets will be given away and kids will be helped and taught how to fix their broken bikes. We’ve renovated the Arnett Library foyer with donated supplies and an artistic mural done by Richmond Futch. And, with the city’s help, we’ve also planted a large perennial garden at the corner of Arnett and Wellington called the Arnett Bird and Butterfly Garden. It was just beautiful this year!

EO and Grace Family Medicine

2009-12-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Dr. Morehouse with mom and new arrival!

Many of you know that Sandi and others at Embracing Options are busy quietly meeting with young women in crisis (over 200 this year), offering pregnancy tests, counseling regarding abstinence and STDs, and helping the girls find pro-life solutions to their dilemmas. These are complex problems in lives that are mixed up and sometimes appear hopeless. Many come to Christ as the gospel is shared and their lives turn around. What you may not be aware of is that often these girls find a safe place for prenatal care at Grace Family Medicine where Dr. Morehouse goes on to deliver their rescued babies. The young women continue to bring their new children for care at our office. This gives us a wonderful opportunity to continue the care and discipling that was begun upstairs at Embracing Options. What an amazing collaborative effort in His Kingdom! Isn’t God good? We need your help to keep this effort going!

Our Great Team at GFM!

2009-12-09T08:34:00.000-05:00

Stop in at Grace Family Medicine and meet our new staff members, medical secretaries Michelle and Crystal. We’re so glad to have them join us, bringing cheerful faces and new talents to our team. Dr. Matthew Mack is a very welcome addition, taking on new patients and urgent care needs. We are so pleased to have such a hard working front office team, training on the job while meeting the growing needs of our providers and patients. They work so well in collaboration with our nurses and billing staff.

Our nurses, Mindy and Linda, and our providers, Dr. Morehouse, Dr. Mack, and Jen Celso strive to work in unity as they provide the comprehensive care our patients so genuinely need. Prayer is a regular and vital component, both as a staff and with patients. Our dedicated nurses and providers often work through their lunch hour and after hours to bring excellent care to a needy population. We are grateful for the growing harmony of vision, dedication to serve, and sacrifice these people display daily.

With the complexity of medical billing, we’ve brought on a lovely lady, Gloria, who is doing a fantastic job with our billing in house. She is carefully sorting through insurance paper work and billing claims as they get rejected and have to be resubmitted.

Bill Waldert and Sarah Love are working hard on the many administrative details it takes to keep His Branches going: problem solving, planning staff meetings, backing up the staff, and simply being there when things get hectic.

Sliding Fee Scale

2009-12-09T08:24:00.003-05:00

Due to rising costs and loss of employment, more and more of our patients are using our Sliding Fee Scale, which bases the cost of their visit on their income, to pay for appointments. In addition, many patients come to us with Medicaid to pay for their visit. After submitting claims to Medicaid and applying our sliding fee scale, we’re paid significantly less than our usual “fee for service” charges. With the increase in patients that are uninsured or on Medicaid we’re finding that we can’t keep up with our overhead costs of staffing, building, vaccines, malpractice insurance, etc.

Many of our patients are on several medications, which they must pay for out of pocket. In the past, drug representatives have given us samples to help them out. Recently, the sample donations are dwindling, leaving us no avenue to help these patients. There are many health care needs in this community. We need your help in filling the gap between what the patients and insurers can provide and what it actually costs us to provide that care. Please help us keep our doors open to the uninsured and underinsured!

We’re still accepting new patients! Please call one of our offices for more details!
Grace Family Medicine 585-235-2250

Joy Family Medicine 585-697-0004

Health reform hits reality

2009-12-06T10:37:00.002-05:00

POST, TX - Another morning at the clinic. Far away in Washington, the debate over health-care reform drags on, while here in barren West Texas, Ben Edwards is moving fast. He grabs the chart for his next patient, his ninth of the day, and enters Exam Room 5, where Alma Lopez, 51, waits to see the only doctor in town...

"I'm always behind," Edwards says, summing up what it's like to be the only doctor within a 45-mile radius, and in that simple statement is his worry about what reform will mean:

What will happen in a place like Post, where the uninsured are waiting for a system to see a doctor regularly - and there's only one doctor to see them all?

If all of Post's 3,708 residents had full health coverage, Edwards believes they would flock to his clinic, but his practice is already full with more than 2,000 patients. He has no idea how he would fit in anyone else.

In this working-class outpost in this vast, flat no man's land, the everyday health-care needs of an entire community fall to Edwards. Health-care reform is on its way, and it is up to him to care for everything - every sniffle, ear ache and fever, every anxiety and sleepless night, every bad back and stomach pain and bladder infection.

And the truth is this: Edwards will not have time to treat them all.

