HOW WE SERVE
OUR COMMUNITY
ALDERSGATE FOOD PANTRY
The food pantry at Aldersgate United Methodist Church plays a vital role in supporting households facing food insecurity by offering quality food items. This program is instrumental in supplying critical nutrition to individuals and families who are struggling with hunger. By providing food to meet basic nutritional needs, we aim to make a positive impact on the well-being of our community members in need. Learn more
Service Opportunities
The Food Pantry needs volunteers on Tuesdays 9:30AM - 12:00 Noon
Jobs include making bags, checking in clients, and helping clients to car with bags as needed.
We sometimes need help unloading food orders and stocking shelves, and other special projects on other days.
Food donations of canned vegetables, pasta/pasta sauce, canned fruit, canned meats, peanut butter and jelly, soup and crackers, rice and instant potatoes, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, dried beans, breakfast items, paper products, toiletries, and cleaning products are needed.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Food Pantry, please contact Marcia Wheat @ morewheat@aol.com
For those wanting to donate
Donations for the food pantry are accepted throughout the year. Place items in the designated bins throughout the church, or drop off at church during office hours.
Monetary donations may be made to Aldersgate UMC, put “Food Pantry” in notation line.
COMMUNITIES OF TRANSFORMATION
Communities of Transformation (COT) is a new way for Montgomery churches to work together. COT partners limited-income families with community volunteers (allies) and provides these families with the tools they need to move out of poverty. Topics such as finances, healthy relationships, physical and spiritual well-being are covered. Intentional and unlikely relationships develop, bridging the socioeconomic, cultural, and racial gaps that often divide us. COT offers a safe and nurturing atmosphere filled with hope. Participants develop goals leading them on a pathway to better situations. Participants are not the only ones that experience transformation. The volunteers will also change as they and these families tackle issues together. New relationships develop, along with deeper understandings of the challenges these local families face. Learn more…
For more information contact our Montgomery Site Coordinator, George Ishman, 334-220-6406, gishman@communitiesoftransformation.org
Service Opportunities
Matched volunteers attend weekly meetings and collectively create the supportive and nurturing atmosphere that is a key component of COT’s program. They also work with participants in small groups to set and achieve self-identified goals. Every Matched Volunteer completes training so that they are comfortable with their role, understand their responsibilities, and are effective in their efforts.
Meal volunteers pick up the meal each Tuesday at 3:30PM from Resurrection Catholic Church and deliver it to the weekly meeting. Thanks to a partnership with the Beacon Center, COT receives free meals for all attendees, but delivery is not included! Ideally, a volunteer would sign up to deliver meals for one month (4-5 times). The shared meal is a critical part of this relational ministry!
Children volunteers help with childcare during the Tuesday evening meetings.
Contact Jennifer Lancaster – phone: (334) 590-5005; email: j.b.lancaster@hotmail.com
UMCOR
As the humanitarian relief and development arm of The United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Committee on Relief – UMCOR – assists United Methodists and churches to become involved globally in direct ministry to persons in need. UMCOR comes alongside those who suffer from natural or human-caused disasters – famine, hurricane, war, flood, fire or other events—to alleviate suffering and serve as a source of help and hope for the vulnerable. UMCOR provides relief, response and long-term recovery grants when events overwhelm a community’s ability to recover on their own. UMCOR also provides technical support and training for partners to address emerging and ongoing issues related to disaster relief, recovery, and long-term health and development. Learn more…
EMBRACE ALABAMA KIDS
Mary Ellen’s Hearth, now part of Embrace Alabama Kids, a Methodist Ministry, is a mission helping women and children regain independence.
Through this program, we help families obtain stability through housing, education and one-on-one care. Our ultimate goal is to help them transition to an independent and safe environment where both mothers and their children are able to live out successful, purpose-filled lives. In addition to providing women with resources that empower them to move past the adversity they face, we also help them heal by surrounding them with God’s love. Each resident has a case worker that mentors them through the program, and various individuals and groups provide opportunities for them to encounter God through worship and Bible study. Learn more…
Service Opportunities
Volunteers are needed to answer the telephone, man the desk, entertain the children when mothers are in training sessions, and provide clerical help.
Monetary donations are appreciated.
Collect and deliver supplies including:
Dryer Sheets
Dishwasher Soap
Towels and Wash Cloths for the kitchen
Freezer and Storage Bags
Batteries: Sizes: 2A, 3A, & C
Garbage Bags
Masks and Hand Sanitizer
Paper Towels
Cleaning Supplies / Disinfectant Spray
Lysol/Clorox Wipes
Toilet Paper
Vaseline
Laundry Detergent (especially the small size – that is for 6 loads)
Unfortunately, they are not able to accept donations of clothes or shoes any longer.
Contact Patsy Eiland - phone (334) 398-0174; email: pce047@gmail.com
MEDICAL OUTREACH MINISTRIES
Medical Outreach Ministries ministers to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the medically underserved in our area by providing free healthcare and a “medical home” to adults. Since 1993, Medical Outreach Ministries (M.O.M.) has provided over $30 million worth of medical care to our neighbors in need. M.O.M. serves the many uninsured persons in our community who fall through the cracks of the healthcare system. Their only access to a physician for even the most common illnesses is often through the local emergency departments. Through financial and volunteer contributions, Medical Outreach Ministries is able to improve access to medical care for these needy members of our community.
