MISSIONSMINISTRY
At Carmel UMC strive to be the hands and feet of Christ through outreach in the world around us. We have three areas of focus: Food Insecurity, Children, and Housing.
MISSIONSMINISTRY
At Carmel UMC strive to be the hands and feet of Christ through outreach in the world around us. We have three areas of focus: Food Insecurity, Children, and Housing.
The 2022 Missions Ministry REPORT is available. CLICK HERE to read!
Mission Focus for May: Family Promise
Since Family Promise is no longer housing homeless families in churches, we are participating in the apartment furnishings project. When a sponsored homeless family moves into a Family Promise temporary apartment, the organization helps with a variety of services: counseling, arranging medical care and childcare, and a job search, if necessary.
The goal is to secure permanent housing within 90 days. If the guest family wants to stay in the apartment and take over the lease, that's ideal. They keep the furnishings. If they find a new place, Family Promise provides them with a Mustard Seed referral for furniture, Goodwill vouchers for housewares, and more. The now vacant apartment and its furnishings become a shelter for the next family that calls. There are now 26 apartments backed by the program.
The rate of success is astounding. After two years of being housed, 85% of families who "stick with the program" are self-sufficient and no longer homeless.
It has been 12 months since Carmel United Methodist Church collected items for this shelter program. This year, from April 26 - May 31, 2023 our CUMC congregation will be collecting items to furnish one two-bedroom apartment. All gently-used or new items should be delivered to the church office.
Here is the sign up link: https://carmelumc.ccbchurch.com/goto/needs/public
(the QR code takes you to this link)
It is the same process as last year.
1. Choose your items for donation, and
2. Follow the prompts to include your contact information.
All furniture items should be donated to Mustard Seed, 317-572-5724, www.mustardseedindy.org
If you prefer, in lieu of donating items, you could write a check to Carmel United Methodist Church and write " Family Promise Donation" on the memo line.
Thank you for all that you do to help the homeless in Greater Indianapolis. With your support, we can help local families in need,
"because every child deserves a home."
For more information contact:
Carla and Don Bennett
carlabennett1947@gmail.com
Food Pantry Donations
Every week we publish a list of Food Pantry MOST NEEDED items. You can find that list here:
FOOD PANTRY NEEDS for THIS WEEK. (Mother's Day Week, May 10-17, 2023)
AMAZON WISH LIST:
If you shop on Amazon, you may wish to look at the FOOD PANTRY's WISH LIST. There are items that we need all the time, and the needs are updated often:
AMAZON WISH LIST
The CUMC Food Pantry serves about 300 families each month. We partner with local churches, school organizations and members of the community to serve healthy food to HAMILTON COUNTY RESIDENTS. Please bring proof of residence, such as a driver's license and/or utility bill with you when you visit the food pantry.
In 2022, St Christopher's Episcopal Church, Carmel Christian Church, Cornerstone Lutheran, and Pilgrim Lutheran, donated bounty from their own gardens to the CUMC Food Pantry. Orchard Park Presbyterian Church donates all of the eggs given to guests of the pantry.
If you are interested in volunteering in the Food Pantry, please email cumcpantryscheduling@yahoo.com.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program that helps supplement food for anyone in need of support. It operates between the hours of 1pm and 3pm on the third Friday of each month from the Carmel UMC parking lot. To learn more click here.
2023 DATES - FRIDAYS
JAN 20
FEB 24 *
MAR 17
APR 21 | MAY 19
JUN 16
JUL 21
AUG 18 | SEP 15
OCT 20
NOV 17
DEC -TBA |
1pm - 3pm
Each household may visit the food pantry once every month, and the Gleaners Mobile Food Pantry day each month.
* - date changed
Food Pantry Gardens
In 2020 our church decided to get outside and start planting healthy, organic produce to be distributed by our Food Pantry to Hamilton County Residents. In 2021 the garden won the 1st Annual Anatoth Award from the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church for being a community-minded garden. Our hope is to continue growing healthy nutritious foods for our community.
Soup's On joins Roberts Park UMC in downtown Indianapolis to serve meals to the hungry and homeless of downtown Indy on Sundays each week. Meals are provided from 12-1pm. Personal hygiene items are also available. CUMC serves 5 times per year. Contact Jim Bach at saborofborg@gmail.com about volunteering to serve.
2023 Dates | Jan 8, Mar 26, Jun 11, Sep 10, Nov 12
BAGS OF HOPE
Most children in foster care enter with nothing of their own. Bags of Hope provides foster children with their own mongrammed duffle bag filled with books, blankets, toys and a few item that will hopefully bring them joy.
More Info HERE.
KIDS COATS
Kids Coats was started by three women from Carmel UMC and has grown from a church ministry to its own nonprofit that serves thousands of people in Hamilton County each year. Kids Coats keeps the residents of Hamilton County warm in the cooler/cold months with lightweight jackets, scarves, gloves, boots, and winter coats. Volunteer opportunities are year round!
More Info HERE.
Sierra Leone Mission Team | Jessica Stevens writes:
"Our team from Operation Classroom and Carmel UMC is wrapping up its first week with our partners, Carmel Preschool and Taiama Enterprise Academy in Sierra Leone! The worldwide UMC is working alongside the Sierra Leone UMC to bring education, healthcare and churches to the communities here. We’ve spent the week building relationships and learning so much from amazing Sierra Leoneans".
READ MORE about the Sierra Leone trip on page 5 of the
March issue of The CONTACT.
SIERRA LEONE & OPERATION CLASSROOM
The United Methodist Churches across Indiana partner with United Methodist Churches in Sierra Leone & Liberia to ensure children have access to education. Carmel UMC partners specifically with the schools in Sierra Leone, including the Taiama Enterprise Academy, to provide school supplies, scholarships and room & board to students.
Pastor Daisy Gbloh is from Sierra Leone. She is serving as part of the CUMC staff for 18 months while she studies at United Theological Seminary.
SALVATION ARMY ANGEL TREE
In Nov. & Dec of 2022, we collected Christmas gifts for 350 Hamilton County children. Each year Angel Tree provides thousands of children with something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
WANT, NEED, WEAR, READ
Carmel UMC partnered with Salvation Army Angel Tree to distrbute gifts on December 17, 2022. Contact Jessica Stevens, jstevens@carmelumc.org if you have any questions!
Family Promise is the nation's leading organization working to prevent and end family homelessness. Carmel UMC was one of the founding partner churches to get this non-profit started in the Indianapolis area. What began as churches providing food and shelter in the winter months has turned into furnishing apartments to help provide stability for homeless families and most especially their children.
May 2023 is Family Promise month at Carmel United Methodist Church.
See the article at the TOP of this page.
NEXT TRIP is June 4-10, 2023
Each year Carmel UMC sends a team to Frakes Kentucky to help families with home improvement projects. In June 2022, our team built a new deck for a family and saw first-hand how improving a home can boost pride in home ownership and hope in many other facets of life.
For more information about Henderson Settlement click HERE.