bridges graphic
In This Issue
Contact Us
Boston/Chelsea Office
77 Broadway
Chelsea, MA 
02150
(617) 889-3222
Portsmouth Office
231 Gosling Rd
Portsmouth, NH 03801  
(855) 661-0330

 

Portland Office

Marine Trade Center

2 Portland Fish Pier

Suite 103

Portland, ME 04101

(207) 956-7677 

Board of Directors
Mr. Steven C. Dodge, Chair
Mr. Daniel K. Webster, Esq., Vice Chair
Mr. Andrew Wandell, Treasurer
Capt. William F. Malloy Jr USN (Ret.), Secretary
Rev. John Carson
Mr. Charles Itz
Mr. Walker Martin
Capt. Angel Montanez
Mr. Tom Reinfuss
Capt. Jim Staples

Staff
Executive Director
Ms. Meredith Connell

Chaplains
Rev. Tim Owen 
Mr. Tom Reinfuss
Mr. Lance Williams, Sr

Operations Manager
Mrs. Crissy Jache

2015 Annual Meeting
Join Us
2015 Annual Meeting

You are invited to attend this year's Annual Meeting being held on Thursday, December 10th at Mariner's House in Boston.

Our Annual Meeting will begin at 6pm and will feature reflections on this past year and our ambitions for 2016.

A buffet dinner will be served.

Please RSVP no later than 12/4/15.

Directions to Mariner's House can be found here



Support Seafarer's Friend
Donate Here
We make it easy to support the mission of Seafarer's Friend. 

Without ongoing financial support from churches, individuals and businesses we would not be able to provide for the needs of today's seafarers.

Feel confident that you can safely and securely  Donate Online through PayPal or mail a donation to our office in Chelsea, MA.

We also accept old vehicle donations through Donation Angel . The money received will directly fulfill our mission.

Please consider a donation today.



Treats for Seafarers
Share a treat with a Seafarer

Do you enjoy baking but don't want the treats in the house? Consider baking a blessing for a seafarer

The crew on board the vessels rarely have a home made treat and what a surprise it would be for them to receive a batch of cookies or brownies from our chaplains during a visit.

Please contact us If you are interested in blessing the seafarers through your baking.



November 2015 

A Word from our Director - Meredith Connell
Greetings Friends!  In this season of Thanksgiving, we here at Seafarer's Friend have a lot to be thankful for. 

We received an abundance of Ditty Bags from New England Seafarer's Mission, our partner on the waterfront in Boston to whom we are most appreciative.  We continue to be blessed by so many churches and individuals with items for the bags which we are now distributing to the seafarers with the great joy. 

A special thanks and congratulations to Rev. Rob Bacon who has served as Boston Port Chaplain on his new position as Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Lynnfield, MA.

Earlier this fall we received notification from U.S. Trust that Seafarer's Friend would be receiving a very large bequest. We are most grateful to have recently received the funds which will help towards rebuilding our endowment. 
The psalmist reminds us to "give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever" (PS. 118:1) 
 
Blessings,
Meredith 
Maritime Ministry Chaplain Training Opportunities  from NAMMA & Articles from Maritime Executive Newsletter
From NAMMA - 

The "Houston School" - Register Now! 
The Houston Maritime Ministry Chaplain Training program will run from February 21 to March 3, 2016.  Since 1973 this training program has been a great resource for new chaplains, ship visitors and staff to get an introduction to seafarers' welfare.  The dynamic team of the Houston International Seafarers' Center form a natural network in which to get exposure to the maritime industry and work with seafarers.  Register now .

To learn more about NAMMA visit their  website


 
From Maritime Executive Newsletter -

Keeping Watch on Seafarer Health:
There are times when a seafarer might be evasive about the truth. Faced with the prospect of rejection, they may not admit to past medical conditions during their preemployment medical check. There's a chance they will get away with it because in many countries, including the Philippines, there is no central database that documents medical...   link to article

Read more from Maritime Executive on their  website
                       
(Chaplain Lance Williams and Volunteer Laszlo Elek visiting the crew on board the Fidias on 11.13.15)

Sea Stories - Notes from Ship Visits

Our chaplains make notes of every ship visit. Here is a glimpse of what they encounter while visiting with the crew. It is a heart warming reminder of the critical work God has entrusted us with to help these Seafarers connect back home with their loved ones and to have the opportunity to receive His word. After reading these Sea Stories, please pause for a moment and pray for those mentioned - God knows their every need. 


