MISSIONSMINISTRY

At Carmel UMC strive to be the hands and feet of Christ through outreach in the world around us. We have three areas of focus: Food Insecurity, Children, and Housing.

FOOD Missions    |    Missions serving CHILDREN   |    HOUSING Missions

Ready to get involved? Sign up at: WAYS TO SERVE page

Food Missions

MISSION OF THE MONTH: DEC. 2023 - CUMC FOOD PANTRY

Food Pantry Donations

Every month we make a list of Food Pantry MOST NEEDED items. You can find that list here:  FOOD PANTRY NEEDS for THIS MONTH. 

(October 2023)

 

 

Each household may visit the Carmel food pantry once every month.

Click here for closed dates and weather closing policy.

AMAZON WISH LIST:

If you shop on Amazon, you may wish to look at the FOOD PANTRY's WISH LIST. There are items that we need all the time, and the needs are updated often:  
AMAZON WISH LIST 

      The CUMC Food Pantry serves about 300 families each month. We partner with local churches, school organizations and members of the community to serve healthy food to HAMILTON COUNTY RESIDENTS. Please bring proof of residence, such as a driver's license and/or utility bill with you when you visit the food pantry.

      In 2022, St Christopher's Episcopal Church, Carmel Christian Church, Cornerstone Lutheran, and Pilgrim Lutheran, donated bounty from their own gardens to the CUMC Food Pantry. Orchard Park Presbyterian Church donates all of the eggs given to guests of the pantry. 

 

If you are interested in volunteering in the Food Pantry, fill out the form at THIS LINK. If you have never volunteered at the pantry, please sign up for a Newbie Shift for training before you volunteer as a Guest Shopper. Newbie Shifts are every Tuesday night 5-7pm and Saturday 11am-1pm.

You can also email foodpantry@carmelumc.org

 

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER AT THE FOOD PANTRY
Button

FLYER about HOW TO HELP

 

Food Pantry Gardens

In 2020 our church decided to get outside and start planting healthy, organic produce to be distributed by our Food Pantry to Hamilton County Residents. In 2021 the garden won the 1st Annual Anatoth Award from the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church for being a community-minded garden. Our hope is to continue growing healthy nutritious foods for our community. 

CLICK Here for  INFO about the FOOD PANTRY GARDENS

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program that helps supplement food for anyone in need of support. To learn more click here.

2023 Update

Carmel United Methodist Church is no longer a location for Gleaners Mobile Food Pantry. Gleaners is making changes to their mobile food pantry operation. Beginning September 21, 2023 there will be 1 mobile pantry at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds on the 3rd Thursday each month 4-6pm.

Soup's On joins Roberts Park UMC in downtown Indianapolis to serve meals to the hungry and homeless of downtown Indy on Sundays each week. Meals are provided from 12-1pm. Personal hygiene items are also available. CUMC serves 5 times per year. Contact Jim Bach at saborofborg@gmail.com about volunteering to serve. Read more about 'Soup's On' on page 5 of the July 2023 edition of THE CONTACT - (click here)

2024 Dates | Jan 14, Mar 24, Jun 9, Sep 15, Nov 10

Missions Serving Children

BAGS OF HOPE

Most children in foster care enter with nothing of their own. Bags of Hope provides foster children with their own mongrammed duffle bag filled with books, blankets, toys and a few item that will hopefully bring them joy.

More Info HERE.

 

INSTRUCTIONS for making the SINGLE-LAYER TIE BLANKETS that we include with each bag are located at this LINK.
 

BLANKET INSTRUCTIONS

We still need more than 200 blankets for our next Wrap & Fill event on November 11, 2023. Donations of FLEECE material in various styles are welcome! We cut them at 1 and a half yards long for children/teens, and 1 and a fourth yards for infants and toddlers. THANK YOU! 

