Local Summer Service Projects

 Got vacation days to burn? Take a Friday off and help the community.  The H.O.M.E. Team is organizing several local outreach opportunities. These are local service projects, not far-away missions.

Become a "First Responder"  by rolling up your sleeves and getting busy for a good cause.  Five summer Fridays were chosen to help some local organizations by providing a work crew for a day.  It is a chance to work together with some FUMC friends while giving someone else a helping hand.  If you would like to volunteer for one or more of these opportunities, please contact the church office.  Kids 3rd grade and older are welcome to help with adult supervision.  No special skills needed – just a heart for missions and a cheerful smile. If you have questions, contact Dee Behr (dndbehr@juno.com, 269-2135).  Here are the projects:

Friday - JUNE 12th  - Riverview Conference Center (Cedar Falls Bible Conference Grounds)

Our crew spend the day at Riverview Conference Center helping to get the facilities and grounds ready for the summer season of concerts, conferences and retreats.  One group cleaned several of the cabins that are available for rent and another group assisted in the task of raising one of the cabins off its foundation to facilitate insulating the floor and other updates. 

It was a beautiful day to spend on the grounds.  Riverview is a serene hideaway in the midst of town.  Be sure to check their website at www.RiverviewConferenceCenter.com for their schedule of events.

FIRST AID Friday - JUNE 19th  - Northeast Iowa Food Bank

Our crew worked a full shift at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.  We participated in stocking the shelves, sorting merchandise and grocery distribution.  Our foodbank serves 11 counties and depends upon donations of products and volunteer hours to be able to keep people fed.  

FIRST AID Friday - July 10 - Promoting Vacation Bible School & Storm Clean Up

The original plan for July 10 was to distribute door hangers to local homes with information on our Camp EDGE Vacation Bible School, but an early morning storm required a shift in focus.  We still got the VBS info out, but able bodied volunteers shifted attention to storm clean up.  

The storm hit in the early morning hours and left much of the city without electricity and scarcely a block without a tree down.  Many roads were blocked by debris, trees and power poles.  Damage at the church was limited to a few shingles, a smashed light fixture, and a couple of big trees.  While damage to our property was reletively minor, it was still a big mess.  One of our big, fully mature trees on 8th Street snapped in the wind, filling the street and Pastor Chad's front yard.  Another tree fell into our parking lot across from Lincoln School.  The damage was city-wide and extensive enough that it will take weeks to complete the clean up.

FIRST AID Friday - July 17 - Painting at First Kids

Join the Seekers Sunday School Class in painting one classroom and a hallway for the First Kids Preschool.
We will begin at 8:00 am, and meet in the preschool hall in the lower floor of the church.
All are invited – no experience needed.  Bring paint brushes or rollers if you can, or just show up ready to improve our facility.
 
Contact the church office at 266-1713, or contact Karl Dance at 266-8419.

FIRST AID Friday - July 24 - House of Hope & Salvation Army

We have two projects on this Friday.  First, House of Hope is in need of a crew to do some light maintenence in their facilities.  House of Hope is a residential facility in Waterloo which provides single moms with a secure place to live as they make a fresh start on life.  Work may include cleaning, painting and small fix-it jobs.

The Salvation Army is in need of a small crew to paint a nurses' station in the medical clinic area of their facility.  It is not a big job, but a necessary one.