Click here to read the full article in yesterday's Washington Post.

Swine Flu (H1N1) Shots

2009-12-06T06:21:00.002-05:00

The Monroe County Health Department held public swine flu clinics in November while waiting for enough vaccine to come in for other sites. Most of our patients at Grace Family Medicine and Joy Family Medicine did not find this to be a very accessible route for the vaccine, so our offices have been flooded with phone calls and questions about it. We received two shipments in mid and late November (with no promise of more) and have been inoculating those for whom it is recommended (pregnant women, children 6 months old and up, people who care for children or who are in health-related fields, and adults who have chronic health conditions or compromised immune systems). We’ve been busy!

Click here to read a Fact Sheet about the swine flu.

19th Ward Activities

2009-12-05T10:04:00.002-05:00

The 19th Ward Community Association was established in 1965 to promote the quality of life and character of the 19th Ward Neighborhood. Our motto is "Urban by Choice" and our mission is "To create a conscious multi-racial community where individual and cultural differences are celebrated and where people share a sense of community."

An all-volunteer, member-supported organization, the Association advocates for its residents with local government and organizations on community, crime, and public safety issues. It also hosts special and social events including:

Martin Luther King Luminary Evening (January)
Community Candlelight Dinners (February)
Citizen & Merchant of the Year Awards (May)
Square Fair & Parade, Garden Tours (June)
Neighborhood Potluck Picnics (Summers)
House Tours (October)
Annual Convention (November)

Officers for the coming year were just elected at last month's Convention and two of these annual events, the MLK Luminary Evening and Candlelight Dinners are coming up. See associated articles below.

19th Ward Luminaries

2009-12-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

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 Monday, January 18 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.

Please call the 19th Ward Community Association’s office 328-6571 with any questions.

Candlelight Dinners

2009-12-05T09:55:00.002-05:00

Join us for this enjoyable 19th Ward winter event on February 22nd by either hosting a dinner or by attending as guest. This is a pot luck event, so pull out your favorite recipes. The host will coordinate the dinner and notify guests of time and what to bring. The guest will attend, meet new neighbors, and enjoy a social evening in the 19th Ward. If you have a new neighbor be sure to pass on the invitation. Call the Association office at 328-6571 and leave a message if you are hosting or guesting and how many adult guests you can fit around your table or how many adult guests will attend from your household. Cut off date is February 7.

If you would like to coordinate a special dinner - families with children, special dietary needs, etc. - please notify the office. We have been unable to do this in the past but would certainly do so if we have a volunteer. And, if you would like to volunteer as chairperson of the annual dinners, please call Adrienne Kllc, 328-6531: you will get on-the-job training!

The Manhattan Declaration

2009-11-27T20:31:00.005-05:00

A Call of Christian Conscience

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Download a summary of the Manhattan Declaration.
Download the full text of the Manhattan Declaration.

Annual KVI Open House!

2009-11-01T16:45:00.002-05:00

It's almost here!

Open House is November 6/7 from 10am until 6pm.

Turkish Plates

Now we're hoping that all our new products "make it"! The placemats have arrived from Thailand and the scarves from Laos are here as well. The baskets from Nicaragua are en-route. Our new items from Cambodia should be delivered by the 3rd. And after a week of being "lost in space", our Kenyan jewelry showed up this past week. We'll have a wide variety of products for your shopping experience!

Throughout both days we'll have complimentary coffee from Joe Bean, Webster's own roaster of Fair Trade certified coffees, and on Saturday afternoon, Joe Bean's experts will be on site, sharing about their coffee and offering tastings. Both days we will have bags of Fair Trade coffee available for purchase.

It'll be a great time! If you're in the Greater Rochester area, be sure to drop in, say "Hi", and shop for people on your "gift list" (even if that IS yourself).

Kingdom Ventures, 336 Arnett Blvd., Rochester, NY 14619

Hidden Pain

2009-09-20T07:26:00.000-05:00

Politics suppresses the problems of many post-abortive women

Her tears spilled from her cheeks as she told me the story of her abortion, some 11 years earlier. “Last fall, my husband put his arms around me from the back and whispered in my ear, ‘Our baby would have been 10 years old today,’ and we both cried,” she said as more tears came.

She was in for her first prenatal visit, excited about having her third child. As part of her obstetric history, I asked her about other pregnancies. She happily told of her two term pregnancies. But then I asked if she had experienced any miscarriages or abortions. I learned early in my career that woman generally don't mention abortions unless specifically asked. “Oh, yes, one abortion,” she said. Then I asked an open-ended question, the question that generated all the tears, simply, “How do you feel about that?”

“Oh, terrible. It's the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life,” she said. I've heard many other women use that exact phrase.

