The Outreach Committee
“To Serve and Empower Individuals, Families, and Communities in Need”
St. Barnabas is blessed to have an Outreach Endowment (currently with a value of a little less than $400,000). This endowment is held through, and invested by, the Diocese of Olympia. Our vestry annually authorizes a distribution from that endowment (four percent of an average value of the endowment over the previous twelve quarters) to be given to various charitable organizations as requested by the St. Barnabas Outreach Committee. In 2026, the distribution from the Outreach Endowment was $16,522.
During the spring of 2025, the committee sponsored a Diapers and Gift Card drive in support of the Refugee Resettlement Center of the Olympic Diocese. We successfully filled the bed of a pick up truck with diapers! Many other members sent gift cards. That summer, we publicized the need for fresh food for the local food banks and encouraged our gardeners to help out. In December, we sponsored a Bridge program that featured Scott Willard from Kitsap Homes of Compassion (KHOC) who helped us understand how KHOC provides housing to homeless and housing insecure individuals both on Bainbridge Island and the rest of Kitsap County. The committee worked with your vestry to provide a Christmas dinner to the residents of the Bainbridge house. As in the past, you helped us provide relief for those displaced by disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires, and the Texas and Washington flooding.
During 2026, the Outreach Committee continues its work, exploring new ministries and different ways that the members of the parish can support them.
The committee continues to look for ways to help the members of the parish use their skills in service to community organizations that could benefit from their help. Although many members of the parish have donated their time in the past, we wanted to provide other parish members with information that they could use if they desired to do so. We are grateful for the support that you—members of the parish—show those who are less fortunate by your by participation in our food drives and Giving Tree program. Your Outreach Committee continues to take seriously the trust you have bestowed on us to use our funds wisely in helping those in need.
The Outreach Committee is led by Sue Thompkins and its members are: Ric Cederwall, Joan Collins, Trip Duncan, Laurie Fergusson, Kathleen Jennings, Heidi O’Brien, George Robertson, Steve Schmitz, Pat Todd, and Lynn Whipple. We are thankful to those on the Outreach Committee for their service.
Organizations with Whom We Work
American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
The Outreach Committee donated $1,000 in 2025 to the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem to support the schools, hospitals, and centers for children with disabilities in the Diocese of Jerusalem. One of the current focuses is on humanitarian aid for Gaza especially the Al Ali Arab Hospital in Gaza City. George Robertson is the liaison for this ministry.
Bainbridge Youth Services
Bainbridge Youth Services (BYS) provides counseling and tutoring primarily to the youth of Bainbridge Island. They are also provide parent counseling and peer support. BYS has a jobs board for youth and a program where youth help senior citizens with computer issues. The important fact about BYS is that all services are provided free of charge to youth. Your Outreach Committee donated $1,000 to BYS during 2025.
Disaster Relief
Once again in 2025, disaster relief was an area of focus for the Outreach Committee. We responded to the devastation that resulted from the wildfires in Los Angeles, as well as flooding in both Texas and Washington. Our Diocese of Olympia and Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) worked together to lead the relief efforts in Washington, and we were able to make our donation through the diocese. Many members of the parish also made individual donations to the flood relief and wildfire efforts. The Outreach Committee donated $5,000 for disaster relief in 2025.
Helpline House
Laurie Fergusson continues to provide leadership in the Outreach Committee’s support of Helpline House. Some of the services that Helpline House provides are food assistance, social services, counseling, housing and utilities assistance, and homeless assistance. Their focus is primarily Bainbridge Island. The Outreach Committee donated $1,500 to Helpline House during 2025. There are at least eleven members of the parish who volunteer in various jobs at Helpline House. In addition, members of the parish donated $2,000 through the eighty gift cards they added to the Giving Tree this year. Members of the parish also donate directly to Helpline House as part of their own charitable giving. In 2025, using money from our Outreach Endowment, the vestry designated $50,000 for their capital campaign to fund their new building. In addition, they challenged parishioners to donate an extra $25,000 by promising to match that amount, potentially bringing in $100,000. As usual, parishioners quickly stepped up and, in the end, we gave $118,522 to celebrate our long history and continuing relationship with Helpline. Helpline House is hoping to move into its new building in early summer 2026.
Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center (KIAC)
Lynn Whipple is the liaison to KIAC. Their mission is to support the well–being and enhance the empowerment of immigrants in Kitsap County with family services programs such as translation help, clothing and baby items, and a free medical clinic three days a month. KIAC also acts as a referral coordinator to existing specific resources for rent assistance, English language classes, and dental care. KIAC’s immigration assistance includes assistance with green card applications and renewals, visas, DACA renewals, and obtaining work authorization. The Outreach Committee donated $750 to KIAC during 2025.
