Serving Our Community
Larchmont Avenue Church (LAC) is deeply committed to serving those in need and is known for its service in our community and abroad. In 2022, LAC, through the Church and Community committee, invested our resources in a variety of service agencies both at home and far away. Grants totaling $26,000 were made possible through the annual allocation from LAC’s Benevolence Endowment Fund. The grants, ranging from $500 to $5,000, were distributed to our mission partners. In our efforts to promote compassion and justice for all, we have built relationships and long-term partnerships with a range of mission partners addressing needs such as hunger, mental health, and homelessness.
A decades-long tradition, LAC’s Annual Rummage Sale raises funds which are then distributed as grants to each of our local mission partners. The Rummage Sale is a beloved community event attracting thousands of donations and hundreds of shoppers. It is good for the environment (the ultimate in recycling and reimaging), the community (as it helps many families afford wonderful treasures), and our local mission partners. You can learn more about this year’s LAC Rummage Sale here.
There are also opportunities for the congregation to engage with local partners either individually and directly or through LAC’s efforts. From weekly food preparation at HOPE Community Services to ongoing drop box donations (or special need-based drives) for The Sharing Shelf, HOPE, and Midnight Run in our Church Forest Park foyer to monthly Midnight Run community service Saturdays to a congregation-wide Annual Family Day of Service, there is something for all ages to get involved. Sign up for our newsletters to stay informed or contact our office for more information lacoffice@lacny.org or 913-834-1800 x302.
Local Hunger Relief Partners
HOPE Community Services which opened the doors of its first soup kitchen in 1984 has grown to become the largest emergency food pantry and soup kitchen in the region. The scope of services it now provides to its clients includes clothing and hygiene needs, language training, counseling, and immigration services.
Larchmont/Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force is an all-volunteer coalition of community organizations, houses of worship, and concerned citizens dedicated to assisting local families who need food. They run a food pantry that distributes a nutritional bag of groceries providing four days of meals, weekly.
Local Agency Partners
At Home on the Sound provides a support system to help elders in our community continue to enjoy a vibrant lifestyle as they age, while remaining in their own homes in the Larchmont-Mamaroneck community, on the Sound Shore of Westchester County, New York.
The Community Resource Center, based in Mamaroneck, provides educational programs, job training, case management and referral services, and advocates for immigrants and low-income families in need. The CRC is also an important advocate for low-income, immigrant, and Spanish-speaking residents of the Sound Shore community.
The Larchmont/Mamaroneck Community Counseling Center addresses the mental health needs of youth, young adults, and families by providing quality, affordable, and confidential counseling and psychological services.
The Sharing Shelf collects gently used children’s clothing from Westchester’s community that can donate and provides those usable items to members of our community who are in need.
The STEM Alliance works with students and teachers to enhance STEM education and enrichment initiatives while ensuring equal access to STEM learning opportunities to all. Their popular co-op program also provides vital learning opportunities to children in the summer months.
Midnight Run — Midnight Run is a volunteer organization dedicated to finding common ground between the housed and the homeless which coordinates over 1,000 relief missions per year, in which volunteers from churches, synagogues, schools and other civic groups distribute food, clothing, blankets and personal care items to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City.
Neighbors for Refugees — Founded in 2016, the local chapter of Neighbors works directly with refugee families to provide them with the necessary services, resources, and community support to bolster their resilience, achieve self-sufficiency, and thrive in their new homes. NFR also strives to remove legal barriers to refugees through advocacy and education.
Interfaith Community Connection
Larchmont Avenue Church has been blessed by long, warm, and enduring relationships with a variety of congregations from faith traditions other than our own. From cooperation on outreach efforts like the Midnight Run, to sustainability projects with HOW Green Westchester and shared worship events at Thanksgiving and Easter, LAC actively seeks out opportunities to build bridges of interfaith commonality, understanding, and mutual respect with our neighbors. These priorities are supported by the work of our pastors, who meet and share regularly with clerical leaders from other congregations in our community. As a congregation, we are convinced that ecumenical and interreligious relationships of this type are central to the gospel and a vital source of connection with all of God’s people.
Coalition for Community
During the COVID-19 pandemic, local faith communities, non-profit organizations, and committed volunteers recognized a need for greater communication and cooperation among all of those who were working to meet needs in our region. The partnership was so successful that participants have continued to meet regularly in order to share information on projects, avoid duplication of services, and join hands to meet new needs as they arise. Larchmont Avenue Church continues to participate actively in this community effort.