Celebrating UMW at University UMC, Coats for Kids, 2021 Grant Summary ...
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WEDNESDAY WORDS
FROM METRO MINISTRIES, INC.
October 20, 2021
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48 Years of UMW at University UMC
Two Sundays ago, I had the privilege to speak at University UMC's 48th Anniversary Celebration of the University UMW. These women of action seek to connect with and serve alongside their neighbors. They focus on social and criminal justice and advocate for individuals whose voices are often ignored.
In 2021, the UMW supported the residents of the Craine House, the only female re-entry/work release organization in Marion County. The UMW also hosted a baby shower for the participants of the Indiana Women's Prison's Officer Breann Leath Maternal Child Health Unit. This program allows eligible incarcerated and pregnant mothers to keep their infants with them while serving out their sentences.
For 2022, the University UMW are working with Use What You've Got Prison Ministry, to discern how they can support this organization that assists the children and families of incarcerated men, women and youth by providing transportation for visitation at correctional facilities throughout Indiana.
Two weeks prior to the celebration, the UMW launched a collection drive for diapers, wipes, hygiene items and clothing for their Afghan neighbors staying at Camp Atterbury. After the worship service, we loaded all the collected items in my car to be dropped off the next day. As you can see, a carful was collected!
Thank you Jacqueline Hall-Moore and Sherrae Davis for inviting me, and thank you to all the UMW of University UMC for your strength and courage! Keep serving your neighbors through the lens of social justice!
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Keeping Kids Warm
Metro Ministries, Inc's Grants Team wanted to help ensure all kids in Central Indiana have warm coats this year. We are pleased to announce we were able to award discretionary grants to two programs directly supporting this effort, Coats for Kids Indianapolis, a program of Salvation Army serving Central Indiana families ,and Operation Bundle Up, a program of United Way of Johnson County.
Last Saturday was the Coats for Kids event, where 2,700 children had registered to receive coats. Remaining coats will go to schools and agencies, with some going to Afghan children at Camp Atterbury. The Operation Bundle Up event will be held in a few weeks, with the goal of serving over 400 Johnson County children.
Metro's Grants Team is excited to have been able to support both of these programs this year!
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Our 2021 grant season has come to a close and as we prepare to kick of our 2022 Spring Ministry Grant cycle next week, we want to summarize the church ministries and organizations that your gifts to Metro Ministries have supported this year. We are so grateful for your generous hearts, allowing us to serve:
Spring 2021 Ministry Grant Recipients:
Ascent 121's Peer Mentoring Program
Bridges Alliance of Johnson County's Community Engagement Event
Fletcher Place CC'S Community Garden
NeighborLink Indy's Neighborhood Handymen Help Program
Old Bethel and Partner's Food Pantry's Egg Fund
Scott UMC's W.I.N.G.S. Mental Wellness Programming
Strive Worldwide's Eco-Camp at Union Chapel (Spring 2022)
YFT Missional Food Pantry Community Resource Day at Barnes UMC
2021 Children Matter Most:
Grace UMC's All God's Children Preschool
North Salem UMC'S Food Pantry
Pittsboro UMC'S Preschool
Coats for Kids 2021
Operation Bundle Up 2021
We are only able to connect resources to ministries because of you. Thank you for your continued support!
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Meet & Greet
with Metro's Board!
This week's session of Meet and Greet with Metro's Board of Directors on 10/21 has been cancelled, but next week's 10/28 session is still on! If you would like to learn more about how you can serve with Metro Ministries, please join us.
This will be an informal gathering to learn more about what serving on Metro's board involves as well as other ways to help us with our work besides board service.
If you would like to join us, please register HERE. Registration has been extended through Sunday, October 24, so register soon.
If you cannot make this date on the 28th but would like to learn more about serving with Metro Ministries, contact Tina McAninch at metrodirector1923@gmail.com or (317) 946-0251.
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Only Two Weeks Away!
You are cordially invited to join us via Livestream on Thursday, November 4 at 7:00 pm for "Walking in the Light Together", as we celebrate 98 years of connecting ministries to resources in the Central District!
Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Gibbs will be providing a keynote address, and we will be recognizing our Board President Tom Shryock, as he is concluding his term on Metro's Board. We will share in music, fellowship and stories of impact from Metro's grant recipients. We will also announce the winners of this year's Missioner of the Year awards.
There is no cost to attend this virtual event, but we do ask that you register.
Brightwood Community Center offers a monthly food distribution program and is seeking volunteers to help with the preparation and distribution.
Day 1: 5 volunteers needed for approximately 4 hours to organize and package food for distribution
Day 2: 8 - 10 volunteers needed for approximately 5 hours to assist with distributing the food.
The days currently vary each month. If interested, please contact Ellen Lane at (317) 345-4822 or (317) 280-9418.
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Coming in February!
Mark your calendars now for February 19, 2022!
Children Matter Most – All In! is an opportunity for all who care about children to come together to learn, be inspired, and go back to their community with action steps to help children thrive.
The INUMC Children Matter Most team has been focusing on nonviolence, food insecurity, and partnering with schools. You will learn more about each of these focus areas and many other ways you can nurture children in your context. Everyone is invited-those who work closely with children already and those who are seeking to learn how to make a positive difference in the lives of children.
This all-day event at Grace UMC in Franklin, IN will include worship, multiple breakout sessions and an opportunity to create action plans for how we will individually and collectively declare we are All In to put children first in 2022.
Updates on breakout session topics will be shared as the details come together.
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Volunteer Opportunity with NeighborLink Indy
NeighborLink Indianapolis is proving that home repair doesn't have to be scary! On Saturday, October 30 from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm, they will host at least 50 volunteers to tackle multiple projects for homeowners in need across Indianapolis.
Folks can sign up as small groups or as individuals and then split into groups the morning of the event, to head out to projects to be completed that day. For details and to sign up, click HERE. No specific skills are required. Come join me and other volunteers!
You are encouraged to share this event with your church and community! Click HERE for a shareable flyer with QR code for registration.
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Mondays in October: "What's Justice Got to Do With It?" 4-week Bible study by INUMC Diversity, Mission and Justice Ministries, 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Registration is required.
10/ 23: Shelbyville Trinity UMC Harvest Fest 5pm
10/24: West Newton UMC: Sweet Treat Trail 1 - 3pm
10/31: The Branches Not So Spooky Sunday, begins at 10am with worship, followed by costume parade and trick or treating
Trunk or Treat Events
10/23: New Palestine UMC, 5 - 6:30pm
10/23: Pittsboro UMC, 5 - 5:30pm
10/24: Old Bethel UMC, 3 - 5pm
10/24: Smith Valley UMC, 5 - 7pm
10/29: Avon UMC, 6 - 7:30pm
10/29: Mt. Comfort Church @ Philadelphia Campus, 6 - 7:30pm
If you know of other resources we should share, please let us know by emailing Tina McAninch at metrodirector1923@gmail.com.
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FOOD RESOURCES
Community Compass
Community Compass is a tool created by Indy Hunger Network and has two key ways to connect individuals with food resources near them. The first is an app for smart phones that automatically provides food resources based on where the individual is. The second is the ability to text for food resources if an individual does not have a smart phone. Check out details of Community Compass. This very valuable tool now works in the donut counties as well as Marion County!
Listing of Central Indiana Food Pantries
We have updated the format of the food pantry list, making it easier to view when printed. You can download the updated listingHERE or from Metro's website's Resources Hub. Please let us know if you have food resources to add or update. We will make updates to this list on a quarterly basis.
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