Donate, Volunteer, Show up
To preserve St. Michael's Church for the future all supporters must make a effort to DONATE, VOLUNTEER and SHOW UP. Preferable do a little of each but for sure do something! Someone will take away this historic and special Church unless it is supported aggressively.
SHOW UP
No effort to Preserve St. Michael's can succeed without Donations and Volunteer help. The volunteer and financial needs of the SMCPS are clear and are listed below. The most effective way is virtually free and can help you spiritually & personally-SHOW UP! Attend Mass at St. Mikes on every occasion offered, participate in social events, and demonstrate to the Pastor of St. Monica Parish and the Bishop & the Vatican in Rome. A list of all church and campus activities are listed on this site. Plan to attend Mass once a month at St. Mikes with your family or alone. Even as a fallen- away Catholic refresh your relationship with God: there is no better place to do this than at St. Michael's Church. The SMCPS appeal to Rome to keep St. Michael's Church open was based on the communities support. A copy of this letter is in the HISTORY Tab. But there are no guarantees. A change of heart by Church leadership is not uncommon.
The history, beauty, the values, the traditions, and special graces that have been infused into St. Michael's Church by our ancestors are extremely rare in the Atlantic City area, New Jersey, and in our excessively modern culture. It is true that the neighborhood around St. Michael's Church has changed. But all else remains... the beauty of the hand painted ceilings and walls, the stained glass windows, the marble statues are images that our grandparents and great- grand parents duplicated from 17th-18th century Italy. All of these images have meaning that can draw us closer to God in a way that will never be duplicated. St. Michael's Church is a gift to the neighborhood, the City, and the Diocese of Camden. Our responsibility is to appreciate and preserve what we have, protect it from short sited adventures, and share our unique memories and experiences and values with our families and all the new immigrants.
DONATE
Use this Pay Pal link to make a donation:
Send a donation to the St. Michael's Church Preservation Society
Save St. Mikes
PO Box 1375
Atlantic City, NJ 08404
If you like to speak to someone about your gift call Bob Venafro 703-802-0150
VOLUNTEER
Here is our plan to succeed and the volunteer tasks that are needed
1) Continue to grow the present constituency of St. Michael's Church with regular attendance at Mass and participation in the sacraments. This simple but difficult task will save St. Michael's Church more than any other project or fund raising effort.
2) Increase Volunteer support for one of the tasks listed below.
3) Fund improvements to St. Michael's Loft including a Fire Safety System, new fire escape to the parking lot, storm windows, and a secure entry system.
4) Develop ways to utilize St. Michael's Campus: Dante Hall, Quaremba Hall, Rectory, Catholic Charities Center, Parking Lot, and St. Michael's Loft to reduce the Parish's maintenance and upkeep costs.
5) Create a special SMCPS reserve fund of approximately $100,000 to deal with future contingencies for the Churches continued existence.
Volunteers Needed for these Tasks to Save St. Mikes
* Social Media Presence. The first step is to build a professional web site that can be used as a reference point for the SMCPS’s history, images, public documents, and past and current activities for our supporters. The site should also be the most accurate and comprehensive written and photographic resource available to the public on the internet of the history of St. Michael's Church and School. A web site must also demonstrate that the SMCPS is a trusted and responsible charitable group worthy of the donation and administration of dollars to be used for the preservation of St. Michael's Church.
This site would complement our Facebook page and a new effort on other social media outlets. The SMCPS is in need of volunteer new media person who can regularly promote the society on all the different platforms…Facebook, twitter, etc.
* Development of Supporters Data Base and Contact list. Develop a data base of the names addresses, email and locations of all supporters. This info will be used for promotional emails, seeking volunteers for projects, and fundraising. This volunteer can also collect contact info at events, from St. Michael's graduation records, and from partner civic groups like UNICO .
* Development of Promotional Material. A volunteer is needed to prepare promotional and video material about the SMCPS.
* Coordinate and Organize special social, religious, and cultural events. Assist with local activities to attract and engage new supporters and promote awareness of the SMCPS mission. These efforts have combined objective to raise funds for short term projects but are intended to solidify, build, and to develop long term relationships.
* Collection of Remaining Pledges. In 2015 approximately $30,000 was pledged to Save St. Mikes. Of those pledges only about $6,000 was collected. We will begin immediately to prepare letters to capture the remaining pledges with letters that clearly state our intent. Most important is a system for thanking contributors. These funds will support both immediate projects and be used for the special reserve for future contingencies.
* Develop and Grow a SMCPS Membership Effort. A volunteer to develop a SMCPS Membership for individuals. A special membership card with an ID and a set of benefits and privileges will be arranged for members only. We may also set up member tiers.
* Establish a Local Support Committee. The SMCPS needs a strong local group of supporters/leaders as a formal SMCPS Support Council. This group could do some of the following:
* monitor local funding
* represent SMCPS at local meetings
* identify leads for fund raising
* Implement a fund raising campaign with specific goals. SMCPS must raise and maintain a reasonable contingency reserve fund to assure the continued existence of St. Michael's Church. Any change in personnel or opinions at the Diocesan or Parish level can have a great impact on the future of St. Michael's Church. To improve the SMCPS's chance of success we must begin efforts to raise a $100,000 reserve fund..
