Local Mission

The Mission Team studies mission opportunities, disburses the mission budget dollars and coordinates many of the mission activities along with other ministries and groups of the church.

In addition to our International Partnerships, the following represents a majority of our local mission. Where possible the organization name is a URL to their website.

Our Long-standing Local Mission Relationships

St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality
Provides shelter, clothing, food and spiritual-centered care to its guests since 1935. GPC provides 70 bag lunches every week, helps serve a Sunday lunch meal twelve times a year, and provides clothing and monetary donations.

SWEM Community Services (Swem.services1@gmail.com)
An emergency food cupboard, now located at Gates Presbyterian Church (GPC), providing food assistance to eleven zip codes in the southwest quadrant of Rochester/Monroe. This includes deliveries of Senior Bags to residents at Dunn Towers and their monthly Saturday deliveries. We are currently doing “Client Choice” five days a week at GPC food cupboard, where clients come by appointment to shop. Congregation members aid in deliveries, package and donate Christmas Dinners in December, Lenten Wall of Food, and participate in miscellaneous volunteer work. There are monthly food drives to gather donations of non-perishable food items on the 4th Saturday of the month.

Donations for our SWEM Lenten Wall of Food
Donations for our SWEM Lenten Wall of Food

Cameron Community Ministries
An Urban Outreach Community Center in the Lyell-Otis Neighborhood. Their mission is to work with neighborhood residents and partners to create a vibrant and thriving community through empowerment and advocacy while meeting basic needs. They offer many programs including youth after-school and summer programs, a Teen Center, Peace Garden, a free hot meal program that serves lunch daily, an emergency food pantry, and a clothing house that serves community members in need of clothing and housewares. GPC provides Christmas Gifts for families at Cameron, some miscellaneous volunteer work, and monetary donations.

Our Continuing Local Missions

Weekend Food Ministry Program (Partnered with Gates Chili School District)
GPC has teamed up with Gates Chili School District! We know that children in the district who qualify for free breakfast and lunch programs during the week have limited food and resources during the weekend.  So, GPC is working in conjunction with the school district, to send home easy to “carry and prepare” food items to keep these children well-fed on the weekend.   

Protestant Chapel Community at University of Rochester
The Protestant Chapel Community (PCC), a ministry of Genesee Area Campus Ministries, is a gathering of Christians from many spiritual backgrounds working together to serve God in the University and beyond.
Once or twice a year, a group from GPC joins the students for worship at the interfaith chapel and provides a meal for fellowship time afterwards.

Grace House (Saving Grace Ministries)
Provides a smooth transition to community life for men and women recently released from a correctional facility and people in need of shelter by providing a highly structured program based on Christian principles, along with providing community emergency shelter, affordable housing, youth and family opportunities, and sports and educational program access. GPC supports Grace House with house renovations and financial support.

Willow Center
Provides counseling, education, support, and advocacy for victims of & those at risk of becoming victims of domestic violence. GPC provides financial support, as well as toiletry items donated at the annual GPC women’s holiday luncheon.

RMM Rural and Migrant Ministries in New York State
Works for the creation of a just rural New York State through nurturing leadership; standing with the disenfranchised, especially farm workers and rural workers; and changing unjust systems and structures.
GPC supports with monetary donations and is exploring ways to extend hospitality to local farm workers.

Coffee Connection
Provides employment training and job creation for women in recovery from addiction. As a not-for-profit business, Coffee Connection sells fair-trade organic coffee and café menu items at their two Rochester locations. In partnership with Project Empower, they provide comprehensive, continuous support for women on their journey toward sustainable recovery. GPC supports Coffee Connection through budgeted donations and by purchasing their coffee for events.

Some More Recent Emerging Missions

Pathstone & Rochester YWCA
Gates Presbyterian Church has partnered with PathStone Corporation, a developer of affordable housing to build Churchview Commons, an apartment building, on the land behind the church. We have also partnered with the YWCA of Rochester whose mission is to offer a continuum of supportive housing resources to single women and families who need a safe and secure home during times of crisis or homelessness. GPC will explore opportunities with the YWCA of Rochester for a relationship with residents of the apartment community. Meanwhile, GPC continues to help YWCA with financial support, supplies for women living there, a carnival for children living there, and look for other ways to be supportive.

The People’s Pantry
Previously the South Wedge Food Program, People’s Pantry provides groceries to individuals and families to help mitigate the effects of food insecurity, with dignity and without bias. GPC helps with monthly food deliveries and some miscellaneous volunteer work on site.

RocUbuntu
“Ubuntu” is a Zulu word meaning “humanity toward others” or “I am, because we are.” RocUbuntu’s mission statement is a simple one: “To promote racial and social justice in our communities.” Representatives of GPC joined this ecumenical group of pastors and parishioners from neighboring churches in the fall of 2021. GPC is excited to explore this new partnership and work collaboratively with other churches in mission and advocacy on a variety of issues that impact our local communities.