Our Destination! Outreach Series began in the Fall of 2003 and semi-annually endeavors to reach out to international organizations involved in humanitarian aid efforts or Christian missionary work in different locations throughout the world. Since the international theme is usually more involved than local outreach, Education Ministry presents these giving opportunities before the entire congregation. As the effort has its roots in the Sunday School, the focus is kept on children/youth around the world. These outreach drives include an educational display in the church lobby, informational pamphlets for distribution at local businesses and organizations and multiple & unique ways for the All Saints community to contribute to the Destination! effort.

Each Destination! project is concluded with a “Dinner & a Movie” collection during our Worship services. We ask everyone a week or two in advance to forgo a night out with dinner and a movie, stay home and pocket the money that would have been spent that night - we then ask that they bring that pocketed money to church for our “Dinner & A Movie” collection to help defer the shipping costs of delivering our Destination! items to their destination!

Past foci in our Destination! Series are:
Destination: Afghanistan! [Fall 2003]
Reaching Out to Children in the Orphanage Near Bagram, Afghanistan

It is true that there are a multitude of orphanages in military “hot spots” throughout the world. This one, however, was being assisted by the 441st Ordinance Battalion stationed in Bagram. One of our members, Major John Gore, belongs to the 441st. Thus, our choice of this orphanage. The children had nothing but the clothes on their backs and a few dedicated local volunteers to care for them. During their tour in the area, the 441st provided for an indoor water source for the orphanage as well as assisted in the re-building of a local school. This Destination! project was in support of the 441st and its heroic undertakings. Our collection included children’s clothing, school supplies/backpacks, English workbooks, personal hygiene items and other miscellaneous items.

As a result of our church-wide effort, All Saints sent nearly 1200 pounds of collected items to the 441st for distribution - this included 37 fully-loaded school backpacks, one for each of the orphans living there in Bagram! Not only did this supply the orphanage and school on which our outreach had focused, but also 2 additional orphanages plus various humanitarian aid causes undertaken by other units in the vicinity! What a blessing: to shine the light of Christ to so many in need!! Today, we continue to support these humanitarian efforts through our Checkpoint: Afghanistan project.

Destination: Romania! [Spring 2004]
Reaching Out to Abandoned Children in the Hospitals and Orphanages in
Bucharest, Romania

Currently in the small country of Romania, there is an estimated 180,000
abandoned children from newborn through upper teens, and that number continues to grow. Romanian Outreach for Christ’s Kids (ROCK) is a non-profit Christian organization in Bucharest dedicated to helping families keep their children; nurturing abandoned children; assisting in the foster care of abandoned children; preventing more children from being placed in orphanages; and, where possible, reuniting children in the orphanages with their families. Nearly all of its support comes from churches in the United States. This Destination! project was in support of ROCK Ministries with a special focus on the constant flow of infants/toddlers into the state-run hospital in Bucharest. Our collection included clothing, shoes, crib/bed linens, hygiene supplies, developments toys & books and other miscellaneous items.

As a result of this church-wide effort, All Saints sent over 750 pounds of collected items to ROCK Ministries for use in their daily ministries - this included 33 personalized care packages for some of the infants/toddlers that were currently being nurtured in the hospital and there! Praise the Lord - to be able to assist in the work of Christ being done by this ministry!! We are currently transitioning from Destination! and looking into an on-going role in the support of ROCK through a Checkpoint: Romania project.