Share God’s Love: Serving the Community

Centenary Cares Card Ministry

The Centenary Cares Card Ministry provides an opportunity to support those who are ill, grieving, troubled or celebrating. On the first Sunday of each month, cards are sold so people can respond to the Joys and Concerns board, maintain post high school connections and send birthday cards to members of the Centenary family.

If interested, please contact Phyllis Oyama.

Christmas Toy Collection

New toys are collected for distribution by Pico Shalom Ministries in the Pico Union area of Los Angeles and by the Little Tokyo Service Center.

If interested, please contact Martha Nishinaka.

Downtown Women’s Center

Rainbow Circle supports the Downtown Women’s Center by collecting and donating travel sized toiletries to their program. The Center provides shower facilities for the homeless women living in the downtown area.

If interested, please contact Cynthia Lew.

Lunches for the Homeless

Once a month, 200 sack lunches for the nearby homeless are prepared before the worship service and then distributed to the homeless after service. Volunteers meet at 9:00 a.m. on the third Sunday of each month.

If interested, please contact Martha Nishinaka.

Mission Trips

In 2004, the mission trip theme reminded us to “Reflect Christ” beyond the doors of our church. Since 2001, members of our youth group have reflected Christ and served God as they labored and shared their sweat, time, talents and labor on week-long mission trips on an Apache reservation, along the Tijuana-California border and on the urban streets of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

If interested, please contact Rev. KarenFay Ramos-Young.

Nihongo Sushi Chef Training Program

Our unique Sushi Chef School is held once a year as a job training program. A Professional Sushi Chef conducts a 12 week course (one day a week) to teach basic sushi making skills. This enables participants to find work as chefs in sushi bars. Each class begins with a spiritual meditation and prayers for guidance.

If interested, please contact Mr. Matsushita.

Ninth Street School Notebook Project

Centenary provides notebooks and paper for the 500 students of Ninth Street School. Church members assemble the supplies collected under the coordination of the Little Tokyo Service Center from churches and temples in the area and present them to the students during a morning assembly.

If interested, please contact Martha Nishinaka.

Pet Therapy Group

The Pet Therapy Group is comprised of pet owners who enjoy taking their certified therapy pets out to visit others in the community. With their dogs, they visit homebound and hospitalized seniors and children throughout the local area and beyond. It is a wonderful and rewarding way to share God’s love. If you have a pet that would make a good therapy animal, we can help you become certified.

If interested, please contact Wendy Raksin.

Socks and Underwear Project

At Christmas, Centenary members donate new children’s underwear for needy families as part of the Little Tokyo Service Center’s Homeless Prevention Program and also to meet the needs of 9th Street School students. Adult socks are also collected for the homeless in local shelters.

If interested, please contact Rev. Mark Nakagawa.

Thanksgiving Brown Bag Project

The United Methodist Women coordinate the collection of food staples for distribution by the Little Tokyo Service Center at Thanksgiving to needy families in the area.

If interested, please contact Jane Rivera.

Turkey Lock-In

The Turkey Lock-In is an annual outreach program offered through the ministries with our youth. On the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving, the youth gather and stay over night to prepare at least 8 turkeys, 15 pumpkin pies, homemade mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies, stuffing, cranberries and more for senior shut-ins in the San Gabriel and Little Tokyo communities. Over 88 meals are made each year by the youth. Many church members help by donating ingredients. The meals are distributed by Koreisha, a nutritional program coordinated by the Little Tokyo Service Center.

If interested, please contact Michele Nagata.