All Saints Episcopal Church of the North Shore

Much has changed since the first Perfect Paws Pet Ministry service on Sunday, May 16, 2010, when it offered a simple service of holy eucharist and reflection, welcoming a large group of animal lovers who brought their beloved animal companions to church to experience something new and different ... and oh so loving!

In 2010, a story on the new worship initiative was picked up by the Associated Press and carried all over the United States and the world! It still maintains relationships with people who read that story and reached out to us from across the U.S. as well as Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Hungary with requests for "paper prayers" for their ill or deceased animal friends. And many members of that original congregation still come to our monthly services, some with their original animal companions. Some who have lost their beloved animal friends come without now or have brought new ones to introduce to what has grown into a close and supportive community of some 40 or more people who congregate on the third Sunday of each month, from 5 to 5:30 p.m.

Perfect Paws candle-lighting service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance, each November, is a huge draw, as is its Christmas for the Animals service in December. Since its inception, the Perfect Paws Pet Ministry has expanded in a number of wonderful ways.

Perfect Paws runs a year-round pet food and pet supplies drive for the People-to-People Food Pantry, in Danvers, and our volunteers have delivered more than two tons of pet food to the pantry to help folks who find it difficult to feed their families and to provide for their four-footed charges.

In partnership with Dog BONES Therapy Dogs of Massachusetts, it offers therapy dog certification workshops out of All Saints’ multipurpose room, and it deploys those teams throughout the North Shore to hospitals, assisted living facilities, and rehab centers. It also pays visits to colleges and high schools to offer de-stressing patting real estate for students (faculty and staff too!) facing mid-term and final exams. In 2017, the ministry’s leaders held seven three-day workshops, composed of three consecutive Saturdays per workshop, from 9 to 10:45 a.m. and certified 65 therapy dog teams.

Through its Happy Readers Dog Tutors program the ministry has developed an ongoing relationship with area school districts, including Danvers and Peabody. Ministry representatives work with school psychologists and adjustment counselors, visiting regularly and developing mini-curricula to stimulate learning and a new appreciation for education--all through the calm and steady presence of our therapy dogs, the ultimate ambassadors of learning.

Perfect Paws is self-sustaining. The monthly plate offering from the ministry (cash and checks not specifically designated for Perfect Paws) goes directly into the All Saints North Shore operating fund to help cover the cost of heat and light, printing of the service bulletin, and the participation of the priest. Throughout the year, the ministry also draws support from donations specifically designated for Perfect Paws by check or through an online PayPal account, earmarked to underwrite the cost of the musician at our monthly service, and to support the array of services offered for free, including pet loss bereavement counseling (individual and in groups; in person, on the phone, or through email) by the ministry’s certified pet loss bereavement counselor. Perfect Paws volunteers also companion people as they visit veterinarians and deal with their pets' euthanasia.

Its e-newsletter is sent to folks all over the world and its service bulletin is available for download online. Its monthly worship service is broadcast "live" through its Facebook page. Folks watch and sing and pray and participate in this sweet service that celebrates the wonders of all of God's creation. The ministry operates with the advice and consent of a twelve-person advisory board that reports to the vestry.

Be the Light Ministry provides domestic violence education and advocacy within All Saints’ faith community and in our community at large. In addition to counseling survivors and educating our parish family on the dynamics of domestic violence (DV), Be the Light team members attend DV seminars, programs, and community meetings that work together in addressing and eradicating domestic violence from our faith communities.

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October) Be the Light hosts an annual DV interfaith vigil at All Saints, coming together to remember and honor DV survivors who have escaped, those who seek to escape, and those who lost their lives to domestic violence in the past year.

DV survivors looking for a faith community are learning that they are safe at All Saints, a faith community that has zero tolerance for domestic violence and will support survivors on their path to escaping their abusers. Be the Light Ministry takes part in events that stand up, speak out, and support the rights of ALL, especially women, children, seniors, and anyone else abused or oppressed.

The Brown Bag Lunch ministry assists Peabody’s Haven from Hunger by providing lunches for families in need. All Saints has committed to providing 45 bagged lunches on the third Sunday of every month. Supplies are donated by the congregation and the bags are filled by volunteers.

The Foster Children’s ministry uses a room in our basement to store items that can be used by children in emergency transition to foster care. This room stores donated items such as furnishings, car seats, and carriages as well as a limited amount of clothing. This is resource is a necessity because often foster parents don’t receive advanced warning when they might be getting an emergency foster placement or the age of the child.The ministry hosts an annual Christmas party in December where roughly 100 foster children attend. Gifts are stored at the church and parishioners take part in a wrapping party prior to the event. Parishioners also donate baked goods, treats, and supplies for the party. And some help with setup and cleanup.

Currently, nine members of the congregation rotate throughout the year to prepare and cook  the meals every second Thursday of the month at Haven from Hunger, in Peabody. The monthly expense is approximately ninety dollars and we helped many people who deeply appreciate our ministry. Another group of volunteers from the congregation take responsibility for serving the meal, which was prepared by the All Saints cooking team. We arrive by 4:30 p.m. and help set-up, prepare the  meal for serving, and socialize with the community. On average, we serve 40 meals, 15 second servings, and another 15 to 20 to-go meals. In addition, we help to clean up and leave by 6:30 p.m.

Groups of parishioners volunteer to cook and serve breakfast at Lifebridge, a homeless shelter  in Salem, Mass. Teams provides a hot breakfast to 35-50 people every third Saturday. Around the holidays, It also collects warm hats, gloves, and socks for patrons of Lifebridge. The ministry also collects food, school supplies, and backpacks in the early fall to present to students in need. It also collects and food for the Danvers People to People Food Pantry.