The Social Concerns Committee’s mission is to follow Jesus by doing God’s Work with Our Hands. The whole congregation is part of this mission, whether you purchase a towel, donate food for Loaves and Fishes, or work in the Jubilee Garden. The opportunities are endless. Our team supports the following:
- Jubilee Garden—donating food to Loaves & Fishes and Mothers of Hope
- Plyarning—creating sleeping mats for Ethiopia
- Refugee Resettlement—helping refugees furnish apartments and get settled; partnering with Samaritas and Bethany Christian Services
- Food Distribution—providing 230 boxes of food to our community twice monthly; partnering with the SW Michigan Food Bank
- Free Store—providing other needs such as laundry detergent and cleaning supplies once monthly
- Open Door/Next Door Shelter Meals—offering a meal once a month
- Prayer Shawls—knitting and distributing blankets, cloths and premie wraps
- God’s Work. Our Hands Day—in 2023 we provided 210 filled backpacks, 412 health kits, 134 quilts, and 52 sewing kits.
- Project Connect—offering over 1,200 items to homeless and marginalized local residents
- Justice and Diversity—prioritizing issues to further educate the congregation of needs in our community
- Christmas Families—providing gifts and food for families at the YWCA and the Portage Community Center
Additionally, Social Concerns has a $10,000 budget to distribute funds to local non-profit organizations. We have recently reviewed all those we support to determine if their missions align with ours and then determine how the money is allocated.
If you wish to make a difference in your church, your community or in the world, please join the Social Concerns Team.
