Albany Maritime Ministry is an ecumenical association who welcome seafarers that dock in the Capital District of upstate New York. Our hub is located at the William G. Hempel Seafarer Center in the Port of Albany.
Most of the seafarers we meet have been at sea for many months. They face numerous challenges, including separation from family, isolation, hard labor, piracy, dangerous weather and human rights violations. We attempt to offer relief by:
- Addressing their spiritual, family and material needs.
- Advocating for their rights.
- Welcoming seafarers aboard their ship when they cannot come ashore.
- Collaborating with related agencies, worldwide.
- Offering special programs and services, such as Christmas at Sea.
Albany Maritime Ministry was incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity in 1996. In 2022, we formed a partnership with Seafarers International House, NYC, sponsoring the work of our new chaplains.
We are available to speak about the plight of the seafarer and positive impact of our ministry at churches and organizations in the Capital District.
See a YouTube video about our ministry:
Christmas at Sea
During the holiday season, we join a worldwide Christmas at Sea program that collects gifts from area churches and distributes them to seafarers. The picture below shows a volunteer delivering gifts to those who were unable to leave their ship.
