New Albany Food Pantry
Our grocery cart ministry provides foods for the 200+ families served by the New Albany Food Pantry. With the pandemic, the numbers have increased. If you know of anyone who could benefit from this service, please click “learn more” on how they can be helped. Donations can be dropped off by the glass doors on a daily basis.
Our challenge: Buy a meal for a “pantry family” as you shop for your family. On your way home, leave it in the cart.
Little Bottoms Free Store
Little Bottoms is a free store located on West Park in Franklinton, founded and organized by Central City UMC Church in Grandview. Babies in this zip code have a high rate of mortality in their first year.. Through physical help and emotional support of the parents, the hope is to help these children to reach their first birthday. We partner with them by providing diapers, wipes and other items for infants. After co-vid, we hope to return to be present at the store to offer emotional support as well. We celebrated this ministry at our first annual “Happy Birthday, Jesus” drive through party in December, 2020. Donations accepted year round. Sally Belshaw leads this ministry.
Kindway/Embark Prison/Reentry Programs
Embark (Marion – Men- Correction Institute) and Kindway Prison Ministries (Women’s correctional institute in Marysville, OH). The UMC puts them all under one heading called
“All In The Community”.
Candidates are carefully assessed for their readiness to participate in EMBARK (men) and Kindway (women).
Both MCI and WCI accept offenders that will be eligible for release or have a parole board hearing within 12-15 months of entry in the program. They train volunteers from the community to deliver programs and services.
The program launched at Marion Correctional Institution (MCI) and the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) in June, 2011. In preparation for release, participants are required to complete a comprehensive series of courses designed to provide them with the foundation and framework to sustain independence.
We became involved with these ministries just before the shut down of Covid.
Contacts: Rev. Mike Pratt, and Pastor Jean for Kindway.
Currently, NAUMC’s involvement has been in helping parolees entering the community with NEW HOME items. We purchase new or some gently used items for their new place
Kairos Prison Ministry International
Kairos is a ministry that participates by bringing love inside using a 3 1/2 day spiritual weekend and helping to organize Bible study groups led by the incarcerated.
Our church has participated through the leadership of Kim Doran, who participates in these long weekend retreats. Congregation has prayed as well as baked cookies for the incarcerated and the team members.
Faith Mission
Faith Mission Meals helps the homeless at the faith mission shelter in downtown columbus. We prepare a hearty meal and provide cookies and brownies for dessert every 1st Sunday of the Month. There are 3 ways to serve at this time: 1. Donate money to our mission budget,2. bake cookies and brownies and deliver them to the church by noon on that Sunday and 3. When our co-vid restrictions lift, you can volunteer to be on the cooking and serving teams. This ministry is co- led by Bob and Sue Dye and Terri Myser.
During the months of November and December, we help prepare the men and women for winter by collecting new or nearly new hooded sweatshirts, coats, jeans, warm socks and underwear, leggings (for the women), and warm hats and gloves.
Open Shelter
Open Shelter is a homeless ministry that helps the men and women who want to be more independent, living outdoors in their own communities. They come to the shelter primarily for food, clothing, showers, and some medical care.
We pack lunches which are delivered the second Wednesday of the month. Before Covid, the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches had been prepared and packed with other lunch items in bags by volunteers. Our Current situation has created a need for volunteers to prepare sandwiches at home and deliver the sandwiches to the church to be packed by a smaller team.
Karen Dennis leads this ministry.
Heifer International
Heifer International helps families around the world inbreaking the cycle of hunger and poverty through gifts of clean water, stoves, farm animals, seeds to plant, and education in the use and care of these gifts. Christmas 2020 sent over $2200 to be used for 2 clean water kiosks, a sheep and a goat, a flock of chickens and a farming basket for growing food.
Our goal for 2021 is $3300.
GIFT OF WATER FOR LIFE
Regina Mambwe used to travel on foot every morning to draw
water from a stream in Zambia that was so dirty, it often made her family sick. Today, she and her family have a water kiosk next to their house. Now that they don’t have to hunt for water, her children have more time for school and no longer have to worry about water-borne diseases. Give the gift of clean water for life
to change more lives like Regina’s.
1 WATER FOR LIFE Kiosk costs $750.
How many can we build????
Make your donation checks payable to NAUMC,
with memo: “water for life”
OR…
go online to http://www.heifer.org
and donate a pig, a cow, sheep, chickens or another
agricultural need to a family.
Christmas Ministries
Jackson Area Ministry, (JAM) provides resources to individuals who live in Appalachian counties of southeast Ohio.
We provide 40 Christmas meals at Christmas so that they too can celebrate Christ in a special way. Your donations make this possible.
Side-by-Side Ministry serves Westerville families who are in need of resources. We sponsor children with Christmas gifts, and help fill food boxes to enjoy during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Stay Connected
Stay connected with New Albany Church Missions online.