Opportunities to Serve the Local Community
Scatter to Serve: Twice a year we scatter across the community to lend a hand with multiple charities doing various jobs. The mission committee will reach out to our local mission partners to figure out what needs to be done. You can then sign up in the main hallway for the task that would match your skillset or interests. Scatter to Serve Saturdays are a fun time for fellowship and good will.
Barefoot Sunday Offering: The first Sunday of June, First Presbyterian worship attendees are invited to participate in Barefoot Sunday. During the worship service, worshipers bring an offering of a new pair of shoes to benefit a group of people that cannot afford new shoes. The congregation is given advance notice of the type of shoe to purchase. The congregation is also invited to come to worship barefoot to help us get a sense of what it would be like to not have shoes. For us, being barefoot is a relatively fun and painless experience, but for one and a half billion people in the world, 300 million which are children, this is an uncomfortable and life-threatening problem. Be a part of the solution on Barefoot Sunday!
Weekend Food Bags: We will provide food each week for 10 students at Chandler Alternative School. These are students where food insecurity in their homes is a significant challenge. By providing food over the weekends, we hope to meet a critical need in their lives and improve their ability to perform well in school. If you would like to donate food, here’s what we need: Bread, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Bagels, Mac N Cheese, Crackers, Ravioli, Spaghetti, Noodles, Sauce, Cereal, Fruit, Canned Food (including canned chicken or tuna). No glass bottles please. They will be carrying these food bags home on the bus. Every Friday during the school year, three volunteers will pack 10 bags and deliver them to the school.
40 Cans for 40 Days: Last year’s 40 CANS FOR 40 DAYS, our Lenten outreach, was a great success. Together, we collected and shared hundreds of canned goods that were delivered to Covenant House to help our neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity.
Our goal is to collect canned goods each week during the Lenten season. You may bring your donations to the church during the week or on Sunday morning.
OUR SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS: DATES
Week 1: Peanut Butter and Jelly Week beginning Sunday 2/26
Week 2: Canned Soup and Canned Pasta Week beginning Sunday 3/5
Week 3: Canned Fruit and Dry Fruit (raisins, etc.) Week beginning Sunday 3/12
Week 4: Canned Meat (Vienna sausage, chicken); Tuna Week beginning Sunday 3/19
Week 5: Canned Beans and Rice Week beginning Sunday 3/26
Week 6: Cereal/Canned or Dry Milk (box or bag) Week beginning Sunday 4/2
Additional items to donate: Toilet Paper
Champions for Children: Champions for Children help to care for orphans and at-risk youth on a local and global spectrum
West Virginia Ministry and Advocacy Workcamps (WVMAW): These workcamps provide home repair and reconstruction in the local area.
Opportunities to Serve the Global Community
Barefoot Sunday Offering: The first Sunday of June, First Presbyterian worship attendees are invited to participate in Barefoot Sunday. During the worship service, worshipers bring an offering of a new pair of shoes to benefit a group of people that cannot afford new shoes. The congregation is given advance notice of the type of show to purchase. the congregation is also invited to come to worship barefoot to help us get a sense of what it would be like to not have shoes. For us, it is a relatively fun and painless experience, but for one and a half billion people in the world, 300 million which are children, this is an uncomfortable and life-threatening problem. Be a part of the solution on Barefoot Sunday!
International Mission Trip: Be on the lookout for our next mission trip! We love Nicaragua and Peru!
Hope Village: Hope Village is a one-of-a-kind fair trade boutique that is First Presbys pride and joy! This event takes place in our activities building starting in November through December, just in time for you to find that little something special for family and friends for Christmas. We will have handmade merchandise from all over the world that benefits the makers directly including clothing, jewelry, kitchen tools, decor and so much more!
Presbyterian Coffee Project: The Presbyterian Coffee Project offers a special link between congregations and communities around the world. Churches can now reach out to neighbors overseas not only with the prayers and offerings we give but with the goods and products we purchase. A warm cup of coffee (or tea) in our hands is perhaps the most tangible daily connection we have with farmers around the world. It represents warmth, hospitality, fellowship, hard work and life’s pleasures both fine and simple.
Spearheaded by Linda Elliot, the Presbyterian Coffee Project in First Presby is the leading church in sale in the nation. Buying fair trade through the Presbyterian Coffee Project ensures that more of the money we spend on our favorite treats reaches the hardworking farmers who actually grow it. Coffee, tea, nuts, chocolates and more are available Monday through Thursday in the main church from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:00am to 12:00 p.m.