Click here to read the full article by Matt Anderson in this month's issue of WORLD Magazine. Embracing Option's PACE program offers full support and healing counsel for women who have suffered the after-effects abortion.

Block Party Rocks!

2009-08-09T14:35:00.008-05:00

Our 2009 Block Party was a wonderful success, thanks to the generous participation of so many amazing volunteers and contributors. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Click here to see a full size slide show

We've had a cool and rainy summer, but Saturday turned out to be the best day of the season so far. Our God is faithful! So many marvelous people were involved in making our day a success that it will be hard to list them, but I'll give it a try. Our setup crew arrived early and up went the tents! Then Mitzie Collins, Padraic, and Tom Bohrer set up their Punch and Judy show, Richard Stutzman hopped out of his car as Happy the Clown, Aya Kaufmann and crew got their balloon-filled face painting tent ready, and a fantastic circus atmosphere began to emerge. We closed off Arnett Blvd. between Warwick and Rugby, Tom Ellinwood fired up the Owens' grill, and a crowd began to gather that numbered in the hundreds by mid-afternoon. When Jeff Peden and Joe Showers opened up their Airplay Jugglers stage, we knew the show was on!

Special thanks go out to Rora, Eula, Nancy, and all the other faithful members of the Arnett Block Association whose tireless planning, preparation, and free food service made the whole event possible, to the City of Rochester for letting us block off Arnett Blvd. and RPD Sergeant Frank DiPrimo for coming with Operation Safe Child and signing up 65 kids (!), to rap artist and brother Cuevas Walker, and to Benjamin Vasquez and James Powell for their amazing break dancing and mouth percussion (see YouTube video below).

Overwhelming gratitude goes out to Community Bikes for their generosity in giving away 15 free bikes this year and fixing numerous other ones, to Willie Lightfoot for his lively performance as our Master of Ceremonies, to all our sponsoring merchants who provided us with so many generous donations and raffle prizes, to Sandi Clawson and Mindy Monk for running our Embracing Options/Grace Family Medicine booth, to Lisa McElroye for her free massage demonstrations, to Jeanne from the Arnett Branch Library for her kids' story time, to Richmond Futch for his open air painting workshop, to Rebecca Fadner and the French Quarter Cafe for hosting an open house at Risego, and to Marion Reed and the entire New Progressive COGIC Sacred Dance Team for the wonderful tribute they paid to our Lord by leading us in open worship before our God and Maker at the close of the afternoon.

Remarkably, everyone pitched in and helped, so even the cleanup was a breeze and by 5 pm you never would have known the event had happened. Already folks are making plans for "next year's Block Party." Want to help? Just give us a call! God bless you all!

Breaking loose

2009-08-09T14:18:00.003-05:00

Webster Methodist Partnership

2009-07-27T05:27:00.006-05:00

Raymond Dutcher, Pastor Lee Carlson and Dr. William Morehouse

Last Sunday, Dr. Bill was invited to the Webster United Methodist "Praise in the Park" worship service. The congregations of, The First UMC of West Webster, North Ontario UMC, UMC of Webster, Union Hill UMC and Walworth UMC, came together to worship the Lord out at Casey Park in Ontario, NY. There were over 100 people gathered under two large tents, followed by a delicious pot-blessing picnic luncheon.

It was a beautiful sunny day in the park. The worship team and choir were just awesome! The joy of the Lord was truly present while everyone joined in worship and prayer with united hearts to give the praise and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. A pastor or church elder from each church took part in the service. The theme of the day was from John 15:1-8 about the vine and the branches. Pastor Glen Hardman's message was titled "What Kind of Plant Are You?" His closing statement was that many people see the branches before they ever see the Vine (our Lord Jesus). How fitting that Dr. Bill was asked to come and share the ministry of His Branches during their Ministry Moment of the service.

Ray Dutcher opened in prayer and announced that the loose offering was being donated to the work of His Branches. Dr. Bill then shared briefly about his 30 years in the city and how honored he is to see his vision spread into the surrounding suburbs. He was called to the city of Rochester to serve the underserved and share the love of Christ. His Branches has many ways of doing so through medical care, counseling, and pregnancy help with Embracing Options and is looking forward to partnering with the East side folks at the UMC of Webster who are praying to open an Embracing Options satellite within the next year in their Ministry Outreach House. Dr. Bill thanked the gathering for their generous donations and closed in prayer with thanksgiving.

Reported by Sandi Clawson, Embracing Options

Block Party August 1st!

2009-07-19T12:01:00.006-05:00

Saturday, August 1st - 12 to 4 pm!

