Central Presbyterian Church
Deliberately diverse and fully inclusive

Missions of Central Presbyterian Church

Central Presbyterian is proud to support the following programs by supplying funding and volunteers:

Outreach Programs

Central makes its facilities available to the following organizations:

Foundation for the Homeless and IHN

For more than fifteen years, Foundation for the Homeless has mobilized the resources of the faith community to alleviate the suffering of Austin's homeless. By building relationships between homeless families with children and volunteers from local congregations, FFH helps families achieve and sustain independence. Interfaith Hospitality Network, a major program of the Foundation, provides shelter, meals, hospitality in the churches to help families in crisis. Central and other downtown churches serve as hosts to three or four families one week, each quarter.

Front Steps and The ARCH

Front Steps helps low-income workers, people with disabilities, and homeless individuals and their families reach their goal of securing permanent housing and self-sufficiency. The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH), which is managed by Front Steps, is a day resource facility, providing showers, laundry facilities, P.O. Box for personal mail, lockers, telephone, use of computer lab. Housing and employment assistance is available. Central also helps with "Freeze Night," which is coordinated by ARCH. When the forecast is below 32 degrees, church doors are open for homeless women, their spouses and children. Dinner, breakfast and a warm place to sleep are provided.

In the 2005-2006 winter, Central opened on ten nights with an estimated number of beds at 120. Due to the unseasonal warm weather in January and February, this was about half of the number of nights and number of homeless women and men served in past years.

Caritas of Austin

Since inception forty years ago, Caritas of Austin has had one mission — to assist with basic needs in times of crisis. In its fight against poverty, hunger and homelessness, Caritas envisions a community of hope, respect and self-reliance. Help is extended in two major areas — basic needs (food, rent, utilities); and programs promoting self-sufficiency

Manos de Cristo

Manos de Cristo strives to be the Hands of Christ for Austinites in need. This Presbyterian ministry offers much needed services to the indigent and to low income families, including a dental clinic, food pantry, clothes closet, citizenship classes, ESL classes, tutors/mentors, and pastoral care. Manos de Cristo reaches over 20,000 lives each year. Central provides volunteers for the various programs, and has two members serving on the Board of Directors.

Capital Area Food Bank

The mission of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. (Mission Statement)
In service since 1982, the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (CAFB) currently provides food and grocery products to 370 Partner Agencies in 21 Central Texas counties. In 2006, CAFB distributed more than 16 million pounds of food. The CAFB service area covers 19,064 square miles in Central Texas.

Austin Area Interreligious Ministries

AAIM brings people of all faiths together to connect with one another through dialogue and service to the needy in the Greater Austin area. Central provides board members and three delegates for AAIM's ecumenical ministry, as well as volunteers to help staff the following programs:

Hands On Housing
Central volunteers help renovate the homes of the elderly, the physically disabled and low income residents. These work days usually take place one spring and one fall weekend.

Community Mentoring Network
Volunteers, providing mentoring and support, are paired with first-time youth offenders in the juvenile justice system. Training is provided, and a six-month commitment is requested.

Sheltering the Homeless
AAIM joins organizations and the faith community in providing cold weather shelters, food, clothing and other needed services to Austin's homeless.

Crop Walk
AAIM is the local sponsor, and Central participates with walkers supported by pledges from members of the congregation. Crop Walk feeds hungry people around the block and around the world. The donations are given to Church World Service for worldwide hunger relief, and a portion is retained in Austin for a selected agency.

Downtown Cluster
A geographical breakdown of AAIM, the Downtown Cluster representatives meet monthly to find solutions to problems in the Central Austin area. In addition to Central Presbyterian Church members, Cluster representatives include those from St. Mary's Cathedral, First Baptist, St. David's Episcopal, Central Christian, First Methodist, Austin Resource Center for the Homeless and Travis County agencies.

The Care Communities

The Care Communities (a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization), formerly known as Interfaith Care Alliance, was formed in 1991 by dedicated people of faith who wanted to provide practical and compassionate support to those living with AIDS in the Austin area. As we grew, we expanded our focus to include another serious illness, such as cancer. The Care Communities, today, primarily provides Care Team services to those who are suffering from cancer and AIDS.

Presbyterian Border Ministry

Presbyterian Border Ministry, a joint ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, is called to share a holistic gospel with those who live along the 2,000 mile US/Mexico border.

Three of the seven border ministries along the border are in Mission Presbytery: Puentes de Cristo in McAllen/Reynosa; Laredos Unidos in Laredo/Nuevo Laredo; and Proyecto Amistad in Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras. A mission work week is usually sponsored to one of these sites each year.

Christmas International House

During the Christmas holidays, Christmas International House (CIH) provides two weeks of hospitality to international students studying at universities in the United States. Central Presbyterian and Covenant Presbyterian Church members participate in this program, serving as hosts and providing a variety of activities and sightseeing opportunities. CIH witnesses to the reality that, behind diverse manners of dress, religious affiliations and political ideologies, everyone stands together as one human family.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat builds affordable housing for low-income families. Volunteers work beside the future homeowners to build the homes, and church partners help fund the building. Habitat Austin is a part of a worldwide network of people now building homes in 52 countries.

Refugee Services of Texas

Refugee Services of Texas provides comprehensive resettlement and social services to international refugees, asylees and victims of trafficking in Austin. RST is committed to serving and advocating for the rights of the uprooted and displaced people in the world.

Samaritan Center for Counseling and Pastoral Care

The Samaritan Center for Counseling and Pastoral Care, an interfaith ministry, promotes wholeness and healing by offering affordable services that integrate the mental, spiritual, emotional, physical, and community dimensions of life. The Center's staff is sensitive to spiritual issues, but the Center is not a sectarian agency and does not impose religious concepts on its clients.

Heifer International

Heifer International is a nonprofit organization which helps families in impoverished countries by giving cows, goats and other livestock to help these families become self-reliant. Central members (both young and old) gave funds to buy several goats to help sustain life in villages of Cameroon and Zambia, Africa.

Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services

Founded in 1903, PCHAS provides a variety of Christ-centered services to children and families in need. Residential and group foster homes are provided for children, birth to seventeen. An Advanced Education Program provides direction and support for those children who go on to attend college, trade or technical school. With the goal of family preservation, Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services has Child and Family Programs providing support services to families in crisis, right in their own homes.

Denominational and Ecumenical Ministries Supported by Central

Activities that Further the Mission of CPC

Share the Love Fair

An annual event sponsored by Central, the Share the Love Fair recognizes and honors the outreach programs and hands-on ministries in the Austin area. Caregivers prepare table-top exhibits to display through brochures, posters their projects and programs. Representatives are available to answer questions. The Fair is held on the Sunday prior to Valentine's Day in February.

Education

The Social Issues Class meets each week. Timely, thought-provoking subjects in our fast-paced world are explored. There are lively discussions regarding local and world events. Class members steer the direction of the class. Leadership includes outside experts, class member presentations and book reviews.

Celebrate Your Birthday with Central

A year-round project, this program provides an opportunity for all to contribute small items to the church, which otherwise cannot be covered in the budget; or, if purchased would take up budget funds. The birthday person chooses a much-needed item for the church, and gives it to the church.

Special Offerings

Central participates in four Special Offerings of Presbyterian Church (USA):

Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. 8th St, Austin TX 78701
(512) 472-2445