Houston Mariners Club Houston Mariners Club
Christmas Shoebox Program

During this holiday season, please consider donating items to the Houston International Seafarers Center’s Annual Christmas Shoebox Program. This worthwhile program, through the help of volunteers, compiles staple items (such as shampoo, etc.) into gift boxes and distributes them to seafarers visiting the Port of Houston Ship Channel. For many seafarers, these will be the only gifts they receive this holiday season. Please see attached message from the HISC for additional details and instructions to purchase items via Amazon. If you’d like to donate items in-person at the HMC Annual Holiday Party on December 15, there will be a collection box available at the sign-in table. Thank you!

 

Dear Christmas Shoebox Program Supporter,

 

We would like to express our great appreciation and sincere gratitude for your continued support to our gifting program to seafarers in the Port of Houston Ship channel. We are once again “knocking” at the door of your generosity for this 2021 Christmas Box Drive.   This year, due to the pandemic, your gifts and donations are critical to this program and may be the only way to brighten the life and console the seafarers calling on the Port of Houston in December. Seafarers are more isolated now than ever before and have not been able to leave their vessels for any reason for more than 6 months.  Their contracts have been extended for months and they have no way to get home to their families right now.  HISC has remained vigilant in our mission to be there for the seafarers throughout the pandemic and we need your help now. 

Crew sizes average 22 seafarers to gift per ship. In 2020, we distributed 7,484 gifts on board 354 ships which represented more than 60 different countries! These gifts had been donated to the seafarers by over 100 churches, organizations and individuals! The Christmas boxes are personally carried to each ship by HISC Staff, Port Chaplains, and Ship Visitors – Your Staff of Chaplains and Ship Visitors as our ecumenical ministry is funded by all denominations. We begin delivering boxes after Thanksgiving and continue gifting seafarers until all the gifts have been distributed! We are gratefully prepared to receive your gift boxes anytime – you cannot be too early or too late in bringing your gifts to one of our two Seafarers Centers.

 

These gifts of Love should be packed in shoebox size boxes, wrapped securely as one unit in Christmas paper. Please do not wrap lid and box separately or place bows on the boxes. Plastic shoeboxes become an extra gift for the seafarer!  The Seafarers appreciate these items tremendously. Please be sure your boxes are packed full of items! As there are very few women on board the ships currently, we request that the gifts boxed be packed for male seafarers.  

Thanks in advance for your consideration. Our Houston Center is located now at 9750 High Level Road. We are now the first building on the left after the Main entrance to Port Houston at exit 29 off the East Loop I-610. You are encouraged to visit and tour the Seafarers Center when you deliver your boxes to either Center.  If you have questions or want to let us know you are coming - call 713-672-0511.

 

Howard T. Tellepsen Seafarers Center

Mon – Fri: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Sat-Sun: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

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Annual Holiday Party!

ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Where: McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood, Uptown Park

When: December 15, 2021

Tariff: $50

Come out for fantastic food, drinks, company, and raffle items! More details on sponsorship opportunities and raffle item donations to follow!

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A Friendly Dues Reminder

The 2021-2022 membership year is in full swing! The Officers and Board ask you and your companies to please continue to support the Mariners Club through payment of your dues. As discussed in relation to the new website, each member will need to complete the initial login process, which includes payment of dues. We strongly encourage each of you to complete the initial process as soon as possible, as the website will be utilized as a communications hub.

Instructions:

Visit www.houstonmarinersclub.com and select the “Join Us” tab. Next, click the blue “Sign Up Now” button, click “Select” for the HMC Annual 2021-2022 dues choice, and follow the steps under “Account Information.”

NOTE: You will need to go through these steps even if you are not a new member and previously had an account under the old website!

If you already paid your dues, or are a Past Skipper, you will be provided with a confidential discount code to ensure you do not pay during this process. The discount code will be sent to you later this week.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Purser [email protected] with any questions you have surrounding payment, and Yeoman [email protected] with regard to general membership questions.

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Houston Mariners Club 2021-2022 Officers and Board of Directors

Officers:

Skipper: Claire E. B. Garza

First Mate: Wesley Bryan

Purser: Greg Schuelke

Yeoman: Nikki Howes

 

Board of Directors:

Megan Keng, Immediate Past Skipper

Erik D. Garza, Past Skipper

Misha Paltiyevich, Board Member

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