350 Arnett Blvd (street closed for party)

Break Dancing - Music - Police Van - Balloons
Food - Raffle - Story Time - Face Painting - Puppet Show

Horses - Bicycle Giveaway
Games and Prizes - Bike Repair Clinic
Clown - Rap Artist - Gospel Choir and More!

Stop by and meet your neighbors!

Help us get the word out -
Click here for a printable flyer!

EO Volunteer Training

2009-07-05T10:58:00.012-05:00

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

2009-06-24T06:31:00.003-05:00

19th Ward honor citizens

2009-06-22T19:11:00.000-05:00

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

2009-05-16T05:46:00.003-05:00

Focus on Volunteers!

2009-05-08T19:37:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-27T20:20:00.006-05:00

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

2009-03-31T20:25:00.000-05:00

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

2009-03-24T08:23:00.001-05:00

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

2009-03-17T08:33:00.003-05:00

Donor Option #2480

2009-03-11T05:34:00.006-05:00

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

2009-03-09T07:09:00.003-05:00

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

2009-03-04T17:33:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-17T11:10:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-04T14:18:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-12-31T16:23:00.002-05:00

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?

2008-12-19T12:57:00.003-05:00

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

2008-12-13T13:19:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-12-07T14:42:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-12-06T17:17:00.000-05:00

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

2008-12-06T16:52:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-24T07:32:00.009-05:00

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

2008-11-08T20:57:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-05T11:04:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-01T09:38:00.000-05:00

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

2008-10-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

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.

Focus on the Epicenter

2008-10-21T07:08:00.002-05:00

Here are two thought-provoking articles for your reflection as we enter times of national political change and global unrest:

Dr. James Dobson's current newsletter from Focus Action.
The Introduction and Chapter 1 of Joel Rosenberg's recent book, Epicenter.

Both are dense but well worth the read.

Abortion 2008

2008-10-14T18:26:00.003-05:00

MSNBC and Newsweek have both run very interesting articles on the relationship between the abortion issue and the candidates in this year's upcoming presidential election. Click on the following links to read each article:

MSNBC - How McCain, Obama will change abortion policy
Newsweek - ProLife Catholics For Obama

Faith and Elections

2008-10-01T06:41:00.003-05:00

His Branches does not endorse specific candidates in the electoral process or exercise strong political advocacy, preferring rather to demonstrate Christ's love through community-building and relationship-restoring acts of kindness and service. Along with the Pew Foundation and many others, however, we do believe that people of faith should exercise wisdom and discernment at the polls. In this regard, the online Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life is a well-researched resource for the upcoming elections. Please click on their logo, above, and visit their site periodically in the weeks to come as you prepare to enter the voting booth.

IFA Candidate Comparison

2008-10-01T06:34:00.002-05:00

Intercessors for America has also prepared a thorough one-page comparison of the stands of both major candidates for President, which is available here as a PDF file for review and duplication.

Greetings from BT

2008-08-29T21:56:00.000-05:00

BT writes from Jerusalem:

July 1983, twenty five years ago, I traveled to the Middle East to begin a year of volunteer service. I am amazed as I consider how the Lord has kept me here and enabled me as a dental hygienist to provide dental services for hundreds of needy people in both Lebanon and Israel.

Much to my surprise, the dentist who has been working with me for the past eight years told me he can no longer continue and we are now trying to work out an alternate solution to continue to help the needy. I will write more in my next letter, but please keep this matter in prayer.

In an email accompanying her newsletter, BT adds:

I just mailed out the following letter, but have a revision for my e-mail list. I'll write in more detail in my next letter, but the Lord has provided the means to continue the dental clinic and together with a local fellowship, to provide dental services to even more people in need of assistance, Israeli residents as well as the Lebanese. As we begin the new program from the first of September, please keep us in prayer.

Click here to read her full report.

Leo Holmsten Banquet

2008-08-22T18:20:00.000-05:00

The LHHL Committee will be presenting this year's Leo Holmsten Human Life Award to Rev. Duane R. Motley, widely recognized pro-life lobbyist with 26 years of experience at the New York State Capital impacting legislation and proving to be an effective voice with legislators.

Friday, September 19, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Rochester, 125 E. Main St.
6:00 pm - Reception & Co-Sponsor Exhibits, followed by Dinner at 6:45 pm

Click here for more information. To sign up for a place at the His Branches/ Embracing Options table, please call Trudy at 235-9000.

SW Family Health Fair

2008-08-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

Click on picture for a PDF poster

SouthWest Family Health Fair
Saturday, August 16, 2008
11:00 am – 3:00 pm

at Wilson Commencement Academy (the High School)
501 Genesee Street, Rochester, NY 14608

All tables will be under a “big top” tent – this is a rain or shine event!
City Show wagon is scheduled also!

Block Party a Great Success!

