Social Ministry at Grace and Beyond

Blood Drive
JANUARY BLOOD DRIVE — On Sunday, January 24th, Grace will be holding a blood drive from 7:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. During our last blood drive, we donated enough blood to touch 90 lives. Let’s see if we can do even better this time. Make an appointment to donate blood and help save a life. You can sign up before and after services in the narthex or call Gretchen Hutchins at 815-338-2639. Thank you for your support.

PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter)
On the fourth Wednesday of each month from October through April Grace members prepare and serve dinner to homeless people who are staying at the emergency shelter at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation church. Check the poster in the narthex for ways you can contribute to the meals.

PADS offers shelter and services for people who are homeless. For more information about other services for the homeless, visit www.mchenrycountypads.com.

Christmas Family Sharing: Each year in December, Grace members “adopt” families in Chicago and Woodstock and make their holidays merrier by providing gifts and a meal. Look for a sign-up table in the narthex in late November so you can be part of this wonderful program.

MITTEN TREE: It’s time to help warm some heads, hands and feet that might be feeling the cold this winter! The mitten trees will be going up downstairs near the kitchen an in the narthex on Sunday, November 29. Please help decorate these trees with mittens, hats, gloves and scarves. We will also have stocking boxes next to the trees. Please help us fill these to overflowing with new socks and underwear. Many families have a hard time affording these basic necessities. Donations will be given to Bethel New Life Center in Chicago, Family Health Partnership Clinic and PEACE 4 All. The trees and boxes will be available until after Christmas.

DIRECT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM —The Direct Assistance Program (DAP) is operated by the Woodstock Area Community Ministry.  WACM strives to provide emergency assistance to those families who need it most.  Because of the tremendous growing needs of the community, DAP has had to cut back on its  services due to a shortage of funds. You can help by making a regular donation to DAP using the white pew envelope.  WACM is jointly operated by 12 local congregations and     organizations, including Grace.  

Food Pantry needs

The Woodstock Food Pantry needs our help to restock its shelves. Donations of nonperishable food, paper goods, and toiletries can be placed in the basket in the vestibule. Items especially requested include canned vegetables (corn, green beans), canned fruit (peaches, pears, pineapple), soup (vegetable, cream of mushroom, chicken noodle, tomato), toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. Cash donations through the church office are also much appreciated. Please bring your items on “Food Pantry Sunday” – the first Sunday of each month – or at any time. Thank you!

GIVING THANKS TO GOD BY FEEDING THE HUNGRY —During the weeks  before Thanksgiving, we at Grace will have the opportunity to give thanks to God by sharing our abundance with others. At worship services next weekend, November 7-8, you will be given a grocery bag with a list of suggested food donations for the Woodstock Food Pantry. As you shop to fill your bag during the week, take a few moments to count your own blessings. Please return your bag of food donations to church the weekend of November 14-15. The items will be sorted and delivered to the Woodstock Food Pantry so that clients may pick up food in time for Thanksgiving. (Volunteers will be needed to help sort donations on November 15 between services and to deliver to the food pantry during the week; if you can help, please sign-up on the Social Ministry bulletin board kiosk in the Narthex.) Thank you for making this holiday a little brighter for hungry people in our community.

Habitat for Humanity

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WORK DATES SCHEDULED - Sunday, December 6, will be a rewarding day for everyone at Grace who helped to build the newest Habitat for Humanity – Thrivent Builds home in McHenry County.  The completed home at 947 Mary Court, Marengo, will be dedicated during a brief ceremony at 2 p.m., and the keys will be handed over to the new homeowner and her family.  All of us at Grace are invited to attend the dedication and see the results of this ministry.
Next spring we will have another opportunity to share God’s grace with a low-income family working toward first-time home ownership.  Habitat for Humanity of McHenry County has received another Thrivent grant to build a home, this one in Harvard.  Watch this newsletter for details as they unfold.  For information about Habitat for Humanity, visit www.habitatmchenry.org.

 

ONE Sunday
Grace celebrated ONE Sunday on September 27th, 2009] with opportunities for everyone to learn more about poverty and hunger around the world and what we can do to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty. Click here for more information about the issues.

 

Tanzanian Banner Gift

Grace has received a painted banner crafted by the members of our partner congregation, the Arusha Town Lutheran Parish in Arusha, Tanzania. We offer our prayers of thanks for our partners in ministry at the Arusha Town Parish. The youth at Grace have painted a banner with the message "We are One in the Spirit," which was delivered in early July to Arusha.