Missions
Monte Sano UMC is committed to serving others. We have numerous mission partners. And several mission events each year. We have opportunities to serve for all ages and all talents. If you would like more information or to serve on the mission committee, please contact Karren Crowson: karren.crowson@gmail.com or (cell) 256-684-2638 (or should we say please contact the church office 256-533-6083). Depending on the mission budget, we donate money to 305 8th Street, New Futures and First Stop.
Mission Partners
First Stop
About: First Stop’s mission is to encounter the homeless where they are, connect them to critical services and support, and empower them toward independent sustainable living. First Stop exists not to just serve the homeless and make them more comfortable, but to help them out of homelessness. Case Managers work one-on-one with homeless clients to identify obstacles, set goals, and partner with other agencies and community organizations to create a realistic plan for meaningful change. Case Managers help homeless clients to:Secure Valid IDs Complete & Submit Job Applications
Address City Fines & Legal Obligations Acquire Suitable Clothes for a Job Interview
Seek Psychiatric or Mental Health Evaluations Secure Transportation to Interviews & Appointments
Accessing Necessary Prescription Medications Apply for Available Housing Programs
Establish a Valid Mailing Address Receive Ongoing Guidance & Mentoring
How we help: We collect needed items throughout the year. There is a list of the urgent need items in the weekly bulletin and on First Stop’s website: https://firststop.org/. First Stop does not accept clothing. A collection bin is in the short hallway going into the fellowship hall from the backdoor. A member of the mission committee delivers the items to First Stop.
8th Street Community (formerly 305 8th Street)
About: 8th Street Community’s mission is to cultivate a family of diverse disabled adults who are ineligible of receiving state assistance and provide them a home and opportunities that enable them to grow in their community. As a faith-based, non-profit, Eighth Street Community provides services for adults with disabilities ranging from autism, cerebral palsy, brain injury, hearing impairment, cognitive disabilities, and visual impairment.
How we help: Volunteers from our church sign up to provide lunch on the third Thursday of each month. We also help with holiday meals and their annual Christmas in July party at Monte Sano Pool. Additionally, we collect needed items listed on their needs list which can be found in our church bulletin and on their website: https://www.3058thstreet.org/. A collection bin is in the short hallway going into the fellowship hall from the backdoor. Copies of the needs list are also available on the bin.
Food Pantry:
About: Holmes Street United Methodist Church Food Pantry is associated with Foodline of Madison County. Foodline, (sponsored by Interfaith Mission Service) refers those making a request for food to a nearby pantry to receive grocery bags filled with foods to help them in a time of emergency need.
How we help: There is a list of needed items in the weekly bulletin. A collection bin is in the short hallway going into the fellowship hall from the backdoor. A member of the mission committee delivers the food to Holmes Street UMC.
New Futures
About: New Futures provides housing for homeless families that cannot use local emergency shelters because of their composition. Other local shelters do not allow intact families with minor children under age 18, single fathers with minor children or single mothers with sons over age 12.
How we help: Their needs list includes household items, items for children, and office supplies. The needs list can be found on the New Futures’ collection bin and on their website: https://newfuturesinc.com/how-you-can-help/. A collection bin is in the short hallway going into the fellowship hall from the backdoor. Occasionally there are opportunities to donate used furniture to families moving out of New Futures into permanent housing. When these needs arise, New Futures contacts our mission committee. We publicize the needs and arrange for pick up and delivery of large items.
Mission Events
HEALS Clinics (Health Establishments at Local Schools)
About: HEALS’ mission is to deliver accessible, quality, school-based, primary health care for eligible economically disadvantaged children through collaborative efforts with the school system and the medical, dental, and optometry communities. Not only does HEALS provide children with a free and caring medical home, they give away a brand-new pair of athletic shoes to every child that visits the clinics for their yearly well-child checkup. More information can be found on their website: http://www.healsinc.org/
How we help: Once a year the mission committee collects new athletic shoes in all sizes for the HEALS clinics
Sobier, Haiti
About: A mission team from Monte Sano UMC started a sewing project in Sobier, Haiti in 2018. We continue to fund this project annually. Sobier is a remote impoverished village of approximately 5000 people located three hours west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Monte Sano UMC began its mission journey with Sobier, Haiti in 2013 by doing an assessment. The objective of the assessment was to listen to the villagers to determine their wants and needs with the aim of identifying projects for sustainable development. Teams from Monte Sano UMC continued to travel to Sobier annually through 2019. Services provided by the MSUMC mission teams to Sobier in addition to the sewing project include a goat project, wound clinics, Zika training, in-depth first aid class for five residents, installation of solar lights, UMCOR birthing kits for the midwife, a mobile dental clinic and helping to build a multipurpose building that serves as a church and a community center.