2008-08-05T20:15:00.012-05:00

Our Block Party this year capped off a wonderful Kids Bible Club week that saw about 30 neighborhood children discover how exciting the life of Jesus can be. It never could have happened without the prayer and help of our awesome team from Grace Community Church in Pennsylvania and the generous participation of so many amazing volunteers. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Click here to see a full size slide show

Saturday started off with deep clouds and threatening thunderstorms but opened up into a sunny blue-sky afternoon with only scattered sprinkles. God's hand was evident from the very beginning, and so many human hearts and hands were involved in making our day a success that it will be hard to list them, but I'll give it a try. Our setup crew arrived early and up went the tents! Then Matt Doward arrived with his horses and their yellow-shirted "friends", Richard Stutzman hopped out of his car as Happy the Clown, Mitzie Collins and Tom Bohrer set up their Punch and Judy show, Liz Jefferson and the Owens' got their balloon-filled face painting tent ready, and a fantastic circus atmosphere began to emerge. We closed off Arnett Blvd. between Warwick and Rugby, fired up the grill, and a crowd began to gather that numbered in the hundreds by mid-afternoon. When Jeff and Rachel Peden opened up their Airplay Jugglers stage, we knew the show was on!

Special thanks go out to Rora, Eula, Nancy, and all the other faithful members of the Arnett Block Association whose tireless planning, preparation, and free food service made the whole event possible, to the City of Rochester for letting us block off Arnett Blvd. and the Rochester Police and Fire Departments for coming with their trucks and crews, to rap artist and brother Cuevas Walker, to Community Bikes for their generosity in giving away 10 free bikes and fixing numerous other ones, to Willie Lightfoot for his lively performance as our Master of Ceremonies, to all our sponsoring merchants who provided us with so many generous donations and raffle prizes, to Wanda Miller and Mindy Monk for bringing the "WOW" factor to our HCR/GFM medical booth, to Lisa McElroye for her free massage demonstrations, to Mark Dixon and Gabe Pellegrino from the Arnett Branch Library for their kids' story time, to Richmond Futch for his painting demonstration, to David Dey for hosting an open house at Risego, and to Tony Nichols and the entire New Life Fellowship Gospel Choir and Flag Team for the wonderful tribute they paid to our Lord by leading us in open worship before our God and Maker at the close of the afternoon.

Remarkably, everyone pitched in and helped to the very end, so even the cleanup was a breeze and by 5 pm you never would have known the event had happened. Already folks are asking about "next year's Block Party." Hey, let's talk about it - after we've all had a breather... God bless you all!

Block Party August 2nd!

2008-07-09T06:31:00.005-05:00

August 2nd - Noon ‘til 4 pm!

350 Arnett Blvd (street closed for party)

Horse Rides - Music - Fire Truck - Balloons
Food - Raffle - Story Time - Face Painting - Puppet Show

Bicycle Giveaway
Games and Prizes - Bike Repair Clinic
Clown - Rap Artist - Gospel Concert in Park

Stop by and meet your neighbors!

Kids Bible Club

2008-07-09T05:48:00.004-05:00

Monday – Friday

1:30 to 3:00 pm

Games, Stories, Snacks!
Fun, Fun, Fun!

350 Arnett Blvd.

Willie Hits the Streets

2008-07-06T14:21:00.002-05:00

Click on picture to play video report

Jefferson Avenue prepares for revival
Reported by: Kevin Jolly

Monroe County lawmaker Willie Lightfoot is going from door to door spreading the word. The lawmaker and minister is spreading the word about a revival tent going up in the heart of one of the city’s most challenged neighborhoods. “Some systemic issues that we’ve been dealing with drug trafficking and other crimes like robberies, things of that nature,” said Councilman Lightfoot.

It’s not just crime. Businesses there are also struggling to survive. Nelson Baldwin has operated a barber shop on Jefferson Avenue for 30 years. “I’ve seen Jefferson Avenue at its best, thriving best I should say,” said Baldwin.

He’s also seen it at its worse with the crime and drugs. “A lot of them just hang out down here on the Avenue and do the wrong thing. That’s because they don’t have the training they need and they happen to reject it these days and time,” said Baldwin.

Pastor George Dailey is teaming up with Councilman Lightfoot to help spread the word. He says its just one way of reaching residents and turning this neighborhood around. “We trying to reach everybody we possibly can. We reach people and their lives have changed it'll be a better community a place where we can live together,” said Pastor Dailey.

Councilman Lightfoot says he’s seen the revival work in the past and hopes to have the same success this year. “We've seen drug dealers, we’ve seen drug addicts come give their life to Christ as a result of this tent revival. Turn their lives around and then join the other side of the team and start helping us with the positive efforts instead of the negative efforts,” added Councilman Lightfoot.

