Saint Helen's Church
	Ways You Can & Have Helped
	Our church & school participates in many programs that benefit our parish and others.   These programs as well as your weekly contributions enable us to help fund many needy programs.  This page lists many ways you have; and can help, from your monetary to many non-cash items you may not recognize.
	Go to  the 2006 Financial Aid Report
	See Our Labels Page Also
	Our church & school participates in many programs that benefit us from non-cash items listed below.
	There are many programs setup by national corporations that offer rebates for the certified use of their products.
	"Boxtops for Education"® is run by the General Mills Corporation®.
	Campbell's® has a "Labels for Education"® program by simply saving their identified labels.
	Empty printer ink cartridges & cell phones are also items worth saving.
	Download the eligible lists in PDF format.
	Qualifying Empty Printer Ink Cartridges
	Qualifying Used Cell Phones
	You will need Acrobat Reader to view them. Click on the Adobe Reader logo for a redirect Caution the file is large (20311 KB).
	Cancelled postage stamps are sent to benefit the missions. (Program was cancelled in July 2007 Due to insufficient donations)
	Non-perishable food donations are accepted and delivered to local soup kitchens and the needy.
	Hope Totes® are used to gather "necessity items" (soap, toothbrushes, combs, shaving supplies, tissues....) these are delivered to the needy as well as the inmates in our local jails.
	Our "Giving Tree" has become a Christmas time standard, over many years.
	Contact the Parish Office for more information on any of these programs.
	All donated items can be left in church, at the rectory or at the school.
	STAMP FOR MISSIONS
	Since 1993 this group has been active in collecting envelopes to cut off the postage stamps for sale to stamp dealers to raise money for MISSION PROJECTS. When Matching Funds are available, applications are made to obtain them to increase the donations as much as possible. To date the following distributions have been made on the yearly basis:
	1993 - $1,156.00          1999 - $4,100.00 1994 - $1,200.00          2000 - $6,688.00 1995 - $1,600.00          2001 - $5,885.00 1996 - $3,000.00          2002 - $4,160.00 1997 - $3,032.00          2003 - $2,650.00 1998 - $6,800.00          2004 - $3,075.00 (There is a Cash Balance of $573.00 on hand)
	Total distributions made to date $43,346.00 The distributions for 2004 were as follows:
	Saginaw Rescue Mission - Saginaw, MI Open doors with Brother Andrew - Santa Ana, CA Good Friday Service - Saginaw, MI L.C.F.S. Bay - City, MI Jeanine Coallier House - Saginaw, MI Lutheran Blind Mission Society - St. Louis, MO Rev. B. Bodnar NACC - Saginaw, MI Hospital Hospitality House - Saginaw, MI Gasoline cost for getting material for cutting.	$ 1,000.00 **         $ 200.00 * $ 50.00 $ 400.00 * $ 200,00 * $ 450.00 * $ 300.00 $ 375.00 * $ 100.00
	* Indicates that Matching Funds have been received for this donation from Thrivent Financial Northeast Saginaw County Chapter only. **Indicates the Kresge Foundation also gave Matching Funds.
	THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF CONTRIBUTIONS AS OF JULY 2007. Businesses are needed to supply envelopes with commemorative stamps, to revive this program. For more information contact Otto at 792-9339..
	GIFT CARDS
	GIFT CARDS What they are: GIFT CARDS are "substitute money". Many of our local merchants and vendors want to support non-profit organizations like St. Helen Parish. In return, our families and supporters use GIFT CARDS certificates when shopping at these places of business. Our Parish purchases the GIFT CARDS certificates from the vendors at a discount (ranging from 5%-20%) then re-sell the certificates to our supporters for full face value. This program has the potential to provide a steady source of revenue for our Parish. Groceries, toys, gasoline, books—items that we normally purchase—can become valuable sources of extra funds for our Parish. GIFT CARDS certificates are useful and valuable to have on hand as we go about our many economic business and involvements each day. We hope to solicit many new customers to our new venture!
	How It Works: You decide from a list of participating vendors if there are any GIFT CARDS certificates you would like to order. St. Helen Parish receives a percentage of the sale of each certificate. The percentages are listed on the vendor list. These add up quickly. GIFT CARDS certificates DO NOT COST YOU any more than a regular gift certificate. Complete the GIFT CARDS order form and turn it into the Rectory or School Business Office by Friday, 3:00 p.m. or after any weekend Mass. At this time you may also pick up previously ordered GIFT CARDS. We will be using the usher’s room for receiving and distributing orders. Any Question?? Please contact the parish business office at 793-0618.
	Where Will The Money Go? Please indicate on your enrollment form where you want the funds earned in your account to be credited: Help to raise funds for your Parish!
	Parish School Faith Formation Youth Ministry Boy Scouts School Endowment
	Use GIFT CARDS: As gifts, of course! To make your regular, routine purchases. As treats or rewards for yourself, friends and family. In any way you choose!! Help to raise funds for your Parish!     A few of the companies are: American Eagle Amoco Applebee's B. Dalton Bookstores Barnes & Noble Bath & Body Works Best Buy Hollywood Video Home Depot J.C. Penney Kassel Little Caesars Olive Garden Outback Speedway Toys R US
	Go to Non-Monetary Items
	St. Helen Funding Committee —End of 2006 Year Report
	St. Helen Parish has long been committed to helping the poor and our commitment is more than words. Four percent of our income is allocated for agencies that serve the poor. The need is great, and though our parish financial situation has not always been good, the Lord has been good to us. And so we tithe so as to do what God has commanded, to build his Kingdom. These are the agencies that received funding from our parish for their continued good work:
	Emmaus House Mustard Seed	agencies that help battered women or those who have been in jail - giving them help with finding jobs, housing, etc.
	Soup Kitchen	agency that feeds the poor, provides breakfast/snacks for low income children. They also provide children with gloves/mittens in winter.
	1st Presbyterian Church St. Paul’s Episcopal Church St. Peter and Paul	agencies that operate a food pantry for those in need.
	Partnership Center	a diocesan agency that helps those who need help with:  medications, energy concerns, housing items and much more. (a monthly pledge is given to this agency)
	Hidden Harvest	Organization that gathers surplus food from restaurants and distributes it to soup kitchens and places that feed the poor.
	Propagation of the Faith	Diocesan program to help disaster areas and peoples around the world suffering from hunger/poverty.
	Monies for our own	Parish families in need —food baskets and other needs.
	Boysville	Holy Cross- monies needed to renovate a facility for young troubled boys.
	Habitat for Humanity	organization that builds homes for the poor.
	Parish Mission to New Orleans	monies to help those going on mission.
	Christmas Store	agency that provides Christmas items, purchased at below cost by those who can’t afford to shop at Christmas.
	Bread for the Word	an international agency that is working on solving the world hunger problem by trying to change laws about food storage and shipment that make it difficult to send food to those areas where there is starvation.
	Migrant Workers Camp (Bay City)	to improve living conditions for agricultural workers from Mexico.