The Soup Kitchen is located on the first floor of the Mission House at Emmanuel Lutheran.  There they serve two to three noon meals per week.  On average this kitchen in Rockford's Midtown feeds 1,500 people every month.  CUMC is one of 20 churches that is involved in serving meals there.  Our volunteers serve  the second Sunday of each month.   On top of that, twice a year a big group of volunteers from our Master's Center volunteers.  

There are an estimated 8,000 Rockford area children  living at or below the poverty level.  Many of them go to school without clean clothes, without necessary school supplies and many more unfortunate realities.  it's why we are involved with several outreach programs that serve students throughout the year. Project Undershare is an organization that works with several area facilities to make sure school children have new undergarments.  This collection of new undergarments and financial gifts happens in the spring annually at our worship centers.  During the summer months, we have a School Supply Drive to fill the backpacks of local schoolchildren before they head back to class.  We make sure they have essential supplies.  We provide those donations to the children participating in the Centennial  Kids Club with RPS 205.  Then In the fall, we hold a Homeless Children Clothing Drive to collect jeans and winter coats for kids before winter fully arrives.  These gently used and new clothing items are for the Children's Clothes Closet in our Alpine Center, which volunteers are always needed to help with sorting and delivery of the items.  

If you have a green thumb, then you are definitely needed at Our Master's Center community garden.  It began in 1974 and has since grown to a garden on more than an acre of  land.  There are more than 50 plots that are leased at a discounted rate for members of the local community.  The garden as a whole participates in Illinois Plant a Row for the Hungry program.  The goal is to have gardeners intentionally plant extra food to send to their local food banks.  The produce surplus is donated to the United Methodist Men's Meals for Millions program. 

2018 CROP Hunger Walk

Sunday, October 21, 2018

The CROP Hunger Walk raises money for local food pantries and worldwide hunger relief.  Christ UMC encourages its members to participate in the 4-mile walking event and also to help with fundraisers for food and cash pledges during this annual October event.  If you'd like to receive materials to recruit walkers and solicit sponsors, please email Ken Walker at klwpawkaw@aol.com.

The goal of MELD is to support young moms and dads and their children with basic necessities.  CUMC hosts a baby shower every year to promote awareness of MELD and to collect new and used baby items.  A representative from the organization will come speak to the congregation three weeks before Mother's Day to talk about how you can help. Our church volunteers organize a baby show in May between services at our Alpine Center to collect baby supplies and monetary donations.  

What a sight to see in our Alpine Center every Thanksgiving.  This is one of our largest fundraisers at the church every year.  It started in 1984 and now serves more than 110 families every year.  It is an operation that includes renting a truck the Sunday before Thanksgiving to drive to nearby Gray's IGA, owned by CUMC worshipers Cliff and Joan Gray, where the non-perishable items have been collected by Gray's employees the few months prior to being loaded onto the truck.  Volunteers meet at the church to unload the truck and move them into the Fellowship Hall at the Alpine Center.  It is a very rewarding ministry to be a part of with your family during the holidays.   We also rely heavily on donations from the congregations to supply the money to buy the food items for these baskets.

Our Christmas Angel Project provides gifts to more than 300 children, seniors and others in our community.  As you can imagine, this is quite an undertaking.  We can use volunteers in so many ways.  You can pick up an angel card at Sunday services starting around Thanksgiving and go shopping for your angel.  All gifts should be returned with the angel tag attached by the appropriate mid-December date that will be listed in the church bulletin every year.  If you'd rather donate wrapping paper, ribbon, tape or big holiday bags for the presents, those are always helpful.   There is a hands on activity for families once all the gifts are returned.  This is a great opportunity to socialize with fellow church families and share the holiday spirit.  Bring your scissors and smiles on the date listed on the church calendar for wrapping these gifts.  Monetary donations are always appreciated.  Send checks to CUMC with "Angel Project" designated on them to help our volunteers fill the wishes of our angels in need.