The Community Assistance Program at First United Methodist Church provides temporary financial assistance to Midland County families or individuals in the areas of housing, transportation, and utilities. This program works closely with agencies in the area and also provides personal care and school supply items not available through other agencies. To contact Community Assistance call (989) 839-8935.
Friendship LunchSunday Friendship Lunch is an outreach ministry that provides a hot meal for people who usually eat at the Open Door during the week or for anyone who needs a hot meal. Each Sunday anywhere from 30 to 60 people are served between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m., and carryout meals are also available.
Menus are planned and food is in the kitchen on Sunday mornings. Three or four volunteers work from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to prepare, serve, and clean-up afterward. Meals typically include a hot dish such as lasagna, scalloped potatoes with ham, or chicken and noodles, a vegetable, fruit, rolls, dessert, and beverages.
Since the program started in September, 1989, over 32,000 meals and hundreds of carryouts have been provided on 950 Sundays. It is funded by the Church and Society Work Area as well as contributions from organizations and individuals.
If you would like to be a part of the lunch bunch volunteers, please contact the church office at 989-835-6797.
Habitat For Humanity
First UMC is a strong supporter of Habitat for Humanity, both in terms of financial support and volunteering. Habitat for Humanity works to provide affordable housing for those in need, one family at a time. Habitat works with organizations to raise funds and provide the workers to build houses for partner families. Partner families go through a selection process and then are required to provide 500 hours of “sweat equity” towards their home.
FUMC has sponsored and built four houses since 2000, typically every other year. We have raised the funding needed to build a house and then provide countless hours of hands-on labor for each house that we have built. In “off” years, we still support Habitat financially with their administrative costs. In addition, volunteer workers are always welcome to assist in the current building schedule.
Volunteers may call the Habitat office at 989-496-0900.
Hidden Harvest
Hidden Harvest is a tri-county agency designed to rescue perishable food and deliver it to those in need. Their mission statement reads, “Hidden Harvest strives to alleviate hunger and end food waste in the Bay, Midland, and Saginaw region, by providing a safe and coordinated system of rescuing and redistributing surplus food to organizations that feed people in need.” Food is rescued from restaurants, grocery stores, and farmers. Food may be hot or cold, but all food is handled following the state and federal safe food handling practices to assure food is handled in a safe way. Rescued food is delivered to non-profit agencies and organizations to provide assistance. Some of the Midland agencies receiving food from Hidden Harvest are the Midland County Emergency Food Pantry Network, Caregiving Network, North Midland Family Center, West Midland Family Center, The Open Door, Salvation Army, Shelter House, and Ten Sixteen Treatment Centers, to name a few.
FUMC supports Hidden Harvest financially as well as through the UMYF roll bake as donors may designate some of their roll purchases to Hidden Harvest to be delivered to others. Individuals also may donate surplus food by calling them at 877-529-8488.
Mid Michigan Community Action Agency sponsors a Walk For Warmth the last Saturday of February. This walk raises money for heating related emergencies. First UMC recruits walkers who secure pledges and participates in the walk. All of the funds raised for this walk stay in Midland County to be used to help those in need. To receive a pledge form or to support a walker, please contact the church office at 989-835-6797.
Every Christmas season, volunteers from FUMC prepare and serve hot chocolate to the families waiting in line to visit Santa at the Santa House located across the street from the church.
For detailed instructions on preparing the hot chocolate, click here.