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About Your Mission
Our Purpose
“To serve the community, jointly and ecumenically, in such a way as to make the compassion and reconciling purpose of God felt where ever there is human need.”
Who We Are & What We Do…
The Watertown Urban Mission brings together about 50 member churches with community-minded organizations, businesses and individuals to help people through difficult times with programs that feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, visit the imprisoned, give aid to the sick, and more.
Centrally located in the City of Watertown, the Watertown Urban Mission serves residents in the city and throughout Jefferson County. It works with other community service organizations to ensure needs are met adequately and efficiently. With generous donor and volunteer support, the Mission helps people rise above their circumstances and in turn, this strengthens our community as a whole.
Programs of the Watertown Urban Mission are designed to empower
people by giving them a hand up to rise above what in many cases is
the most difficult time they have faced in their life. Our major
programs include the Bridge Program, Christian Care Center, Critical
Needs, Food Pantry, HEARTH, the Impossible Dream Thrift Store, and
Meals on Wheels. Additional smaller programs include Food $en$e,
Dollar Dinners, the St. Dismas fund, and Community Service
supervision.
2016 Watertown Urban Mission Staff
How We Are Governed…
The Watertown Urban Mission is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that oversees the work of the Mission through committees and direct involvement with staff. The board has officers in the roles of president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
Daniel Osborne
The 2016 Board of Directors are as follows:
President Daniel Osborne
Vice President Stephen Todd
Secretary Judy Gentner
Treasurer Dale Klock
In addition to the four officers, your Watertown Urban Mission board
is led by Bernie Brown, Chuck Capone, Judy Drabicki, Maria Purcell,
Allison Gorham, James Heary, Bruce Irwin, Susan A.M. Johnson, Rev.
Dr. Richard Laribee, Rev. Melodie Long, Fr. Steven Murray, JoAnne
Rhubart, and Dacia VanEenenaam.
Our Constitution…
We, the signatories hereof, recognizing that the People of God must be sensitive to the needs of the total area and in constant contact and dialogue where the community is being built, where decisions are made, where people work, and where people suffer, that we must inspire and encourage both the citizens and those in authority so to remake the community that it shall progress toward what God intended it to be, a place for people to live free of bigotry, injustice, poverty, suffering and despair; and that better to accomplish these ends, all of the religious groups of the community must work together.
In light of contributions made in the Mission: Possible Capital Campaign, the Northern New York Community Foundation’s leadership gift is recognized in the Mission’s Community Room, where a plaque also recognizes the board of directors during the campaign, project principals, and campaign leadership.
2016 Watertown Urban Mission Organization Chart
(Click to see full-screen version)
Proverbs 31:8-9 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."
