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Outreach Programs
Outreach
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LOCAL OUTREACH
Clair's Home
A haven to protect women who have been in human trafficing. The United Methodist Women of Ypsi First United Methodist Church collect items to support Clair's Home: laundry soap, dryer sheets, household cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and trash bags. Please put donated items in the blue bin in the rotunda.
NEW CLOTHING COLLECTION:
We participate in an annual New Clothing Collection with six Ypsilanti Churches and the Ladies Literary Club each fall. Clothing is gathered, sorted, and given to six charitable organizations and two nursing homes, all in the Ypsilanti area.
What you can do: Donate new clothing of any kind, any size, for babies, children or adults when you see the notices about this collection or donate money.
ESL:
English as a second language is taught here every Monday and Wednesday evening during the regular school year.
What you can do: Be a conversation partner. Provide snacks one evening. For more information, contact Jorge Luna, ESL Coordinator.
FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE (CARING TREE):
Needs and wishes of Ypsilanti residents who will not be receiving anything for Christmas without our help are written on paper ornaments and placed on the large tree in the rotunda beginning the first Sunday after Thanksgiving (in Advent). People choose an ornament and purchase the gift requested on the ornament, wrap it and place it under the Christmas tree. Each family also receives a church provided food basket with non-perishable goods for their holiday meal, as well as gift cards to purchase perishable items. Please contact Jim Johnston with any questions.
What you can do: Select an ornament to buy a Christmas gift, and/or sign up to bring food items.
MITTEN TREE:
Mittens, gloves, scarves, hats are put on the Christmas tree in the back of the sanctuary for distribution to local charities.
What you can do: Knit or buy some mittens, gloves, hats or scarves.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (AA):
Every Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m., a chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous meets in Fellowship Hall.
What you can do: Attend the annual open meeting in May.
IMMIGRANT / REFUGEE LEGAL SERVICES:
Justice for Our Neighbors Michigan (JFONMI) provides high-quality immigration and refugee legal services, education and advocacy throughout Michigan. The Ypsilanti clinic is hosted at our church on the 3rd Monday of every month at 4 to 6 PM. There are 3 monthly clinic locations in Southeast Michigan. You can can contact www.jfonmi.org to get a schedule of the dates / times of the monthly clinics, to become a volunteer at the clinics or to become an advocate for immigrants.
YPSILANTI HUNGER COALITION Soup Kitchen:
Five area churches serve the needy a hot meal every Tuesday evening at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
What you can do: Volunteer monthly to help cook, serve and/or clean up on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Contact Mike or Karen Needham
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY:
We participate in the building of the United Methodist Habitat House in Ypsilanti.
Also, we give funds to help support the national Habitat initiative.
What you can do: Contribute financially; help at the site; make lunches for workers when it is our turn. For more ideas, check with Kevin Myers.
Care Ministry:
Members visit, take Communion, deliver flowers, write notes, cards, send out weekly activity sheet, drive to medical appointments, provide occasional meals to shut-ins or people who have been in the hospital.
What you can do: Volunteer for any one of the above tasks. See Cindy Kincaid.
SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY:
Youth collect cash donations and/or soup cans to give to local food programs. Usually the first Sunday in February.
What you can do: Make a donation of cash and/or soup.
IHN/ALPHA HOUSE:
Three weeks a year our church provides food for the homeless families who live in Alpha House in Ann Arbor. We also provide people to set out the evening meal food, visit with the guests, play with the children for a few hours in the evening, and spend the night. Please contact Judy Mayo with any questions.
What you can do: Sign up to prepare some food—staples or a prepared part of the meal; these are brought to church and they will be delivered to Alpha House for you. Volunteer to help one evening.
GROWING HOPE SEED DONATIONS:
Each spring, we donate seeds to Growing Hope in Ypsilanti, a non-profit, volunteer-run organization that teaches low income adults and young people how to plant and sustain community gardens. These activities bring healthy food choices to areas of Ypsilanti that don’t have access to them.
What you can do: Donate seeds or money to buy seeds. Support the Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers Market on Tuesday afternoons, and the Depot Town Farmers Market on Saturdays, from April-October.
FRIENDS IN DEED:
We support the work of this interfaith organization that responds to unmet needs of low-income Washtenaw County residents. Friends In Deed provides critical financial assistance, furniture, congregational services, and agency referrals.
What you can do: Donate money or used furniture, particularly beds and mattresses.
ITALIAN DINNER:
In August, our congregation hosts the Italian Dinner at the tent during the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival. All profits are donated to local charitable agencies or support the church’s mission programs.
