“Helpful Shop”

Helping Local Charities

St. John’s Helpful Shop in Capitola Village, an outreach ministry of the Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, Aptos, awarded $31,650 in grants to community organizations at its annual Grants Luncheon on Wednesday March 4 at the church, 125 Canterbury Drive, Aptos. About 60 people, including representatives of the organizations being awarded grants, attended.

The award recipients from St. John’s Helpful Shop are: The Homeless Services Center, Santa Cruz $5,000 • Calvary Episcopal Church, Santa Cruz for their homeless ministry $3,000 • 21st Century Veterans for their outreach, $2500 • Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, $2,000 • St. John’s youth ministry summer music camp, $2,000 • St. John’ Prison Ministry, $1,500 • Adaptive Yoga, $1,200 • Conflict Resolution project, Santa Cruz County Hospice, Feeding the Spirit, Mid-county Literacy Program, Interfaith Satellite Shelter Project of Aptos, Monarch Services, Survivors’ Healing Center, Peace Church, and WomenCare, were awarded $1000 each.

Other grants will go to Building 4 Generations, Daughters of the King, Episcopal Church Women blankets for the homeless, mid-county ESL programs, Helping Hands, Kids Foundation, the International Order of St. Luke the Physician, HAMI, Resource Center for Non- Violence, Royal Kids’ Camp, Shared Addventures, and St. John’s Parkinson’s outreach project.

The Helpful Shop which sells gently-used clothing, books, jewelry and small household goods, now in its 62nd year, donates all of its net profits to the church and the community. It is staffed by more than 20 volunteers, many of who are not church members, and has its own Board of Directors, separate from the church.