“Colesville UMC is “in the community, serving our community”
2024 Praise Reports
Caring for our Community…
To date our CUMC Food Pantry Distribution has given a total of 291 bags of food to our community in need.
Food Pantry Distribution Drive-thru (FPD) - and our School-base partners
The Outreach and Missions Team and our Colesville family, along with dedicated distributors/vendors and Corporate sponsorship who answered the overwhelming call to support families in our community with Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday meals.
The CUMC Food Pantry drive-thru handed out 60 bags of groceries. This year for Christmas we provided Turkeys and Chickens and all the trimmings, along with fresh veggies, Russet potatoes, Yukon white potatoes, Squash, Zucchini, Onions, Celery, Lettuce, Sweet potatoes, and Tomatoes.
During Christmas - It was a very cold and frigid day that we serviced our participants who also braved the cold elements; we happily provided 20 bags of food via the FPD drive-thru.
School-based Partners- Thanksgiving
CUMC O&M Team handed out a total of 102 bags which were distributed among 3 local schools.
Through partnerships with our local schools, we were able to provide Thanksgiving meals to students and their families. This year we handed out Turkeys and Chickens and all the trimmings along with fresh veggies, Russet potatoes, Yukon white potatoes, Squash and Zucchini, Onions, Celery, Lettuce, Sweet potatoes and Tomatoes.
Our prayer is that we can try and elevate the food disparity within the county. Our goal is to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious meals during the Holiday Season.
Everyone’s constant donations, financial support is so very helpful and needed. It demonstrates the power of collaboration in making a true difference. The O&M Thanks you ALL and our vendors/distributors and Corp Sponsors for their commitment to help us in our initiative. Together we CAN change things and be the Change in our Community.
C4 Christmas Toy Drive
C4 Clothes Closet: Also known as the Colesville Council of Community Congregations, the C4 was started in the late 60s in our Anderson Hall. It is now housed in the old Colesville Elementary School on New Hampshire Avenue. One of our O&M committee members, Marilyn Boerum, has been supporting them for approx. 40 years and is our church representative. Last year, the C4 served about 60 families per month with clothing, linens and other household items. These families are referred to us by social workers and pastors according to their needs. No money is exchanged, and they can “shop” with C4 every other month. There is also a baby closet which has served about 40 families with all sorts of clothing and baby supplies. In August, they had their annual school supply drive and gave out about 600 backpacks filled with requested items from Montgomery County Public Schools. Colesville UMC also support the C4 Christmas toy
Colesville provides toys for the C-4 Christmas Toy drive each year.
The C-4 Christmas Toy Drive planned to serve 1200 children in 2023 for ages 1 through pre-teens and was a total success!
The C-4 Clothes Closet, need continues for boys clothing size 3T up to preteens as well as linens, mainly sheets and towels. These items can be dropped off in two sheds at the old Colesville Elementary School on New Hampshire Ave. Please check the website for hours of operation.
Winter Children’s Coat Drive 2024- School-based Program
The Outreach & Missions were blessed to have collected 38 coats, hats, gloves and two boxes of school supplies for our School-based program. This year we had received requests from two of our Partner schools; Kemp Mill and Westover Elementary. Thank God the children in our community who were in need will be nice and warm. Praise God!
Christmas Shoebox Toy Drive/Project Operation Christmas Child (OCC):
During Christmas 2024, the O&M team along with the help of financial donations from the Colesville UMC congregation, 75 shoeboxes were filled with toys, clothing, outfits, and stuffed animals for children ages 2-14 who live overseas in areas that are impoverished and may not know about Christ.
Interfaith Women’s Shelter / Rockville and Taff Facilities
During the month of October, we served lunch and dinners for 38 women and provided essentials needed for the women.
Emergency Local Support
The O&M Team received a call from one of our school-based partners for assistance. A kindergartner at one of the Elementary schools desperately needed an eye exam and glasses. We were able to coordinate with the school counselor and Mom to arrange a time that this youngster could be seen by an Optician. One of our very own CUMC members stepped up and answered the call. The little guy was fitted for a pair of glasses and now can see without any problem.
International Support
The O&M provided financial support for a Guatemalan student this year. We felt blessed to be able to bless this young person with financial support needed.
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From the Chair, of the Outreach & Missions Ministry...
“We continue to see the rise in need in all our program areas. The evidence of the growth in numbers shows the need within the community. Without continued prayers and the CUMC family, and supporters our program successes would not be possible. We continue to pray for God’s grace, direction, and the Holy Spirit as we are led to do Gods work and serve those in need”.
“It’s when you serve those in need you are serving God,
when you are serving others in need you are trusting God,
when you are serving those in need you are being obedient to Gods call and when you are serving others you are being faithful to God”.
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FOOD PREP for THANKSGIVING DRIVE-THRU