The revival begins on Monday July 7 and is scheduled to run the entire week.

A Garden Bouquet

2008-06-29T00:50:00.000-05:00

Susan Morehouse Releases New CD

At an Open House for family and supporters today, Susan will be introducing her new harp CD Harpsongs II - A Bouquet from My Mother's Garden.

The album is a 65-minute "bouquet" of 22 classical, Celtic, and spiritual pieces, several of which feature Nicole Ferguson on the flute.

If you would be interested in obtaining a copy, please visit Susan's website or contact her directly.

French Quarter Cafe

2008-06-25T20:46:00.000-05:00

A Taste of the Crescent City in the Flower City

Only open for six weeks, the French Quarter Café on Arnett Boulevard already has the cozy feeling of a neighborhood institution. The warm, friendly dining room has little touches that make it feel just a bit like a tea parlor or your grandmother's living room, and the service is attentive and helpful without feeling intrusive or fussy. The real triumph is the food: simple, honest, straightforward - the sort of food your mother or grandmother would cook if she happened to be from New Orleans.

Click here to read the entire review by James Leach in this week's City Newspaper.

Good Neighbors

2008-06-22T21:32:00.001-05:00

Local entrepreneur invests in neighborhood's future.

In one form or another, 332-336 Arnett Blvd. has long been home to commerce.Part of the row building housed The Creator's Hands gift store and gallery for a number of years. When the business showcasing works by American artists and craftspeople moved out in 2005, the storefront windows looked out on some far less savory capitalism, with occasional drug dealing out front.

Today the space in the 83-year-old building, just west of the Arnett branch of the Rochester Public Library, is hosting a family of businesses and business services aimed at a target audience of a few square blocks of southwest Rochester.

Inside the operation called "The Arnett," a small coffee shop sits alongside a copy shop. Diners at the cajun/creole restaurant The French Quarter Cafe eat steps away from a credit counseling service and a business consulting operation.

The idea is to provide both a series of niche businesses lacking in the city's 19th Ward, such as higher-end retail, and the needed training and services to help other businesses launch in the area.

The neighborhood "has a lot of good housing value," said David Dey, who created The Arnett and runs a pair of operations there with his wife, LaDonna. "But on the other hand, it has a series of challenges. It's an ideal area to launch this model."

Click here to read the entire Democrat & Chronicle article by Matthew Daneman.

EO to begin STD testing

2008-04-22T16:35:00.002-05:00

His Branches and Embracing Options have received a $1000 grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation through the intercession of Dr. Andrew Doniger and his staff at the Monroe County Health Department to fund a pilot project offering EO clients free urine testing for the two most common STDs, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Jessica Speares, our Rochester Youth Year worker, has been studying the issue and planning with Dr. Morehouse and Sandi Clawson for nearly a year, developing protocols and teaching materials and training volunteers. The pilot project will start next week and end with a full analysis of the results after 50 tests (at $20 a test) have been done. Those clients who test positive will be offered follow up clinical services through Grace Family Medicine. We're trusting that the results of our initial project will demonstrate the need and justify the allocation of further funds to continue. Please pray that our counselors, using this additional testing tool, will be able to reach more and more at-risk individuals with our message of hope, healing, and life.

Greetings from BT

2008-04-12T18:29:00.001-05:00

BT writes from Jerusalem:

This letter is long overdue, but finally I am sitting down to write. Over the past few months little has changed in news reports from the Middle East and the conflicts seem impossible to solve. Through the years that I served in Lebanon, and now among the displaced Lebanese in Israel, I have learned first hand what it means to live in the midst of conflict and instability. I have also learned that even if the news events reported are discouraging, there are many personal stories of hope.

Recently I attended a women’s conference and was challenged by the biblical teaching on the elements of justice, righteousness, mercy and peace in relation to reconciliation. As Arab, Jewish and international believers we had our faith in common, but still you must leave your comfort zone to face difficult issues and here there are personal stories of hope. Even in the midst of conflict we can make a difference in our communities, reach out to others and develop relationships.

Click here to read her full report.

Spring MD Breakfast

2008-04-04T10:01:00.001-05:00

The MCCF Spring MD Breakfast will be held on Saturday morning, April 26, from 9-11 am at the Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Avenue.

Drs. Dave and Mary Kay Ness will be back from Oaxaca Mexico to share with us about their commitment and recent missions experiences serving in Roca Blanca. For more background information about the ministry they've become involved in, check out their website and then come to hear an up-to-date report!

Please mark your calendars and RSVP using our Response page. Be sure to note our new location (click here for Directions to the Academy of Medicine).

