Missions / Outreach
Here at First UMC, we try to be Christ's servants, striving to do as Jesus commands in Mark 12:30-31, to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ and ...‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
We are involved in many outreach projects right here in our neighborhood and throughout the world.
Our Personal Care Cupboard Assists People
with Non-food Needs
(Click here to see a video about The Personal Care Cupboard)
One of the primary responsibilities of any church is to care for people. Jesus shares with the people in Matthew 25 about caring for others and ends it with, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mat. 25:40). In fulfilling this mandate from Jesus, and in keeping with our church motto that First UMC is “A Church of Servant’s Serving Christ” we have found a niche that is not being met in Siouxland.
Many of you have heard of food pantries (and we give regularly to the food pantry at Grace United Methodist Church) but what is often left out are the non-food items that people need. Yes, food pantries may stock some of these items but The Personal Care Cupboard will be stocked with items that a person or family cannot get on food stamps or WIC. This includes such items as toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, soap, toilet paper, personal hygiene, laundry detergent, and other non-food items that people need.
The Personal Care Cupboard is located on the east side of the original church building and is handicap accessible.
* When is it open? It is open 2 days a week (Wednesdays from 5-6 pm and Thursdays from 2-3 pm).
* Who can use The Cupboard? Anyone with a picture ID with their address on it, and they can make use of this service only once every 3 months.
* Who will assist people as they come in? Volunteers (maybe even you!)
Have an Hour to Volunteer in the Coming Weeks? The Personal Care Cupboard Can Use You.
Hours: Wednesdays, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Thursdays, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
The duty of the volunteer is to check the person’s ID who wants assistance with a list of those we have previously helped. If we have not helped them, then you fill out a simple information card with the information from their ID. Then, Judy Wanned, or another volunteer, helps the person get up to 6 items from The Cupboard area.
Please pray about this situation and see if God is calling you to help out in some way with The Personal Care Cupboard. Call Judy Wanned at the church (258-0119) or send us an e-mail (scfirst@msn.com) if you want more information or want to volunteer.
Cash donations are always accepted to purchase needed items for The Personal Care Cupboard.
Here is a list of the items we stock in The Personal Care Cupboard. Feel free to donate any of these items to
assist the families that us The Cupboard.
- Toilet Paper - Bath Soap - Body Wash -Shampoo
- Household Cleaners - Band-Aids - Toothbrushes
-Toothpaste - Kleenex - Dish Soap
- Deodorant - Tampons - Diapers - Feminine Napkins
- Shaving Cream - Laundry Soap (powder only)
- Men’s and Women’s Disposable Razors
Hunt School Partnership - Hunt Elementary School is a public school one-hal
f block from the church. Fifty-percent of the children who attend Hunt get free lunches and 75% get free or reduced priced lunches. We are in partnership with Hunt School in helping to collect school supplies, clothing, shoes, learning activities, or whatever they need. About every month, we ask the people of the church for certain donations suggested by the faculty of Hunt. In addition to donating our money and our goods, we also are very involved with Hunt music thro0ugh our Music Academy and their children in monthly "Celebrate" Parties put on by our Children's Pastor, Rev. Martha Anderson.
Monthly Mission - Each month, we focus on an outreach ministry here in Siouxland, all of which are included on this page plus many more including the the Warming Shelter, Friendship House, and SafePlace.
Crop Walk - We participate each October in the CROP Walk. Many of the ways a CROP Walker, or a sponsor, make a difference is with assistance to uprooted families throughout the world ... with water resources development efforts in needed areas ... with the more than 3,200 local food pantries, food banks, and meal sites in the United States, including right here in Sioux City. Through leading the walk to participating, First UMC has been an active part of this ministry for years.
Compassionate Friends - We work in cooperation with Compassionate Friends in their ministry to those who have lost a child to death.
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) - Wherever there is a need, UMCOR is there to help provide relief. From tsunamis to earthquakes to floods to famine, we as a local church take special offerings to aid others in need throughout the world. Click on the web link below to see what UMCOR is doing in the world today.