Portland - 
During a recent ship visit  we met Lomanuel and had a good conversation with him. He is the father of twin boys age 7. He let us hear a recording of his boys saying "Hi papa we love you". He plays this every night before he goes to bed. 

Boston - 
Talked with Teody "Jody". He received an early departure permit to leave about the second week in December due to his mother having a 2nd bout with brain cancer. He has been with the same shipping company for 11 years so they obliged him without any fuss. Our prayers are with him and his mother.

September Ship Visiting Statistics

October 2015

BOSTON
PORTSMOUTH PORTLAND
31 out of 31
Ships visited
6 out of 9
Ships visited
17 out of 18
Ships visited
100% of ships
in port visited
67% of ships
in port visited
94% of ships
in port visited
266
Seafarers reached
37
Seafarers reached
152
Seafarers reached
3
Van Trips provided
0
Van Trips provided
2
Van Trips provided

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

~Ship Visitors~

 

We are always seeking Volunteer ship visitors to help us carry out our mission to extend the ministry of the churches to meet the unmet spiritual, social, and practical needs of seafarers from around the globe.  We visit approximately 525 ships each year, climbing the gangways bringing modems and phone cards so the crews can communicate with their loved ones back home. We distribute such things as Bibles, devotionals, reading materials, and personal care items to the crew on board. We also provide the seafarers with transportation to the local shopping malls.  In addition, we listen to their stories and try to offer a caring and respectful ear to those who have so little contact with anyone other than their shipmates.

 

Qualifications:

  • Must be a good listener and able to respect other cultures.
  • Must be reliable, professional, and available for ship visits from one to two hours in length.
  • Must have a good driving record and be willing to drive vans around the Port.
  • Must be both willing to follow rules (security procedures, Seafarers' Center paperwork) and open to surprises (such as ship schedules changing, or a seafarer suddenly confiding about a sad situation).
  • Must be able to keep seafarers' confidences confidential.
  • Must be in good enough health to climb stairs and ladders.
  • Must interview with the Director, train with Port Chaplains, and pass a simple background check (at no charge to the volunteer).

Rewards of Volunteering:

  • Representing God's unconditional love to seafarers of many faith traditions (or none), many cultures, all ranks. Much of our work doesn't involve talking about God, but we do try to leave seafarers feeling valued.
  • Experiencing the hospitality and trust of people from all around the world.
  • Encountering challenges creatively.
  • Getting to know other volunteers, some of the most dedicated people you'll ever meet.
  • Making an impact on the Port community; an exciting part of the global economy not familiar to many.
  • Giving something back to the invisible servants of our economy.

 

If interested, please contact: Crissy Jache, Operations Manager at 617.889.3222 or by email.
 
 

Seafarer's Friend Wish List

Our Wish List at Seafarer's Friend is another opportunity to connect with us. Our resources are limited and we put all we can into providing for the Seafarers. Some of our current needs are:

- IT support to clean up our data base and help our systems run more efficiently.

-New Computers

- Marketing support. Our informational materials for outreach and fundraising purposes are in need of re-design.

- Web Site support.  Our website needs to be re-developed in order to be more inviting and resourceful.

The material needs for the Seafarers remain and any support you can provide is always appreciated:

- New Bibles (Tagalog Bibles are in high demand)
- Personal Care Items
- Warm clothing for the cooler months
- Hats, Gloves
- Jigsaw Puzzles
- Books, magazines and other leisure items such as
   playing cards, word searches, etc.


Thank you for considering a donation to support the needs of Seafarer's Friend. 

Seafarer's Friend | 617-889-3222 | operationsmanager@seafarersfriend.org | http://www.seafarersfriend.org
77 Broadway
Chelsea, MA 02150