KIDS COATS

Kids Coats was started by three women from Carmel UMC in 2004, and has grown from a church  ministry to its own nonprofit that serves thousands of people in Hamilton County each year. Kids Coats keeps the residents of Hamilton County warm in the cooler/cold months with lightweight jackets, scarves, gloves, boots, and winter coats. Volunteer opportunities are year round!

More Info HERE.

 

New this year, each church will be serving their school district in deeper ways connecting directly with the schools in their community and the counselors or social workers to reach kids that need a coat not only at the giveaway, but also on a school-level until winter is over.

 

How can you help?:

 

  • collecting coats in your neighborhood, business, or team - you can find printables here: kidscoats.org/collect-coats - Did you know that anyone age 11 and older wears an adult-sized coat? We especially need these sizes!!!

 

Sierra Leone Mission Team | Jessica Stevens writes: 

"Our team from Operation Classroom and Carmel UMC is wrapping up its first week with our partners, Carmel Preschool and Taiama Enterprise Academy in Sierra Leone! The worldwide UMC is working alongside the Sierra Leone UMC to bring education, healthcare and churches to the communities here. We’ve spent the week building relationships and learning so much from amazing Sierra Leoneans".
READ MORE about the Sierra Leone trip on page 5 of the
March issue of The CONTACT.

 

SIERRA LEONE & OPERATION CLASSROOM

The United Methodist Churches across Indiana partner with United Methodist Churches in Sierra Leone & Liberia to ensure children have access to education. Carmel UMC partners specifically with the schools in Sierra Leone, including the Taiama Enterprise Academy, to provide school supplies, scholarships and room & board to students. 

Pastor Daisy Gbloh is from Sierra Leone. She is serving as part of the CUMC staff for 18 months while she studies at United Theological Seminary. 

We are in need of 140 volunteers to help on Dec. 15-16.  Sign up here:

VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP for DEC.15-16, 2023

Salvation Army: Angel Tree

 

      This is our second year working with the Salvation Army for the Angel Tree Program. We have two new leaders of the program here at CUMC: Beth Lotti and Margaret Kettle. They will be heading up this Christmas drive in November and have already met with the Salvation Army to map out the Family Life Center (FLC) and the volunteer slots for set-up and the event on December 16, so mark your calendars!

      The Angel Tree program will look a little different from last year, we will be setting up Santa's Workshop right here at CUMC! We will need LOTS of help to setup the FLC and volunteers to help guide families through and help them shop for their kids. 

     UPDATE: All of the ANGELS have been adopted!! THANK YOU so much CarmelUMC Family! Remember to bring the gists to the church by Dec. 3. Place them in the wagon near the office door.

     We are in need of 140 volunteers to help on Dec. 15-16. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/angel-tree-cumc.

     If you still want to shop, we are looking for EXTRA toys and stocking stuffers for the event. AND, if you have some gently used or new GIFT BAGS at home, we could use those too. We will give them to the parents to assist them in wrapping gifts. Your kindness and generosity will help families have a beautiful Christmas. 

     THANK YOU for sharing the joy of Christmas with those in need in our neighborhood. Questions? You can contact Beth (brlotti52@gmail.com) or Margaret (mkettle@indy.rr.com).

 

HOUSING MISSIONS

Family Promise is the nation's leading organization working to prevent and end family homelessness. Carmel UMC was one of the founding partner churches to get this non-profit started in the Indianapolis area. What began as churches providing food and shelter in the winter months has turned into furnishing apartments to help provide stability for homeless families and most especially their children.

OUR LATEST TRIP was June 4-10, 2023
Each year Carmel UMC sends a team to Frakes Kentucky to help families with home improvement projects. In June 2022, our team built a new deck for a family and saw first-hand how improving a home can boost pride in home ownership and hope in many other facets of life. 

 

Read about our June 2023 Trip on page 4 of 
the July edition of our Church Newsletter! (click the green text).
For more information about Henderson Settlement click HERE.

Ready to get involved? Sign up at: WAYS TO SERVE page

The 2022 Missions Ministry REPORT is available. CLICK HERE to read!