Outreach Opportunities

We are strangers called by God to be brothers and sisters - to be a community of people set apart     in the world to be faithful to Jesus Christ. We are called in mission to and with our neighbors, especially those searching for a church home in the University community. Wesley Mem participates in a number of local, conference, and international missions. Listed below are organizations we involved in.

• People and Congregations Involved in Ministry (PACEM)

  “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” 1 John 3:17-18

  PACEM Volunteer Recognition and Awards Event

  Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together (IMPACT )
  IMPACT is a grass roots organization created to secure a greater degree of justice and fairness in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

  IMPACT Report
  IMPACT (Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together) is a non-partisan, faith-based organization of congregations promoting justice by demanding that systems be responsible for the consequences of their actions or policies. IMPACT promotes justice actions in our community in response to our faith commitments. There are many scriptural references to God’s call for justice; three important ones are Micah 6: 6-8; Matthew 23: 23-24; and Nehemiah 5: 1-13. IMPACT has been working in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area for about two years. Last year we were able to get some movement on affordable housing and public transportation.  This year the focus, as selected by the 600+ who attended the October assembly, are affordable housing and adult dental care. If you have questions about IMPACT, contact Gene Rader at 434-973-3831 or raders1@embarqmail.com.
   

• Buckingham Project - An annual Christmas project to help local families during the holiday season.
  
  Thanks from the Buckingham County Department of Social Services
  (posted February 2008)
  
  The following note was addressed to Donna Simpson at Wesley Mem:

  “Our agency would like to thank you for your generous donations towards our Holiday Charity Program. With your assistance, we were able to provide for many needy families within our community. We are extremely grateful for your charity. We sincerely hope that you will continue to assist the less fortunate members of our community through this program next year and for many years thereafter. Due to your hard work, time, donations, and overall commitment, many families have had a brighter holiday season. Please extend this gesture of gratitude to all of those within your organization who contributed to the Holiday Charity Program. Also, please do not hesitate to contact our agency with comments, questions, and/or concerns. We hope to hear from you during the holiday season in 2008. You will receive a letter near the end of October and/or the beginning of November 2008 requesting your participation. The letter will also outline the structure of the program. Please be aware that certain aspects of the program will be slightly altered. Thank you all!
  Sincerely,
  Tiffany Denby
  434-969-4246 x 23”
   

• The Emergency Food Bank - 
   

  "Elizabeth often notes that in spite of the fact that Wesley Memorial is not a huge congregation,
  it manages to do very big things. An example of this is the tremendous support Wesley gives to the
  Emergency Food Bank through the Food of the Month food drives. Each month in the past year, members
  of the Congregation, with the participation of the Wesley Community Child Care Center, have donated
  a minimum of 11 bags of food. You don't have to do the math to understand that's a LOT of food. It
  would make an impressive display if we could gather it all together at once! Your support truly helps make
  a difference in the lives of people in our community. No one who receives food from the Emergency Food
  Bank ever fails to say "thank you" and often they add "God bless you". I know they'd like me to share those

  words with you."

  The date of the next food drive will be Communion Sunday, June 1. Any donation will be gratefully accepted."--Becky Smith, 823-6288 .
  
  Meals on Wheels
   

• Piedmont CASA Needs Volunteers
  Piedmont CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) needs caring citizens to advocate for abused and neglected children in our community. Piedmont CASA trains people just like you to inform the Court about these children’s lives, and provides ongoing guidance as you help in the effort to find them safe, permanent homes.  Day-time spring training classes begin on March 20. No special experience is required, but you must be at least 21.  Phoebe Frosch, Advancement Director, will be happy to host a special information session for interested members of Wesley Mem. Please call 971-7515 to request an application and to learn how you can become a child’s voice in court. See the narthex bulletin board for further contact information.
   

• Virginia Conference
  
  Disaster Response Training: The Virginia Conference “Early Responders” training will be held April 25 in Blacksburg (for more information contact Jackie Nutter at nutterdj@msn.com) and May 3 in Crozet (e-mail Ray Miller at l.ray.miller@hotmail.com). Both sessions run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, e-mail Tom Dickinson at Tom.Dickinson@verizon.net .