How we help: Each year, we send $3500 to the Haitian Methodist Church. They release funds quarterly for the sewing teacher’s salary, the purchase of sewing supplies and travel expenses for our project manager. By supporting the mission committees booth at Simply Christmas, you are supporting the Haitian sewing fund. You can also make a donation to the Haitian sewing project by writing a check to MSUMC with Haitian sewing project on the for line.
10.000 Meals Packing Event
About: Rise Against Hunger is an international hunger relief organization serving alongside in-country partners outside of the U.S.
How we help: Each Fall, we do a 10.000 Meals Packing Event in conjunction with Rise Against Hunger. On a Sunday morning, 50 volunteers from our church and community pack 10,000 meals in two hours from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. The cost of each meal is less than 50 cents. During August and September, the Mission Committee raises the money needed to feed 10,000 people. Rise Against Hunger provides the ingredients and equipment for us to put together these meals in an assembly line process. The meal packages are shipped around the world to support school feeding programs and crisis relief. More information on Rise Against Hunger can be found on their website: https://www.riseagainsthunger.org/
Santa for Seniors
About: Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) connects seniors and disabled people, their families, and caregivers with resources to ensure healthy, vibrant living.
How we help: Our congregation can make Christmas a lot merrier for low-income senior citizens in our area. Starting the last week in October, you can select a gift wish card off the Christmas tree in the narthex and sign it out on the large poster board by the tree. TARCOG supplies this information for clients in the Medicaid program that have the lowest incomes, the least family in their lives, and some of the most basic home and personal needs. Gifts are returned to the church on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Gifts are delivered to TARCOG on Monday by members of the mission committee. More information on TARCOG can be found on their website: https://tarcog.us/
Monte Sano UMC is committed to serving others. We have numerous mission partners. And several mission events each year. We have opportunities to serve for all ages and all talents. If you would like more information or to serve on the mission committee, please contact Karren Crowson: karren.crowson@gmail.com or (cell) 256-684-2638 (or should we say please contact the church office 256-533-6083). Depending on the mission budget, we donate money to 305 8th Street, New Futures and First Stop.
Mission Partners
First Stop
About: First Stop’s mission is to encounter the homeless where they are, connect them to critical services and support, and empower them toward independent sustainable living. First Stop exists not to just serve the homeless and make them more comfortable, but to help them out of homelessness. Case Managers work one-on-one with homeless clients to identify obstacles, set goals, and partner with other agencies and community organizations to create a realistic plan for meaningful change. Case Managers help homeless clients to:Secure Valid IDs Complete & Submit Job Applications
Address City Fines & Legal Obligations Acquire Suitable Clothes for a Job Interview
Seek Psychiatric or Mental Health Evaluations Secure Transportation to Interviews & Appointments
Accessing Necessary Prescription Medications Apply for Available Housing Programs
Establish a Valid Mailing Address Receive Ongoing Guidance & Mentoring
How we help: We collect needed items throughout the year. There is a list of the urgent need items in the weekly bulletin and on First Stop’s website: https://firststop.org/. First Stop does not accept clothing. A collection bin is in the short hallway going into the fellowship hall from the backdoor. A member of the mission committee delivers the items to First Stop.
8th Street Community (formerly 305 8th Street)
About: 8th Street Community’s mission is to cultivate a family of diverse disabled adults who are ineligible of receiving state assistance and provide them a home and opportunities that enable them to grow in their community. As a faith-based, non-profit, Eighth Street Community provides services for adults with disabilities ranging from autism, cerebral palsy, brain injury, hearing impairment, cognitive disabilities, and visual impairment.
How we help: Volunteers from our church sign up to provide lunch on the third Thursday of each month. We also help with holiday meals and their annual Christmas in July party at Monte Sano Pool. Additionally, we collect needed items listed on their needs list which can be found in our church bulletin and on their website: https://www.3058thstreet.org/. A collection bin is in the short hallway going into the fellowship hall from the backdoor. Copies of the needs list are also available on the bin.
