Mission & Purpose
The Wayne Presbyterian Church Deacons, in the exercise of their caring and charitable purpose, have established a Deacon Compassion Fund to assist persons in financial need. The Compassion Fund is funded only through the generous donations from members and friends of Wayne Presbyterian Church. A special offering is taken at designated communion services to provide funds for this purpose or donations can be designated to the fund on the church website. The distribution of the funds is overseen by one Deacon representative, the Pastors and the Operations Manager. All information is strictly confidential. The distribution of funds noted in this documentation is subject to change based on the financial health of the fund. The fund’s objective is to maintain an adequate balance while putting the generous donations of the congregation to use in support of those in need.
The mission of the Compassion Fund is to offer financial assistance to those in need who are either part of the Wayne Presbyterian Church community or the general public. Sometimes life situations cause financial stress and hardship. The Compassion Fund is designed to help alleviate some of that stress and provide assistance in those difficult times. The goal is not necessarily to solve a person’s financial situation but, rather, to offer a gift of unconditional love at a time when the world’s problems may seem insurmountable to a potential receiver of this gift. We hope and trust that this gift serves as a reminder of God’s love for all of us.
Use
Funds could be used to help members dealing with various life situations including but not limited to:
- Temporary health care
- Medical expenses
- Loss of job
- Transition due to family death/injury/disability/divorce
- Needs due to fire/storm/flood
Policy
Requests for funds must be approved by the Pastor and overseeing Deacon.
Gift cards can be distributed at the Pastor’s discretion, within the approved limits.
Except for gift cards, funds will be distributed to a creditor, a hospital, mortgage company, electric company, registrar of the court, etc. on behalf of the person in need. Money is never given directly to the person in need.
Procedure
When a financial need in the community becomes known, either by referral or direct contact with the Pastor, the situation and need are explored by the Pastor. After insight and understanding are garnered, and, if the situation is deemed acceptable according to Deacon Compassion Fund policy, the Pastor will contact the appointed Deacon to share information regarding the request for funds. Upon consultation and approval, a request for funds from the Deacon Compassion Fund is made. All information is kept strictly confidential between the Pastor, appointed Deacon and the Operations Manager.
There are 3 categories of funds for disbursement
1. Non-members
a. Gift cards – there is a limit of $50 in gas cards (increments of $25) and $100 in grocery cards ($50 increments) per person
b. Handout/card with resource information
i. Contact information for the Radnor Township social worker
ii. Web addresses for several agencies that provide descriptions and contact information for numerous resources based on location
iii. Web address for WPC Career Networking
c. Other requests must be approved by the Pastor and overseeing Deacon with a limit of about $500.
2. Members
a. Evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Pastor gathers information and makes recommendation to the Deacon overseeing the fund.
b. Amounts offered are restricted by the availability of funds in the account and guidelines set by the Deacon oversight group.
c. Resource information handout/card is also given, if appropriate
3. Member referrals (family members, friends)
a. Essentially the same as members
b. Are referred by a member of WPC
For more information, please contact the church office at 610-688-8700.