  Kits for Conference

  It is time to begin preparing Kits to take to Annual Conference in June. UMCOR’s kit inventory has been greatly diminished in response to numerous disasters. We will concentrate on Health Kits, and we would like to send 100 kits. We will have a church-wide effort to collect items, and collection boxes will be in the narthex. You can contribute full kits or particular items over the next month. A health kit gets packed in a gallon-sized zip lock bag. The components are:

  Health Kit

  • 1 hand towel (15"x25" up to 17"x27", No kitchen towels)
  • 1 washcloth
  • 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
  • 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
  • 1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
  • 1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, No child-size brushes)
  • 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
  • $1.00 to purchase toothpaste

  (Note: UMCOR Sager Brown is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the products do not expire before they are sent.)

   To organize collections for those of you wishing to donate components, here is a suggestion, but you may bring any of these items any of these weeks:

  May 11: Hand towels (15” x25” up to 17” x27”, no kitchen towels), Washcloths                

  May 18            (Vespers service): Combs (large & sturdy, not pocket sized), Bath size bars of soap (3 oz and up), Nail files or Fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers), Toothbrushes (single brushes in original wrapper, preferably soft, No child size)

  May 25: Boxes of plastic strip bandaids, Boxes of one-gallon sized ziplock bags

  May 29: Semi-Circle will pack as many kits as possible.

  June 1 (worship at 10:00): Bring any health kit items, especially as updated to complete partial kits.

  June 8: After worship at 10:00, pack up the rest of the kits.

  Please note all items for kits must be new items, and the kits can contain only the above items, nothing more. If you wish to donate money for a member of UMW to buy items for kits, please mark your check or envelope as “Kits for UMCOR,” and donate by May 25. If there is anyone who prefers to do Sewing, Layette, or School kits, you may pick up a sheet detailing those kits on the table between the front and back pews, or you can go to www.vaumc.org. If you have any questions, contact Maury Early, Carolyn Newsome, or Sue Lewis. Thanks.  
  
  United Methodist Women Retreat: The Virginia Conference United Methodist Women will host a Spiritual Life Retreat, May 16-18, at the Virginia United Methodist Assembly Center in Blackstone. This year's theme is "Discernment: Listening to God." You can find out more about it at www.vaumw.org or call Carolyn Newsome 295-9094 or email @chw49n@comcast.net.

  United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Event to be Held in June: United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) of the Southeastern Jurisdiction (SEJ) will sponsor “Connect” June 18-20 at Lake Junaluska, N.C. Connect is an annual event that allows participants to share experiences, gain insight and resources, as well as network with missionaries and project leaders. The theme is “Inspire. Inform. Interact.” For more information or to register, visit www.UMVIM.org. Early bird registration has been extended to May 12. For more information, contact Virginia Conference UMVIM coordinator the Rev. Keith Mottley at (540) 760-4376 or pastorkm@shentel.net .
   

• Wesley Community Child Care Center
   
• Ronald McDonald House
  
  Ronald McDonald House Volunteers Needed!
  Providing dinner for the residents of Ronald McDonald House on the second Sunday evening of each month is a mission activity of Wesley Mem. Each month one member of the Ministry to the Community and World team will coordinate the dinner. If you personally or a group would like to help, sign the sign-up sheet in the hall or contact any member of the team.
  
  A Note of Thanks from the Staff of Ronald McDonald House
   “To the Members of Wesley United Methodist, Thank you so much for your ongoing support of the Ronald McDonald House. An evening meal is such a special treat for our families. They return to us at the end of the day tired & worn out. They are so appreciative of a meal waiting for them when they return. Thank you!—The Staff of the Ronald McDonald House”  And thanks from the church office to all the Wesley Mem volunteers who have filled the 2008 sign-up sheet already. Well done!
   
• Russian Initiative
   
• Hope House
   
• Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity -

  Call for Volunteers
  HABITAT FOR HUMANITY of Greater Charlottesville seeks construction volunteers available Tues. through Fri. 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, (with skills or without), and an office support volunteer available Fri. mornings 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. Interested? Please call 434-293-9066, or e-mail Robin Francis, volunteer coordinator at rfrancis@cvillehabitat.org. Please also see the Habitat Christmas card on the Missions bulletin board by Elizabeth’s office.
   

• Piedmont Housing Alliance

Volunteer Opportunities
The Outreach Committee has put together a list of local organizations that are always seeking volunteers.  Volunteer Opportunities Booklet is a list of organizations and contacts.

WMUMC is a Green Church
Wesley Memorial tries to be a faithful steward of all Creation and, therefore, tries when possible to use only recycled products or products that do the least harm to the environment. You won’t find Styrofoam or bleached paper products in our church cupboards. We hope to set an example and thus invite any and all to join us in our attempts to be caretakers of Creation.