In addition to our on-going ministries, Mathewson Street has several time-limited service projects.  At present, these include:

Volunteers in Mission to the Blueberry Fields of Maine—

Annually (August)
Washington County, Maine

Each year, we try to schedule a DownEast Maine Mission Trip for the middle of August.  August is blueberry season, so the team is in ministry with migrant workers and works on a home rehab project through the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program.

Please note that volunteer work for this mission does not mean that you have to travel to Maine.  During July and the first two weeks of August, we collect:

New Blankets
New Hand Towels
New Socks
New T-Shirts
Baby Gowns, Sleepers, Sweaters, and Diapers
Bibles (Spanish language!)

It costs $175 to sponsor a MSUMC mission team member.  Please consider making a cash donation.

Please contact the church office for more information: 401.331.8900
or
E-mail Rev. Carole Calhoun (cybergram2@earthlink.net)

Hygiene Products for the Urban Poor— In an effort to meet the frequent need for hygiene products among the urban poor, the Mathewson Street United Methodist Church chapter of United Methodist Women is collecting soap, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, nail clippers, and socks.  Please leave donations at the Church office (134 Mathewson Street).  For more information, please contact any member of the Church staff (401–331–8900).

The Relief Aid to Liberia Project of the Mathewson Street United Methodist Church was part of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches overall relief assistance to Liberia in response to the desperate needs of Liberians trapped in a devastating civil war. A forty-foot and a twenty-foot shipping container of donated items in the form of medical, health and rescue equipment, drugs, food, clothing, medical and academic reference books, and office and institutional furniture were distributed in Liberia. A third multi-ton container was sent in September of 2004. The beneficiaries of our relief efforts include:

JFK Medical Center, Sinkor
Redemption Hospital, New Kru Town
C.H. Rennie Hospital, Kakata
Liberian Humanitarian Journalist Network
Refugee Foundation and Resettlement
University of Liberia School of Pharmacy
Rural Disable Community
Phebe Hospital, Salala
Prince of Peace United Church of God in Christ
Group of 77
Stepchild Orphanage
New General Pentecostal
Central Matadi Clinic
Revival Temple Church
Disable Women
White Cross Movement of Liberia
Victory Temple Church
Teman Children Welfare
Internally displaced Camp (Robertsfield, Salala, Brewersville)

A three member delegation from Rhode Island went to Liberia to oversee the distribution work during December, 2003 and January, 2004. The delegation included Mr. George Tubman  of Mathewson Street United Methodist Church, Ms Monica Balla, and Rev. Mathew Kai, Vice Chairman of the RI State Council of Churches. Beneficiaries included hospitals and educational institutions, as well as needy Liberian households in the capital city of Monrovia and outlying rural communities.

Mathewson Street United Methodist Church launched its first relief effort in the early summer of 2003. The relief project became ecumenical and in August began working with the RI State Council of Churches, the Ministerial Alliance of Rhode Island, and volunteers from other denominations and institutions.  Its 2004 effort was spearheaded by  congregant George Tubman.

We are grateful to the following churches, institutions, companies and individuals for their prayers, good wishes, financial support, and donations of goods and services: Governor and Mrs. Donald Carcieri; Senator Jack Reed and his most capable staff; Rhode Island State Council of Churches, particularly Rev. John Holt and Rev. Mathew Kai who provided coordination and support of the first project; Mathewson Street Church, its pastor Rev. Jonathan Almond and its Lay Leader Dr. Lisa Harrington Carter, and congregant Gregg Carter for their varied and extensive efforts; the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany and the Rev. Karen Fraioli; St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Wickford, including Dr. Kathleen Carney-Godley and Tina Egan; Allen AME Church through Stephanie Jones-Pringle and the youth group; Church of St. Sebastian and Maggie Whitman; Miriam Hospital and Sandra Cheng and Bob Lavoie; Town of Lincoln through the Director of Rescue Services, Mr. John B. McCaughey; Universal Ambulance Service of RI; New England Surgical Center and Jay Mignacci; Pfizer Consumer Healthcare through Sharon Eggert; the President of Bryant University, Mr. Ronald Machtley, as well as many others  at Bryant—especially Peter Brisette and the student organization Bryant Helps; the Rotary Club of Each Greenwich; A-1 Restaurant Supply; Diamond Cleaners; Arthur and Kate Chute; Steve Haders of Accurate Focus, Anne Blais of Thundermist Health Center in Woonsocket; Fran of RI Community health Centers; Jack Parillo, Sam Terrell, Martha Logan, Yvette Tubman, an anonymous donor and all other supporters.

We also acknowledge with much appreciation the reception and cooperation we received in Liberia: in particular Mr. C. Gyude Bryant, Chairman of the National Transition Government of Liberia, who, on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia, expressed his thanks to the people of Rhode Island for the humanitarian gesture; cooperation of the various government agencies and functionaries we dealt with; needs assessment discussions with administrators of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Redemption Hospital, and the C.H. Rennie Hospital, Group of 77 (crutches and wheelchairs), presidents of the Universities of Liberia, Don Bosco, Polytechnic, and the United Methodist Church; the Liberian Council of Churches; and a broad-based group of community church leaders who assisted in distribution of goods.

Mr. Tubman was able to establish direct contacts with the First United Methodist Church, the Bishop of the Liberian Conference, and the President of the United Methodist University of Liberia. Nurturing these new contacts may lead to developing partnerships for ministry in the future.

Mr. Tubman and the members of his family are grateful to Mathewson Street Church and its members for their prayers for his safety and welfare while in Liberia.