2025 Missions

January

January is the month we take to pray and contemplate what our next mission should be.  It is a time to reflect on past outreach ideas and work to find new ways to help our community, our city, our state, our country, and the world.

Mission of the Month – February, 2025

We are supporting Wise Hope Shelter and Crisis Center for our February Mission of the Month.  Wise Hope supports women and children who must leave their homes due to violence, physical, sexual abuse.  We have supported them several times a year since we started this outreach ministry.

You can print this list and take it with you to the store.  We will get the items to Wise Hope the first week of March.  There will be hard copies in the narthex also.

As always, thank you for your big hearts…you always give so much of yourselves.

• Disposable aluminum cake pans (8” or 9”, and 9” x 13”)
• Cake mixes and frosting (all flavors)
• Brownie mixes
• Cookie mixes
• Candles
• Sprinkles or other decorations
• Candles
• Snacks of any kind, candy bars, individual size chips, peanut butter crackers, etc.
• Blankets (not comforters, full size, not throws)
• Women’s devotionals, mother’s devotionals, journals, Mother’s Day necklaces, keychains
• Ethnic hair products, shampoo, styling products, hair oil, etc. (these are rarely donated)
• Adut coloring books, colored pencils, kids coloring books and regular books

None of the items listed above are supplied by the shelter.   Clients miss having the chance to bake on their own for their own pleasure.  

Here are some pictures of items purchased.

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2024 Missions

Mission of the Month – February, 2024

Wise County Commission on Aging, Meals on Wheels, was our February mission.  Many seniors do not eat properly so we gathered good protein items and had them delivered to their office. 

 

Mission of the Month – March, 2024

Child Protective Services – RAINBOW ROOM, DECATUR (for when a child, age 0-17, is in the CPS/foster care system)

Generally – items children need when not in their own homes, especially if removed suddenly:
Diapers / wipes / other diapering needs
Smallish toys (easy to take if they move; they have plenty of stuffed animals at this time)
Coloring / activity books
New undies /socks

Specifically –
Shorts for boys and girls size 10-12 down to toddler 2.
Small soft blankets/throws (about 4’ x 5’) (not baby blankets). 
Young children’s toothpaste.

 

Mission of the Month – April, 2024

Our mission for April was to supply women incarcerated in FMC Carswell Camp, Fort Worth, with reading materials.  All sorts of books, novel, storybooks, biographies, history, language, geography, math – at all reading levels.  Here is what was collected.

 

Mission of the Month – May, 2024

We have often helped various area food pantries to supplement items they can’t get from the Tarrant Area Food Bank; things the Food Bank is short of like soup or protein-rich foods.  

For the first time I can remember, the Food Bank itself is short of everything and needs help. They have put out a call for funding assistance so that they can buy the items they supply to the pantries.  

Our efforts this month are to raise funds.  We sent two checks totaling several thousand dollars to help the food bank during this difficult time.

Mission of the Month – June, 2024

Over the Memorial Day weekend, several tornados struck North Texas. 

What they needed most was personal hygiene items, in small sizes.  They also needed new socks and underwear in all sizes. Because all of these things are small.  We also sent ziplock-style bags so that packages could be put together as individuals needed them.  

• Toothpaste/toothbrushes 
• Deodorant 
• Bug spray
• Neosporin 
• Feminine pads/tampons
• Reading glasses
• New underwear and socks in all sizes
• Contact lens supplies
• Aspirin/ibuprofen/Tylenol in small bottles 
• Razors
• Candies or small treats individually wrapped

Mission of the Month – July/August, 2024

During July and/or August every year, we supply a local volunteer fire department with much needed water, sports drinks, powdered electrolytes that can be added to the water.  The firefighters go through so much water and their supplies can deplete quickly. 

There is interest in helping Wise Hope shelter students with school supplies this year and we can add it as a continuation of our July Mission.  The cut-off date for school supplies is August 5.