RISEGO Grand Opening!

2008-02-19T19:22:00.002-05:00

GMC Open House on 2/2

2008-01-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, February 2nd from Noon to 4 pm we'll be holding an Open House at the Gerhardt Ministry Center (906-918 N. Goodman St. next door to Joy Community Church). Our satellite medical office (Joy Family Medicine) and crisis pregnancy care center (Embracing Options) will be open as well as a food pantry (the Hope Shop) next door. Staff will be there to show you the facilities and answer any questions you may have. Refreshments will be served. Come and bring your friends and neighbors!

SOHL Day of Prayer

2008-01-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

Embracing Options will be hosting its 2nd Annual SOHL (Sanctity of Human Life) Day of Prayer on Friday, January 18th, from noon to 5 pm in our conference room at 350 Arnett Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14619. Light refreshments and coffee will be provided.

Invited: All Pro-Lifers in the Rochester area who either stand on the front lines daily against abortion or if you have a heart for the sanctity of human life. We ask Pastors to come pray with and over us to bless us for the upcoming year of this battle against abortion and its ravages on our community. Contact Sandi Clawson at: (525) 235-0690 if you'd like to attend or share a brief message of encouragement for all the staff and volunteers in the local pro-life community.

Winter Missions Breakfast

2008-01-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

Please set aside the date and sign up now for our Winter Missions Breakfast coming up on Saturday, January 19th, from 9-11 am at the Rochester Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Avenue. We're going to have a smorgasbord of local speakers (including 2 URMC residents and one faculty member) who'll be talking about missions experiences and opportunities from Honduras to Iraq, by way of Uganda and Tenwek Hospital in Kenya, so don't miss this one!

Please mark your calendars and RSVP using our Response page. Be sure to note change of location (click here for Directions to the Academy of Medicine).

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-22T13:54:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas
from the Morehouses!

As time goes by we are more and more grateful for our family and friends, our health, the Life we have in Christ, and our spiritual family at Joy Community Church. We’d love to hear from you and spend more time together! In the meantime, click here to read our annual letter to friends and family and check out some of our candid pictures.

Christmas Caroling!

2007-12-06T11:18:00.000-05:00

Christmas Caroling in the Park

Join us on Tuesday, December 18th from 6:30-7:30 pm
at the corner of Arnett and Wellington.

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

RISEGO Open House

2007-12-05T11:11:00.001-05:00

I am writing to invite you to either Open House event on Friday, December 7, 2007 or Friday, December 14, 2007. The events will allow our special friends to tour the Social Entrepreneurship Center before we open it up to the general public later this month.

You have been instrumental in helping RISEGO achieve this milestone. We also had a great deal of help from youth and volunteers (some pictured above) that have devoted their weekends to help complete the development project. The specific event information is as follows:

Date: December 7, 2007 or December 14, 2007
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: 336 Arnett Blvd., Rochester, NY

We look forward to seeing you on December 7th or 14th. Coffee and refreshments will be served.

David Dey
President & CEO, RISEGO, Inc.

DREAM GIRLS Party

2007-12-04T10:16:00.000-05:00

EMBRACING OPTIONS presents our 1st "DREAM GIRLS" Christmas Party to be held here at 342 Arnett Boulevard on Sunday December 16th from 2 to 4 pm.

GIRLS ONLY, ages 13-18. Dessert and hot beverages provided on beautiful Tea Cup sets. Bring a friend and both will receive a Christmas gift. Call Jess to hold your place - space is limited - (585) 355-1317.

NEEDED for the event: Mature Christian women to come along side these young girls to love on them and show the love of Christ to our young girls in the neighborhood. Donation of home made desserts and/or Christmas cookies. For more information, contact Sandi Clawson at (585) 235-0690.

News from Jerusalem

2007-11-27T14:07:00.002-05:00

BT writes from Jerusalem:

I returned to Israel early November and am settling back into life here. I kept in touch with my staff dentist and was able to keep the dental service going as usual in my absence. Besides our Lebanese patients, I was also contacted by a local congregation to ask if we could offer dental care to several Sudanese refugee families they were helping and of course I was happy to help them too. Since returning I've visited a number of Lebanese families, including family members of the Lebanese family I have been helping to resettle in Canada who were very happy to have a first hand report from me. Next week, I'll take dental equipment and supplies to a new project in the Bethlehem area.

Personally, although I know I still have work here, I also know the Lord planned for me to be available to help my youngest sister in her fight with cancer and I seek guidance as to how to use my time over the next months. Linda is starting radiation treatment today over the next two weeks. Chemotherapy will follow starting sometime in January or February. Please keep her in prayer as she undergoes treatment. We are praying for healing, that she will come through all of this cancer free.

