Chaplain for a Day
Are you a church leader who is interested in what we do, but not
ready to change careers? Then we have a great offer for you. On a limited basis
we are scheduling local pastors to accompany us on a day of ship visiting. This
is a rare opportunity to board the massive vessels you see in port and meet with
the men and women who keep them running. This is a short term missionary
experience you will never forget. Check out our
Chaplain For A Day link
for more information.
Click here!
Basic
Goods, Magazines and Puzzles
One of the first
things we do when boarding a ship for the initial visit is deliver a package of
books, magazines, newspapers, brochures and information. This simple little
bundle welcomes the seafarers to Boston and provides them with items they are
constantly looking for. Just imagine how times you would have read the few books
you could bring on a 10-month journey. These people need new reading materials!
We also supply basic goods like toothpaste, batteries and candy bars in our
center store. Our rates are great, and for those who cannot make it to the mall,
a welcome resource.
Bibles
and Devotional Materials
Of course, one of our
favorite books to deliver is the Bible and supporting devotional materials. As
you can imagine, it is still pretty popular reading among those who risk their
lives for a living. We deliver hundreds of Bibles and devotionals in a myriad of
languages. Because we happily work in a multi-religious context, we seek to
leave materials that meet the needs of each seafarer and respect those
requesting other reading materials
Ditty Bags!
Dit´ty-bag. n. 1. A sailor's small bag to hold thread,
needles, tape and necessary items. - also called sailor's housewife. Every year Seafarer's Friend gives out hundreds
of ditty bags to sailors. To learn more about
ditty-bags and to see how you can help, click
here.
The Knit-Hat Brigade
Every year, people from all over New England purchase or
actually knit hats for seafarers! And every year, we give out hundreds of them.
Every seafarer, we have ever met is happy to receive a knit hat. To learn more
about how you can help and what we need, call Rev. Bill Fleming at
617.889.6315.
Seafarer Center Host Program
The center is a wholesome and helpful haven in port.
Seafarers can pick-up books, clothes, basic store items, call home, surf the
internet, play games and watch TV. But the most important element of a seafarer
center are the people who greet them when they enter. A successful center
needs to feel like a home away from home and the secret to that success lays in
the hands of a good center host. Are you interested? Do you have the gift of
hospitality? Do you want to meet people from all over the world? Then call Rev.
Bill Fleming at 617.889.6315 to discuss becoming at center host with Seafarer's
Friend.
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Advocacy, promotion and
awareness
Perhaps, one of the largest contributors to seafarer abuse is
simply a lack of knowledge. That is why we are committed to working with local
service and government agencies to develop greater awareness about seafarer
issues. The executive director and mission directors spend days every month
meeting with the important decision makers in the port. Our alliances with these
organizations help us make lasting and effective systematic changes in the
system. We also take time to travel throughout the region telling our stories
any church or organization that will give us time. If you want a speaker for
your event, give us a call at 617.889.3222. We can offer a wide variety of
topical and insightful material.
Communication: Phones, Phone Cards, Internet & Mail
There are few gifts you can give a seafarer that
would be more important than the gift of communication. These men and women
spend long months at sea, away from family and friends. When then finally get to
a port, one of the first things they have in mind is to contact home.
Consequently, one of the first things we have in mind, is to help them do it!
Every ship visitor boards the vessel loaded with quality, reliable phone cards.
When the dock does not have a phone, or the crew are detained, we also leave
unlimited mobile phones for their use. It is hard to convey the importance of
these simple tools to the seafarer. Not long ago, one of our chaplains was able
to inform a ship of detained crew that he would not need to take the mobile
phone as planned. A loud cheer actually rang throughout the ship! There was more
back-slapping and handshakes than a football victory.
To further keep the lines of home communication open,
seafarer's friend hosts a free phone center, free internet and mail delivery
service. These men and women want to touch home, and we want to help. Hardly
anything can beat the actual words of a loved one.
Crisis Intervention
We are part of the port response team to any crisis onboard
the ships. Our mission directors have been trained by the Coast Guard and have
been granted access behind the "yellow-tape." This position allows us to help
the seafarer and the port. But we also respond to crises the port never hears
about, personal crises among the crew. Our mission is to be a open, supportive,
proactive confidant to people of every nationality and religious conviction.
Pastoral Counseling
We are a
Christian mission, and as such our responsibilities go beyond transportation, magazines and phone cards.
As ambassadors of Jesus
Christ, we are delighted to serve people of every religious
conviction. After we deliver the core
physical services we deliver something less tangible but no less real - love -
compassion - interest and the presence of Christ..
Portland
Cruise Center
Each year thousands of passengers and crew come to Portland
via cruise ship. The crews of these ships are working everyday, around the
clock. So, they have to utilize every minute they have ashore. Seafarer's Friend
operates a reception center to meet that
need. It's crazy. Its fun. And, its incredibly good. To get involved,
click here!
The Ralph L. Garrett Seafarer's Center
The Ralph L. Garrett Seafarer's Center was built in 2005 and
is located in the heart of downtown Chelsea, two blocks from the water and near
every dock we serve. The center is a wholesome and helpful haven in port.
Seafarers can pick-up books, clothes, basic store items, call home, surf the
internet, play games, watch TV and just hang-out.
Ship Visitation and port presence
The bulk of what we do takes place out of the office and out
on the ships and in port. We could simply open the center and wait for seafarers
to arrive, or we could get out there and greet them on their own turf! We choose
to get out there. Did you know that Seafarer's Friend personally welcomes over
90% of the ships that enter our ports! No kidding, we spend most of our days
climbing up and down gangways - pretty cool. Seafarer's Friend is also
constantly working hard to be a contributing part of the port community. Our
directors invest time in all of the important port communities and develop
relationships with port officials. We can serve best when we are allowed access.
In this post 9-11 world, you are either a known commodity or you are locked out.
Transportation and Van Service
Portland/Portsmouth Mission Director, Nash Garabedian, Jr.
once said that something important happens when they get in the van and travel
away from the ship - they relax. All of us could testify that the van is a happy
place. The van is the doorway to different surroundings, new faces and otherwise
scarce entertainment. In hard reality, we simply transport seafarers to shopping
centers, the mission and local attractions. But in truth we transport them to a
more transcendent place. . .a moment of normality.
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