What you can do: Buy tickets. Sell tickets. Sign up to help with food preparation at church or serving at the tent. Contact Mike Needham with questions.
HARVEST OFFERING:
#10 Cans, Large packages of dry goods to be given to the Hunger Coalition, which supplies meals to hungry people every Tuesday night. Money gifts are also accepted.
What you can do: Bring a can or give a financial gift, prior to Thanksgiving.
OUTREACH BEYOND OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
YOUTH MISSION TRIP:
Youth raise funds and go on a mission work trip in the summer.
What you can do: Support the fund raisers; pray for the youth; ask counselors what they need.
BLANKET SUNDAY:
In February, the congregation is given the opportunity to purchase warm, new blankets for refugees through Church World Service for $5 each. These are used for shelter, warmth, for carrying things. etc.
What you can do: Plan to buy a blanket or two in February for a cold refugee.
CROP WALK:
Every October (usually the first Sunday) the churches of Ypsilanti get together to sponsor the CROP walk to fight hunger. This is a program of
Church World Service. Walkers get sponsors to pledge money for each mile they walk. Money is divided between local and national/international projects.
What you can do: Walk. Sponsor a walker. Help with registration, sign-ups, etc. Help with the lunch for walkers. See Mike Needham.
SMALL WORLD SHOP:
Located off the Rotunda, the shop sells SERRV and Equal Exchange fair trade items made by crafters or grown by artisans around the world. The shop contributes 15% of sales from its annual open house, held the weekend preceding Thanksgiving, to a local charity. $1,200 in sales provides a year’s supports for a family in most developing countries.
What you can do: Do your gift shopping and your Christmas shopping at the Small World Shop which is open before and after worship, or special times can be arranged.
RAAH — RELIGIOUS ACTION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING:
RAAH works in partnership with individuals and religious congregations to advocate for housing activities that will benefit lower income residents and provide all a greater opportunity to afford to live in the community where they work. FUMC is a congregational member.
What you can do: Keep current with your offering—this is funded through our budget.
LIONS CLUB GLASSES:
We collect used eyeglasses for the Lion’s Club International “Recycle for Sight” program. The collection box is found in the reception area outside of the office and workroom area by the Asbury conference room.
What you can do: Bring your old glasses!
CANCELLED STAMPS AND BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION:
The UMW collects cancelled stamps and Box Tops for Education. The collection cans are found in the reception area outside the office/workroom area by the Asbury conference room.
What you can do: Bring your cancelled stamps and Box Tops for Education coupons and leave them in the cans!
ZIMBABWE SCHOOL TUITION & FEEDING PROGRAM:
Morris and Ann Taber have a long standing program providing books, fees, and food for 400 hundred primary children at Old Mutare Mission who would otherwise have none of these.
What you can do: Make a donation through the VIM-Zimbabwe account to help. $50 covers fees, food, and uniform for one child for one year. Contact the Tabers.
HAITI TASK FORCE SCHOOL PROJECT:
Led by Curtis and Jeanette Bartz, The Haiti School Project raises funds to build classrooms in Cap Haitien, Haiti's second largest city, and in Tovar, a nearby small village . Other projects include building school kitchens and flush toilets, repairing church buildings, and painting classrooms. Funds are also directed to the hot lunch program, teacher salaries, and scholarships for children in the elementary and secondary schools. This project is part of the Michigan Area Haiti Task Force.
What you can do: Continue with your gifts to the Haiti School Project through the church, pray for the Haitian people and VIM team members, join a VIM team to Haiti. See Curtis for more information.
MISSIONARY SUPPORT:
Through the church budget we help support Beatrice Gbanga in Sierra Leone, one of our United Methodist missionaries working to bring the good news to people in far away places.
What you can do: Keep current with your offering - this is funded through our budget. Pray for Beatrice and her family. Find out when her birthday is and send a card.
SPECIAL SUNDAYS:
Six Sundays a year are designated as Special Sundays by the General Conference of the UMC, and an offering is taken for a particular area of the church’s work. These Sundays are Human Relations Day, One Great Hour of Sharing, Native American Ministries Sunday, Peace with Justice Sunday, World Communion Sunday and United Methodist Student Day.
What you can do: Contribute money on Special Sundays.
HAITI LUNCH PROGRAM:
Through the church budget we help to support the General Church Advance Special which provides hot lunches for Haitian children in the elementary schools there. Often this is the only meal they receive all day.
What you can do: Keep current with your offering—this is funded through our budget.
IMAGINE NO MALARIA:
The UMC has a vision that, through this program, malaria may be eliminated in our world. This is a denomination-wide initiative.
What you can do: Support special offerings when announced by the UMC;
make your own designated offerings on Sunday mornings.