I contacted Janice Thompson, Director of Wise Hope, and she told me they are doing things differently this year.  Instead of people donating all types of school supplies, which means many duplications and not enough other needed items) they have initiated an adopt-a-student program.  This way the student will get exactly what is needed.

If you wish to adopt a student from the list, go to wisehope.org and click on the “Get Involved” tab.  Under that tab click on “School Supply Drive.”  It has a list of supplies for several of the schools in the area.    Wise Hope is asking if we wish to adopt a student that we also supply a backpack for the items.

If you wish to adopt a high school-age student, they don’t have a particular list because it all depends on what each student’s class may require.  I was told that high school students will need a backpack and the usual items such as spiral notebooks (some regular and some thick), paper, pencils, pens, folders with brads, folders with pockets, etc.

If interested, please use this online form to help these students obtain what is needed for them to go to school.

If you have a thought on what we can do for our August MoM, let me know.  Jill will be out of town for a few more weeks.

Again, thank you all for all you do.

 

Mission of the Month –  September, 2024

School is underway. Students and teachers are working hard to get off to a good start.  In 2020, the students in my community started a small food pantry.  We are the Peaster Greyhounds, and the pantry is called the Greyhound Food Pound.  It is now operated by parents, all volunteer, with donations primarily from our own community.  We have been surprised how many families access it each week.  It is hard to keep food on the shelves.  

We are fortunate that local beef and chicken farmers sometimes donate hamburger and eggs.  But we need help with non-perishable, easy to fix foods.  Some families only have a microwave or hotplate to cook with (they had a crockpot drive this summer).

We will collect items at Church through Sunday, September 29.  Here is a list of products they need most often: 

• PASTA SAUCE (don’t need pasta)
  SEASONING PACKETS (taco, gravy, etc.)
  CANNED MEALS/MEATS (tuna, chili, stew, ravioli, Spam, etc.)
  MICROWAVEABLE MEALS/MEALS IN A BOX (don’t need mac n cheese)
  POP TARTS
  BAKING MIXES
  SYRUP/HONEY/SUGAR 
  SALSA
  INSTANT OATMEAL
  COOKING OIL
  LAUNDRY DETERGENT/DISH LIQUID
  FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS

Thank you for your prayers over this outreach. 

Mission of the Month – October, 2024

Bridgeport Animal Shelter.  I delivered all the collected donations on Friday.  Thank You All for supporting this!

They were on their last bag of litter and cat food.  They said for me to Thank You for your support.

We did not know if the Animal Control Officer would make it & started unloading the cleaners and some litter.  He showed up and wanted a Photo (like last year) so he could post on the shelter’s Facebook page.

Thank you all again.

 

Mission of the Month – November, 2024

Your donations can be brought to our church between now and November 17, or mail ordered for delivery to their church at:

First United Methodist Church 

104 S. Miller

Decatur,  TX. 76234

*if you want to add delivery instructions, say “deliver to church office.”

If you’ve already purchased more items from the original list, all extra products will be donated to the new food pantry at the Decatur Cares Rock House.  If you heard the original list and wondered how we got so much – we didn’t do it all.  Some of their class groups have stepped up with commitments as well.

ALSO, we are invited to join them for a Thanksgiving lunch at their church after our church service on the 24th.  They are replacing their services that day with packing the baskets, starting at 9:30.  If they haven’t finished when we get there for lunch, we can help them finish up.  

If you know anyone who needs a Thanksgiving basket, they are still receiving applications.   I have attached a photo of the form.  Due date is November 8, pick up date is November 24 at the Methodist Church 12-1:30.

My Thanksgiving is Giving Thanks for each one of you, whether you are able to donate food, or prayers, or both! 

 

Mission of the Month – December, 2024

 Well, you did it again!  Our small parish produced 335 individual Christmas Greetings for mostly underprivileged and often isolated senior citizens in Wise County.   Well done my good and faithful friends!