The Community Arts Academy was established at Incarnate Word to offer daily, structured,  and educational arts-based after-school activities in a safe and controlled environment.  Music, dance, art, and drama activities draw from many traditions, promoting understanding among diverse cultures and different age groups.  CAA is a New York State registered after-school care program that operates five-days a week, consistent with the Rochester City School District calendar. CAA runs from school dismissal until 6:00 p.m. for boys and girls K-6 grade.

We receive food donations for the Community Food Cupboard on the first Sunday of every month. Monetary donations towards this ministry are also welcomed.

Incarnate Word has enthusiastically embraced Joanne Petersen's health-care ministry in the Dominican Republic and helped through donations of money and medical supplies. On March 31, 2001, Incarnate Word held another fund-raising auction that raised more than $5,000. Last year, our initial auction raised $4,700 to support this ministry. 

The project provides the services of Dominican doctors who visit some 33 villages to treat patients and train health care workers. The introduction of water filters and focusing care on pregnant women and child nutrition, for example, have saved many lives.

Joanne says, "The Health Promoters are making a difference; people are beginning to listen and put into practice some of the health prevention tips they offer...and they have saved lives, especially lives of small children through early intervention."

Click here for news about the Health Care Project.

The Interfaith Hospitality Network provides a way for religious congregations to work together to help homeless families.  Each congregation participating in the Network provides overnight lodging and meals for three to five families (up to fourteen people) for one week every four months on a rotating basis.  Homeless families, or guests, stay at the church or synagogue from 6:00 p.m. to 7 :00 a.m. daily.  Each morning, guests are taken by a van to a day center where they meet with the Network director, care for the preschool children, look for housing and employment, or go out to school or work.

The Interfaith Hospitality Network enables religious congregations to meet important basic need of homeless families, who represent the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.  Usually, more than half the guests in the Network are children, and most of the children are less than five years old.  Nationally, more than 2,000 congregations participate in Interfaith Hospitality Networks - where many thousands of volunteers help families regain their independence.

To learn more about how Incarnate Word is participating, click the Interfaith Hospitality button at your left.

A group of refugees from the southern part of the Sudan have immigrated to Rochester, joined Incarnate Word, and started a Sunday worship service in their native language (Nuer). The service is held at Incarnate Word at 2:00 p.m.   With assistance from Incarnate Word, they are establishing themselves in our city.

Sudanese Ministry Annual Report:

The past year has seen a slight shift in the emphasis of the Sudanese Ministry. We have struggled with the concept of the contact family, which met with some success but which we have by and large abandoned. Instead we are focusing more on getting direct help to individuals as they need it.

To this end we have:

Click the button for more information:
  

Incarnate Word hosts a weekly Wellness Program every Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. for older adults from our church and the Rochester community.

Activities include light exercise, blood pressure screening, individual health care advice, a light lunch, and a special program.