United Methodist Church of West Haven, CT.

First and Wesley United Methodist Church

Community Programs

We believe the church exists to be actively involved in the community. Outreach to us is a top priority. The writer of the Book of James in Holy Scripture says very clearly,"...faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." (James chapter two, verse 17)

Social Activities

Monthly Luncheons after church- a $5 donation ($2.50 for children ages 5-10) buys you a hot lunch and great fellowship. No one is ever turned away if they cannot pay the suggested donation price.

Outreach Projects

WALK AGAINST HUNGER
We have participated in this event for many years and have
received several commendations both for the amount of money raised
and the number of participants. Please click on the title to see all the information about this Outreach.

ADOPT-A-SOCIAL WORKER

We are a Covenant Church with a D.C.F. (Department of Children and Families) worker as our adoptive social worker. Throughout the year we supply placement kits, special gifts, and small household furnishings to help families. This is part of the statewide Covenant To Care Program. In our current project of back to school packs for children, six fully packed bags were given to our "adopted" for use on her unit.

WHEAT

The " West Haven Emergency Assistance Taskforce" is 29 years old. All contributions are greatly appreciated. The following are in great need: peanut butter, cereal, pasta, canned meat, tuna fish, pork and beans, beef stew, hash, and spam. $10 provides 27 meals for a family of three. $15 can purchase 125lbs of food from the Connecticut Food Bank. (For which we raised $4,625 in the Walk Against Hunger.)

Please continue to bring in your groceries each week to donate to WHEAT. The food is dediëated at our altar every Sunday. In addition WHEAT needs to following as they plan to distribute 700 Thanksgiving Baskets: frozen turkeys, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, canned fruits and vegetables, cake or brownie mixes. CHRISTMAS TOYS are also sought: $l0-$15 gift certificates to Walmart, K-Mart, Target etc., Educational Games/Craft Kits, Nerf Balls, Bratz or Myscene Dolls, Playing Cards, Diaries or journals. Our Church is represented by Marge Ambrose and Virginia Severance. Our pastor also serves but as a community member on the WHEAT Board.. WHEAT has served 1,618 families this year compared to 932 last year. This comes to 49,941 meals to 2,451 people.

BREAD AND PASTRIES DELIVERIES

With and arrangement from a local "Trader Joe's" we pick up bread and pastries every day and deliver it to local food banks, shelters and senior centers. As of November ₅th, it is 4 years, eight months of daily delivery of bread, some sweets and a few extras donated by Trader Joe’s and distributed to churches, soup kitchens, senior centers in the area.

We have raised $140 for the UMCOR special project to help the children in Liberia as we continue to pray for peace in that country.

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS MARKET

We raised a total of $2,162 last year. Click on the above to see all the information.

ACTION

Area Congregations Together In Outreach Networking. This is a sub-committee of WHEAT. It plans the annual Thanksgiving dinner for the community. ACTION provides monthly support for HOPE (see below). ACTION has given money to Bridges For Mental Health Services provided for West Haven Residents and has given $100 for the purchase of story books written in Spanish and English for families at WHEAT waiting for medical assistance on Mondays, and books for the public library.

HOPE

Helping Other People Everyday meets weekly at First Lutheran now on Thursday nights 6:15 to 7:15. A simple hot meal is served, a few groceries given out and clothing as needed. HOPE need disposable razors and small trial sized shaving creams, and deodorant. HOPE could use food in cans that can be opened without can openers and does not need cooking. Also food that be easily cooked and served. Items such as: small boxes of cereal and raisins, snacks like peanut butter crackers, flip top tuna, small fruit cocktail flip cans, and juice boxes. Some of the guests that come to HOPE are homeless.

HILL HEALTH CENTER

In October we were able to give support in the following ways: We turned in $40 in checks plus a box full of dental supplies to the Hill Health Center. The money will be used to help with the costs of dental care for poor families and the supplies were given to the Katherine Brennan School-Based Dental Clinic.

EYE SEE LIONS CLUB COLLECTION

We turned in 17 pairs of eye glasses of a total of 82 collected by Jeanette from various sources. The glasses will be hand delivered to people in developing countries such as Mexico, Bolivia, Laos, Thailand in order to provide improved vision for many. Many children will be able to see a blackboard in class because of their improved eyesight. Thank you for making this collection a success.

COOK AND CARE WALK-A-THON

Cook and Care Walk-a-thon was held in October. Rev. Art and Ann, with contributions from you and them, raised $155 for Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Community Soup Kitchen and Fish- four organizations seeing to caring for the needs of others, especially food.

HELP FOR FORMER CHILD-SOLDIERS AND

AFRICAN WAR VICTIMS

Those in church on October 22, 2006 were blessed by the presence of China Keitetsi who was in this country as part of a University of Connecticut program focusing on the plight of woman and children in the world. China was abducted by a rebel army in Uganda at the age of 8 (1984). She was subsequently forced to fight as a child soldier. From age 8 to 17 she experienced to harsh realities of a child forced to fight. At age 17 she rejected the sexual advances pf a senior officer and was falsely accused of selling weapons to the enemy. China fled for her life, finally ending up in Denmark which she now considers to be her “mother and father.” As China shared with us, her faith in God has remained strong. She has written a book entitled “Child Soldier: Fighting For My Life.” A movie about her life is in the works. She has started a foundation to help other children: “Help for former Child-Soldiers and African War Victims.” This congregation, with a free will offering raised $900 which will provide a years education for three children to help with their reintegration into normal life in Kigali Rwanda.