Services include medical visits by appointment, on-line tele-doc appointments, and filling of prescriptions. Learn more…
Service Opportunities
Volunteers are needed to perform clerical functions, sort, and bag medications, and help in other ways at the clinic. Social distancing is practiced.
Medication donations are accepted if the medicine has not expired, and the seal has not been broken. Gifts of medical or office supplies, computer support and other services are appreciated.
Contact Patsy Eiland - phone (334) 398-0174; email: pce047@gmail.com
REALITY & TRUTH
Reality and Truth seeks to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those in need, especially the homeless, in our community by providing daily supper, Bible study, toiletry items, new underwear, and gently used clothing. Meals are made and served by local churches, civic organizations, and businesses. A prison ministry provides Bible study for incarcerated women at Tutwiler Prison. Transition services are provided for women leaving prison. Learn more…
Service Opportunities
Aldersgate UMC provides supper on the second Friday of each month at 108 Camden Street. This is an excellent group project, but individuals can serve, as well. Volunteers are needed to purchase, prepare, deliver, and serve the meal. A devotional with prayer for the meal is always welcomed. Meals are prepared in the CAC kitchen and transported to site in take out containers. Water bottles should also be provided. This is an excellent Sunday School class or small group project. Make 50 boxes. Boxes, cutlery, and napkins are provided. Patsy Eiland will have these available in the CAC kitchen for the team. It only requires 2 to 3 individuals to hand out meals, but more can certainly go and interact with the participants.
Volunteers are also needed to help collect items and package toiletry kits in a gallon size
plastic bag. Include such items as: Soap, washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, razors,
hand lotion, small bottle of shampoo, and a writing pen and pad. A non-perishable
snack item can be included (place in a small, sealed plastic bag).Collect and deliver new men‘s or women’s underwear and socks or gently worn shoes.
Collect and deliver paper towels, gallon storage bags, trash bags, disinfectant spray,
hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies.
NOTE: Clothing and household items cannot be accepted at this time.
Contact Patsy Eiland – phone: (334) 398-0174; email: pce047@gmail.com
MEALS ON WHEELS
Meals on Wheels is an outreach service of the Montgomery Area Council on Aging. It is MACOA's flagship program. Every Monday through Friday, MACOA volunteers deliver hot nutritious noon meals to over 400 homebound seniors who are unable to prepare their own meals. This vital program is a source of much-needed nutrition, provides welcome, daily contact with senior clients, and serves to regularly check recipients' welfare. For seniors who are unable to prepare meals, the program is a blessing, and it gives a sense of security because of its regular personal contact.
The MACOA Frozen Meals Program was established to provide tri-county seniors a well-balanced, nutritious meal. It was developed to serve those who are not able to participate in our hot Meals on Wheels program, due to an extensive waiting list. However, many use it as a temporary service following surgery, illness, or other extenuating circumstances. Over 1,600 seniors receive needed nourishment through our frozen food programs in Montgomery, Autauga, and Elmore counties.
The Frozen Meals program calls on our local area sponsors like churches, restaurants, businesses, individuals to provide these meals. Learn more…
Service Opportunities
Aldersgate UMC delivers meals Monday through Friday in the Dalraida area. Drivers commit to one day per month. Back-up drivers are also needed.
Volunteers pick up at MACOA at 10:30AM and deliver to about 10 homes.
Aldersgate also provides frozen meals prepared from extras at Wednesday night suppers to other meals at the church.
Contact Jimmy Dennis – phone: (334) 462-6743; email: dennisfamily@charter.net
Every fall Samaritan’s Purse collects shoe boxes full of toys, school supplies and other goodies to distribute with Gospel messages to children around the world. Learn more…
Service Opportunities
Fill a shoe box, or several with toys, small books, school supplies, socks, tee shirt, brush, comb, toothbrush, flashlight, and bracelets or other accessories.
Volunteers are also needed to organize and publicize collection of the boxes and to deliver the boxes to a central pick-up point on collection Sunday.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
Contact Judy Powell – phone: (334) 313-3467; email: judyspowell@gmail.com
THE UPPER ROOM
The Upper Room is a daily devotional magazine published in more than 30 languages and 100 countries around the world. The daily meditations are written by readers of the magazine and others interested in sharing their faith experiences through writing—both laity and clergy, published authors and new writers. The meditations are stories of real people working to live faithfully with the Bible as their touchstone. Every day, readers of The Upper Room around the world read the same story in many different languages and pray the same prayer together. Some of our readers share comments on our website (upperroom.org/devotionals), and some writers share extra pieces of their writing on our blog (upperroom.org/devotionals/blog-posts). The daily devotional guide and the community it draws together invite people to:
listen to scripture as God’s personal message, linking their stories to God’s story;
commune with God in prayer;
see their daily choices and small acts of obedience as part of God’s work;
realize our connection through Christ as a universal family of believers;
encounter the living Christ and be transformed into Christ’s likeness.
We offer the daily devotional in a variety of formats, and we encourage you to learn more about our digital and print offerings HERE.