Local Outreach & Volunteer Opportunities

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Green Church
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Housing Mission
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Food for FISH
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Johnson House
card care ministry
Card Care Ministry

It’s super easy to help the earth! Just bring your batteries and food scraps to the church for a battery-drop and compost-a-paloosa! Meaning, get your bucket, fill it up, and dump it in the big container at VanFUMC. And, taping, bagging and dropping your batteries in the recycle box. Here’s Caitlin showing us how to take care of your compost: Video on FaceBook

What is this project?
 
The Congregation to Compost project is a Clark County partnership with faith-based organizations to establish community composting centers to serve the organization, congregation members, and neighborhood residents.
 
How does it work?
 
VanFUMC will receive compost collection containers provided by Waste Connections of WA and paid for by Clark County Solid Waste during the pilot period (six months).
 
  • Participants will have access to a free lidded bucket to collect kitchen food scraps.
  • When participating households come to VanFUMC, they will dump their food scraps into the compost cart.
  • Waste Connections will service the cart and deliver the food scraps to Dirt Hugger.
Why is this important?
 
By participating in this project, you will be turning your kitchen food scraps into compost, a rich soil amendment, to be used by gardeners and farmers in the Pacific Northwest.
Washington state and Clark County have set a goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030. Your kitchen and the Congregation to Compost program play an important role in meeting that goal.
 
What about the batteries?
  1. Tape the battery terminals.
  2. Place batteries in a small ziplock bag.
  3. Drop into a battery recycle box.
You can find the ‘Battery Take-Back Site’ or drop box in the lobby on the L-shaped cart.
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Missions Committee- Housing Connections (Current FUMC outreach related to housing)

What is this project?

Get involved in our community through our church connections to help with housing situations in our area.

Family Promise www.familypromiseofclarkco.org

Bake a meal or volunteer time during the evenings of March 13 or March 14 to help homeless families who spend the night at First Presbyterian Church. Contact Anita Jinks for details (adjinks@gmail.com)

In-Need Program: Donate to this Vancouver Methodist Foundation program to provide supplemental funds to individuals at risk of losing their homes. Contact Evan Hull for more details (evanhull@pacifier.com)

Additional housing connections that FUMC has partnered with in the past:

Winter Hospitality Overflow (WHO) Shelter www.sharevancouver.org/programs/share-shelter-system

Cook a meal or volunteer time with homeless individuals or families at emergency shelters open during the winter months. Contact Bev Thomas for details (bevthomas@centurylink.net)

Evergreen Habitat for Humanity www.ehfh.org

There are multiple ways to help build houses because “everyone deserves a decent and affordable place to call home.” Contact Anita Jinks for details (adjinks@gmail.com)

Finally, contact these local organizations for other opportunities to support housing needs in our area:

Open House Ministries – https://www.sheltered.org/

City of Vancouver (see nonprofit orgs that are operating the city’s Safe Stay Communities)  https://www.cityofvancouver.us/community/homelessness/

Stay tuned for the Missions Committee’s next outreach focus – international efforts – coming soon!

Food for FISH: Westside Food Pantry of Vancouver

Every year, people in our community are faced with the challenge of providing enough food for their tables. These are our neighbors and our friends.  To help, let’s keep the blue bin in the lobby filled with non-perishable (no glass containers).

Check your pantries and/or add to your grocery list! 

Here are typical most-needed items:

  • Oatmeal
  • Tuna
  • Peanut Butter
  • Jelly
  • Chili
  • Soup
  • Cereal

Other ideas include:

  • Pasta sauce
  • Mac & cheese
  • Canned vegetables
  • Canned fruit
  • Bread
  • Tortillas
  • Fresh fruit (oranges and apples)

Things NOT appropriate for donating include items needing refrigeration, expired foods, leftovers, foods with packaging concerns or baked goods.  If you have other items that you wish to donate in addition to these, we will find a good ‘home’ for them!

Evergreen Habitat for Humanity “Johnson House”
We Did It! Next steps, building!

What is this project?
 
Johnson Village is made possible because of Ray and Harriet Johnson, and dedicated members in our community who support and champion the work of Evergreen Habitat for Humanity.
 
This project was named after long time Evergreen Habitat supporters and founding members, Ray and Harriet Johnson. Ray and Harriet were alongside us from our very humble beginnings. They were among the group of volunteers gathered in the church basement in the early 1990’s with steadfast determination and ambition. Their goal: to start a housing ministry here in Clark County. You can read the full story at Evergreen Habitat for Humanity here: www.ehfh.org/johnson-village
 
Vancouver First United Methodist Church is the “Sponsor Church” for a new Habitat for Humanity house to be named the “Johnson House”, commemorating their legacy.
 
You can help us honor Ray’s generous spirit by marking “Johnson House” on the gifts you choose to give.  We even had a beautiful article written in GreaterNW News!
Stay tuned for future volunteer opportunities with Evergreen Habitat for Humanity: The Johnson Village
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Johnson Village
What is this project?
 

It’s time to share some Christmas cheer by sending cards to people within our congregation who find it difficult to attend worship or are experiencing other life situations. The Card Care Ministry group will meet on Tuesday, December 12, at 1:30 p.m. in the Conrad Room for devotions, fellowship, and signing Christmas cards!

There’s a good chance we will also have treats! This is an open group, so anyone in the congregation can attend. Beginning in January, the group will meet twice a month to sign birthday, anniversary, get well, sympathy, or other life situation cards. If you are unsure whether the church has your correct information, please send her an email at office@vanfumc.org or call 360-693-588l. We want to acknowledge as many people as possible over the year, and the more accurate the records are, the less likely anyone will be overlooked.

Stay tuned for new projects!

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If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at office@vanfumc.org or (360) 693-5881.

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