Bainbridge Island–North Kitsap Interfaith Council
The Bainbridge Island–North Kitsap (BINK) Interfaith Council enhances spiritual connections and community bonds by gathering representatives of local faith and allied organizations regularly for neighborly conversation, education, prayer, and shared service to the greater community. BINK sponsors a Baccalaureate Service for graduating high school seniors, a Thanksgiving Service and celebration, and several music events each year. The Outreach Committee pays dues of $200 for the parish. Trip Duncan is our representative to BINK.
Restoration Laos
St. Barnabas has been contributing to Restoration Laos for the last three years ($1,000 in 2025). We were funding a bomb disposal team which has cleared hundreds of unexploded bombs that still litter the countryside of Laos. This removal helped people in rural villages near the Vietnam border to safely use their farm land, rice paddies, school yards, and church yards. We are now funding a highly trained mobile bomb disposal team that handles larger or more complex bombs. George Robertson is the liaison for this ministry.
Christian Reiki Healing Ministry
Sister Eileen Curteis, Order of St. Ann, states “Christian Reiki marries an ancient healing art with our Christian tradition.” It’s her particular approach we have used since 2009. Our team uses traditional Usui Christian Reiki techniques, which are offered two to three times per week to parishioners and the wider community by a team of nine, including four from outside our parish. People come for these sessions not only because of illness but also to maintain wellness. Christian Reiki is a form of gentle, noninvasive body work that promotes well–being on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Sessions are given at the church by trained Reiki practitioners who work in pairs, and are available for free to those interested in this form of healing and wellness. In 2025, the team provided 119 sessions representing 200 plus hours of service. Occasional classes are also offered for those who are interested in training at Level 1, Level 2 or Reiki Master. One parish member, who has been receiving medical treatment for cancer for the past two years, told us that Reiki fills him with feelings of peace and healing in body, mind, and spirit. This healing ministry continues to be a blessing to those within and beyond our parish. Reiki Master Ric Cederwall and Pat Speidel lead this ministry.
Fresh Start
Fresh Start at Faith Episcopal Church in Poulsbo provides showers and laundry service to homeless people in the Poulsbo area on Mondays. They also provide meals while their guests are waiting. St. Barnabas continues to provide a team of volunteers to help with these services. The Outreach Committee donated $125 to Fresh Start in 2025.
Kitsap Homes of Compassion
Kitsap Homes of Compassion (KHOC) works with the Housing First model in providing housing and support services to residents of Kitsap County. KHOC provides housing by operating shared rental housing with private bedrooms and shared common areas of the house. They provide housing for people with disabilities and/or mental health issues, young adults, mothers with young children, seniors, and veterans. This model essentially is a sublet of rooms in a rented house that provide a house, Wi–Fi, and utilities as well as case services. The Outreach Committee donated $1,000 to Kitsap Homes of Compassion during 2025. Sue Thompkins is the liaison for this ministry.
Our Little Roses
Our Little Roses Ministries is a Non–Governmental Organization (NGO) in San Pedro Sula, Honduras founded in 1988. They provide housing, food, medical care, medicine, and education to seventy plus young girls who would otherwise be living in abject poverty or abandoned and living in the streets. Young girls in Honduras have a significantly higher rate of extreme poverty and lower access to education than young boys. In 2025, St. Barnabas donated $1,640 to provide a life sponsorship for Mely, an eleven–year–old girl at Our Little Roses. We are committed to continuing this sponsorship each year, as it provides a safe secure home, nutritious food and clean water, medical and dental care, and education (tuition, supplies, and uniforms). In addition we donated $1,000 to help fund a roof replacement. George Robertson is the liaison for this ministry.
We also applied for a $5,120 Global Mission Grant from the diocese to fund life sponsorships for two more girls in 2026 and to provide $2,000 to support build projects and other girls who do not yet have sponsors, but we were not awarded the grant. We continue to look for other ways to support this important work.
Super Supper
The Outreach Committee maintains funds to help provide meals twelve times a year for Super Supper. Held at the Congregation Church, Super Supper is a cooperative group from many of the churches on Bainbridge that supplies dinner to forty to fifty plus community members during the last week of the month. St. Barnabas has a team of parishioners who work with parishioners from Grace Episcopal Church, cooking and serving the meal (and they are always looking for volunteers!). Outreach has set aside $500 to help support this ministry.
