Care-A-Van Ministires

Care-A-Van Ministries, Inc., a community-based street ministry, has just ended its 2014 cookout season at Austin Park.

These free cookouts were held every Thursday night from May 15th until September 18th and encompassed nineteen cookouts and totaled 6,426 free meals served during the summer. The number of free meals served this year increased substantially over 2013 when 4,936 meals were served. These meals, funded by the generous donations of the supporters of Care-A-Van Ministries, helped feed many children, families, and individuals throughout the summer.

Each week a different Pastor from a local church delivered an inspirational and encouraging message of hope and salvation from the Word of God. These messages were a blessing to those attending and many were able to receive prayer and spiritual support from these pastors and the various church/ministry organizations present at Austin Park.

Also in attendance during these cookouts were The Salvation Army, Living Waters Apostolic Ministry, Eagles Fountain Fellowship, United Methodist Church, Smoke Free NOW, Syd’s Characters, Total Freedom, PC Publications, MSCF, Elba Baptist Soccer, SNAP, Ride2Recovery Ministries, the Mental Health Association, GCASA , Truth Ministries, Fidelis Care, and the YMCA who generously provided a bounce house at the cookouts.

The Care-A-Van Band, composed of community members and members of a variety of church worship teams, performed classic and contemporary worship songs and melodies; additionally, the cookouts were also blessed to have local worship teams and musicians stop by and lend their musical talents to these events.

Volunteers from different churches and individuals from the community supported the cookouts by providing invaluable manpower to staff the food tables, grills, and assisted in the setup and teardown at these events.

The ministry wishes to thank the City Council and City Manager Jay Molino for supporting our cookouts at Austin Park and the work of the ministry in the community as a whole. We would also like to thank the City of Batavia Fire Department whose firefighters were always friendly and helpful during their weekly inspections; the City of Batavia Police Department officers whose professional attitude is a testament to their department; and the City of Batavia Building and Grounds department who always ensured that the pavilion, bathrooms, and gates were ready for our use.

Together we can make a difference in our City and the ministry looks forward to the 2015 cookout season and hopes that everyone had an opportunity to stop by this summer.

Care-A-Van Ministries continues to be out in the community every Thursday night during the winter in different neighborhoods of Batavia with our bus ministry; on Saturday mornings with our prayer, food, and clothing distributions; and Monday through Thursday mornings with our bus prayer and encouragement ministry. Stop by to see us if you are in need or would like to see the ministry in action!!!!

For more information on Care-A-Van Ministries, please visit our website at www.cavministries.org or visit us on Facebook.

Care-A-Van Ministries hosted their second annual Caring for the City Day on Friday. This is a day where the dental office of Dr. Russ Marchese and Dr. Marcella Ross and staff provide free dental services to the community. 62 people received free dental services which included cleanings, fillings and pulling of teeth. Not only did the people of the city receive free dnetal care, they were also blessed by receiving information and free services from many agencies within the community.

The following churches and agencies were on hand for this awesome event. Community Action of Genesee and Orleans, Fidelis Care, Emmanuel Baptist church, Circle of Love Foundation, GCASA, Cancer Services of Genesee and Orleans, St. Paul Lutheran church, Lake Plains Community Network, Continental Beauty School who provided vouchers for the people to come to their building for free haircuts, Prayer Room Church of God in Christ, and Pastors Charlie PIscitello and Pastor Mark Perkins were on hand for the prayer table.

Dr. Russ and Dr. Marcella, who has been an associate of Dr.Russ for 3 years now, have seen the need within the community for people that do not have dental coverage. People started lining up at 7:30 AM. Dr. Russ staff all volunteered their time for the day without pay to give back to the community. While folks waited their turn, they had the opportunity to visit with the other agencies on hand.

This special day is for the people of the city. As people came back outside after receiving the free dental care, many positive comments were heard about the blessings they received. One particular gentleman had 6 teeth pulled and was so thankful that he would no longer have to live in pain. Dr. Russ Marchese's family had even made up special goodie bags of fresh fruit and healthy snacks for the families to take home with them. Many of the staff's family helped outside at the kid's corner. The whole day was truly a blessing to all who attended. Care-A-Van would like to thank Dr. Russ, Dr. Marcella and staff and all who volunteered their time to bless others. 

A special thanks to all the churches, organizations and individuals who gave of their time. Also all volunteers and people attending were well fed with special treats donated by Ohlson's bakery of Williamsville. A special thanks also goes out to Henry Schein and Colgate for their donations to Caring for the City. Care-A-Van truly thanks all in the city for helping Keep the Light On!