While in Canada I explored new ministry opportunities and found a training course for ESL that would give me a certificate from Cambridge University that is widely recognized throughout the world. I also found opportunities for ministry among new immigrants and refugees. 2008 will be my 25th year of ministry in the Middle East (Lebanon and Israel). As I shared with you during my last visit to Rochester, I believe the Lord is preparing me for changes, but I'm praying for guidance as to what and when.

I missed seeing all of you this year, but I hope to visit again sometime next year. Until then, I appreciate your friendship and your faithful support in prayer.

Click here to read B's 2007 Holiday newsletter.

Stephen Series Workshop

2007-10-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

On October 13, Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, NY will host a Stephen Series Caring Ministry Workshop from 8:30 am, to 1:00p.m., which will feature three sessions highlighting Stephen Ministry.

Is your congregation committed to lay ministry and caring ministry? Would 10 or 20 trained caregivers make a difference at your church? Experience a sample of the training Stephen Ministers receive, such as “Ministering to Those Experiencing Grief” and “How to Care in a Distinctively Christian Way.” Learn why more than 9,000 congregations representing more than 100 Christian denominations use the Stephen Series for training and organizing laypeople to do one-to-one caring ministry.

The cost of this workshop is $15 per person or $50 for a group of four or more from the same congregation. Put together a group from your congregation to attend this outstanding workshop. For more information or to register for this half-day Caring Ministry Workshop, call Stephen Ministries at (314) 428-2600 or click here to register online.

Praying for Jerusalem

2007-10-05T07:32:00.000-05:00

DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

The International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, instituted with the endorsement of hundreds of Christian leaders from around the world, representing tens of millions of Christians, will be held annually on the first Sunday of every October, until the coming of Messiah. Our call is for sustained, fervent, informed global intercession for the plans and purposes of God for Jerusalem and all her people. This global grassroots prayer initiative coincides with the season of Yom Kippur, and for the first time in Church history, makes an effort at linking the Christian liturgical calendar with the Biblical, Jewish calendar.

On October 7th, this coming Sunday, thousands of worshipers from around the world will be lifting up their voices in prayer on behalf of Israel as they pray for the Peace of Jerusalem according to the scriptural mandate given in Psalm 122: 6–9: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

Would you consider taking a few minutes during your Sunday morning service to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and all its inhabitants? For further information, please contact Diane Beaudoin, Rochester Coordinator for the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

Embracing Options Banquet

2007-09-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

Embracing Options of His Branches, Inc.

cordially extends an invitation to our
first Annual Fundraising Banquet

Please join us for an evening
of food, fellowship and
celebration of our Lord's guidance
and provision over the past year.

Thursday evening, October 11th, 2007 at

New Life Fellowship
330 Wellington Avenue
Rochester, NY 14619

Dinner & program with special guest speaker:

Pastor Mark Mills
from Glory to Glory Fellowship

from 6:00 pm 'til 8:00 pm

Tickets are $35. RSVP by October 6th
to Sandi Clawson

Entrepreneurship Workshop

2007-09-16T07:32:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, October 10th from 3-5 pm His Branches will host a workshop sponsored by Rochester Youth Year and led by Bob Tobin, Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the University of Rochester’s Center for Entrepreneurship, titled “An Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship.” We've been chosen as hosts through Jessica Speares, our full-time RYY worker.

As Bob describes it:
“A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas business entrepreneurs typically measure performance in profit and return, social entrepreneurs assess their success in terms of the impact they have on society.”

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Click here to view a program flyer. For registration or more information contact Sam Nichols, RYY Program Coordinator at (585) 275-5957.

19th Ward House Tour

2007-09-16T07:15:00.000-05:00

The 19th Ward Community Association's thirty-second House Tour will take place on Saturday, October 6 from noon to 5 pm. This year's Tour will feature seven fabulous houses, including the home of Dr. Bill and Susan Morehouse, St. Monica's School, and the Pioneer Cemetery. As usual, the tour will highlight diverse architectural styles and decors. Gracious homeowners include singles, families and extended families, all eager to share their love of their homes and the neighborhood. Tickets cost $10 with a $2/ticket discount for Association members purchasing tickets at the Association office. Tickets are also available (at full price) at Hunt's Hardware, The Creator's Hands, Parkleigh, and at all Wegman's locations (Wegman's sells vouchers which must be redeemed for a ticket book at the Office on or before the tour).

Discussions with tour-goers in prior years reveals several reasons people take our tour - curiosity about the "old neighborhood" where they or their parents grew up, prospective homeowners interested in learning what it is like to live in the 19th Ward, and searching for decorating/renovating ideas.

Click here to read the description of the Morehouse's home published in the House Tour guide.