St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church

St. Martin’s India Ministry began in 2010 when The Rev. Mary Perrin visited India during her sabbatical. St. Martin’s supports the work of the Diocese of Durgapur that assists the poorest of the poor in West Bengal. We have funded construction of a hostel for children and a sewing center, among other projects; plus, parishioners and friends sponsor 41 children in two Child Development Centers, and 13 parishioners have traveled to India, most of them having gone several times (29 visits in 6 trips). Opportunities also include planning fundraising, the annual “Music without Borders” concert, annual Golf Scramble, sponsoring a child, traveling to India, and more.

St. Martin’s Unclaimed Cremains Ministry receives unclaimed cremains from local funeral homes. There are now 24 cremains that have been received, blessed and officially buried along the pathway and memorial garden in our woods. This ministry reaches out to the community through local funeral homes to provide a final blessing and resting place for unclaimed cremains. The names are remembered at our annual All Souls’ Service. Epiphany Church in South Haven provided the inspiration for this ministry.

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry is a local non-profit organization, whose mission is to feed hungry people and to engage our community in the fight to end hunger. St. Martin’s volunteers staff KLF’s Melzer Food Pantry on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesday of the month. Volunteers register clients, assist them in shopping, help bag groceries and carry them out to the client’s vehicle. We also contribute to KLF with designated offerings.

Clean Water for the World is a local nonprofit which provides simple adaptable water purification systems at no charge to communities around the globe without access to clean drinking water. St. Martin’s provides both financial support and assistance assembling units. A typical assembling day might involve unpacking and cleaning parts, building various sub-assemblies, or actually assembling a unit. We work five Saturdays a year, providing two three-hour shifts of four workers each.