West Avon Congregational Church

Our Missions include:

UCC - Basic Support Our Church's Wider Mission
Church World Service
UCC Connecticut Conference
Farmington Valley Association
Gifts of Love
Covenant to Care & DCF/New Britain
Hartford Elementary Schools (Thanksgiving Dinner, school supplies)
Interval House
Avon Social Services
Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity
Loaves & Fishes Ministry

Our Core Mission Recipients are highlighted below:

Interval House is a non-profit organization that provides free and confidential support services to victims of domestic violence. They help victims end the violence in their lives through advocacy, support groups, shelter and other services. Interval House is dedicated to providing services to prevent and break the cycle of family and intimate partner abuse. They strive to reach all persons at risk and bring about social change. Interval House was founded in 1977 and has served more than 140,000 victims of domestic violence mostly women and their children who are being psychologically or physically battered by their intimate partner. 8000 to 12,000 clients are served each year from Interval House's 3 satellite offices and their shelter in Hartford.
Services include:
- 24-hour hotline staffed by a volunteer or paid crisis counselor/ advocate
- Safety Planning and Domestic Violence Counseling
- Emergency shelter for women and their children shelters 250-350 women and their children per year
- Support Groups
- Court Advocacy
- Programs for Children in the community and in the shelter
- Community Education
- Information and Referral
Interval House offers options, support and connections to victims of domestic violence. Every day they stand with abused women and children in their struggle for safety and justice. They give them concrete information and educate them so they understand what's been happening to them, utilize other community resources, and empower themselves.

Gifts of Love serves families who are facing a short-term crisis in their lives; the loss of a job, reduced work hours, illness, divorce, death of a mate, and domestic abuse, but do not qualify for government support. By helping people meet their families' most basic needs - food on the table, a winter coat, or a bed to sleep in - we enable them to focus on putting their lives back in order and regaining financial independence. This basic mission has become increasingly difficult with the recent welfare program, the sluggish economy and the rapid rise in the cost of basic needs such as home heating oil and gas prices.

At WACC, we have helped the Gifts of Love clients, who are hard-working people who simply can't make ends meet, in many ways. Specifically, on an on-going basis, we help them with the food and toiletries donated the third Sunday of every month. Gifts of Love also welcomes linens, in-season clothing, household goods and furniture. Small items can be left in the school bus in our front hallway.