Food Pantry:
About: Holmes Street United Methodist Church Food Pantry is associated with Foodline of Madison County. Foodline, (sponsored by Interfaith Mission Service) refers those making a request for food to a nearby pantry to receive grocery bags filled with foods to help them in a time of emergency need.
How we help: There is a list of needed items in the weekly bulletin. A collection bin is in the short hallway going into the fellowship hall from the backdoor. A member of the mission committee delivers the food to Holmes Street UMC.
New Futures
About: New Futures provides housing for homeless families that cannot use local emergency shelters because of their composition. Other local shelters do not allow intact families with minor children under age 18, single fathers with minor children or single mothers with sons over age 12.
How we help: Their needs list includes household items, items for children, and office supplies. The needs list can be found on the New Futures’ collection bin and on their website: https://newfuturesinc.com/how-you-can-help/. A collection bin is in the short hallway going into the fellowship hall from the backdoor. Occasionally there are opportunities to donate used furniture to families moving out of New Futures into permanent housing. When these needs arise, New Futures contacts our mission committee. We publicize the needs and arrange for pick up and delivery of large items.
Mission Events
HEALS Clinics (Health Establishments at Local Schools)
About: HEALS’ mission is to deliver accessible, quality, school-based, primary health care for eligible economically disadvantaged children through collaborative efforts with the school system and the medical, dental, and optometry communities. Not only does HEALS provide children with a free and caring medical home, they give away a brand-new pair of athletic shoes to every child that visits the clinics for their yearly well-child checkup. More information can be found on their website: http://www.healsinc.org/
How we help: Once a year the mission committee collects new athletic shoes in all sizes for the HEALS clinics
Sobier, Haiti
About: A mission team from Monte Sano UMC started a sewing project in Sobier, Haiti in 2018. We continue to fund this project annually. Sobier is a remote impoverished village of approximately 5000 people located three hours west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Monte Sano UMC began its mission journey with Sobier, Haiti in 2013 by doing an assessment. The objective of the assessment was to listen to the villagers to determine their wants and needs with the aim of identifying projects for sustainable development. Teams from Monte Sano UMC continued to travel to Sobier annually through 2019. Services provided by the MSUMC mission teams to Sobier in addition to the sewing project include a goat project, wound clinics, Zika training, in-depth first aid class for five residents, installation of solar lights, UMCOR birthing kits for the midwife, a mobile dental clinic and helping to build a multipurpose building that serves as a church and a community center.
How we help: Each year, we send $3500 to the Haitian Methodist Church. They release funds quarterly for the sewing teacher’s salary, the purchase of sewing supplies and travel expenses for our project manager. By supporting the mission committees booth at Simply Christmas, you are supporting the Haitian sewing fund. You can also make a donation to the Haitian sewing project by writing a check to MSUMC with Haitian sewing project on the for line.
10.000 Meals Packing Event
About: Rise Against Hunger is an international hunger relief organization serving alongside in-country partners outside of the U.S.
How we help: Each Fall, we do a 10.000 Meals Packing Event in conjunction with Rise Against Hunger. On a Sunday morning, 50 volunteers from our church and community pack 10,000 meals in two hours from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. The cost of each meal is less than 50 cents. During August and September, the Mission Committee raises the money needed to feed 10,000 people. Rise Against Hunger provides the ingredients and equipment for us to put together these meals in an assembly line process. The meal packages are shipped around the world to support school feeding programs and crisis relief. More information on Rise Against Hunger can be found on their website: https://www.riseagainsthunger.org/
Santa for Seniors
About: Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) connects seniors and disabled people, their families, and caregivers with resources to ensure healthy, vibrant living.
How we help: Our congregation can make Christmas a lot merrier for low-income senior citizens in our area. Starting the last week in October, you can select a gift wish card off the Christmas tree in the narthex and sign it out on the large poster board by the tree. TARCOG supplies this information for clients in the Medicaid program that have the lowest incomes, the least family in their lives, and some of the most basic home and personal needs. Gifts are returned to the church on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Gifts are delivered to TARCOG on Monday by members of the mission committee. More information on TARCOG can be found on their website: https://tarcog.us/