MISSION STATEMENT
The
Episcopal Church wants to be more intentional
in its response to the growing needs of
U.S. military personnel, their families,
and community impacted by the on-going
conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
As
a result, a program of community outreach
called “Home Support Team”
(or “H.O.S.T.”) has been encouraged
by the Office of the Bishop Suffragan
for Chaplaincies of the Episcopal Church,
to lead our church’s response to
the growing number of persons impacted
when a loved one is deployed in harm’s
way and when he or she returns.
Currently
over 150,000 American troops and civilian
contract personnel are deployed in Iraq,
Afghanistan and Kuwait. Over 4,000 have
died and over 29,000 have returned home
wounded, including many amputees and otherwise
maimed for life. Every American community,
large and small, is being impacted by
the deployment of local National Guard
and Reserve personnel in addition to the
huge number of Active Duty (full time)
troops who absent themselves from family
and community.
We believe the need is great for local
faith-based communities to be pro-active
in reaching out to these families and
individuals.
Nearly 50% of those being deployed in
harm’s way are from local Reserve
and National Guard units and don’t
always have access to a military installation
which has support groups and other resources
for Active Duty military families. Therefore,
it is important for faith-based communities
to be creative in meeting the growing
needs of families and persons in the community
who are impacted when a member is deployed
or returns home physically maimed or emotionally
traumatized. The fear of this possibility
is often a great burden on families who
have a loved one deployed. H.O.S.T. seeks
to address this anxiety.
H.O.S.T. is ecumenical, inter-faith and
non-partisan in all respects. Otherwise
it will not reach the targeted population
of all local families/individuals who
have been impacted by the war. H.O.S.T.
is neither limited to those who have Episcopal
Church membership ties, nor is it a proselytizing
instrument. Episcopal Church dioceses
and congregations will be expected to
join hands with local churches/institutions
of other denominations, with synagogues,
mosques and other religious organizations
(clergy groups, ecumenical lay groups,
etc.), and with non-religious groups.
