The mission of the Community Outreach committee is to joyfully respond with love and grace to God's call to serve those in need in our community.
Community Outreach is divided into the following areas of ministry: Hunger Ministries, Adult Ministries, Youth Ministries, & Construction Ministries. The committee meets monthly to seek ways that SMPC can impact the lives of people in need and become more involved in our local community (Mecklenburg and Union counties). We strive to provide opportunities to SMPC members to grow in their faith by making use of their individual time, talents & treasure. We welcome your questions, comments & ideas, please contact any committee member.
Committee Members:
| Erin Ford | Brent McAnally |
| Katie Harrington | Charlie Metzler |
| Elizabeth Lankford | Leanne Schwarzmann |
Current Outreach Opportunities (click links for more information):
BI-LO boostersplus® Program - Easy Way To Donate Money!
BI-LO offers the boostersplus® Program - a simple way to make donations. Every time you shop at BI-LO and use your BONUSCARD®, BI-LO will help support SMPC's Community Outreach and Missions by donating 1% of your total purchase.
Take the enrollment card below to BI-LO and give it to the cashier along with your BONUSCARD to be scanned with your grocery order. You only need to have it scanned once to be linked. When SMPC receives the money from BI-LO, it will be split evenly between Community Outreach and Missions.
Questions? Contact Elizabeth Lankford at 704.541.6909 or harecubed@carolina.rr.com
Click here for enrollment card
A Child's Place Working to erase the impact of homelessness on children and their education. School can be the only normal part of a homeless child's life; A Child's Place provides services that allow homeless children to focus on learning and homework. Click here for further information.
Click here for SMPC's opportunities with A Child's Place
Deb Holzmeister 704.540.5580
Alternative Christmas Gift Fair
SMPC's annual Alternative Gift Fair is held in November and showcases several local and global charities. Throughout Advent, donations continue to be collected. A special Christmas card along with information about the selected charity is provided for each gift.
In 2008, we donated over $10,000 to local and foreign projects!
Click here to view pictures from the 2008 Fair!
Donna Brown 704.759.1939
American Red Cross Blood Drives
Give the "gift of life" at our quarterly blood drives!
At our most recent blood drive, July 25, 2009 at SMPC we collected 42 pints of blood. Thank you for your support!
Gayle Ireland 704-451-4706
Center of Hope (Salvation Army Women & Children's Shelter)
On the first Saturday of every month we prepare and serve an evening meal to the residents of the Center of Hope, and we need your help! There are three ways you can help.
- Prepare the main course (click here for the Recipes!) and dessert
- Receive the food at SMPC and assemble it
- Deliver the food, prepare side-items and serve the clients at the shelter
We are always looking for folks who want to become an active part of this much needed ministry. Please watch the SMPC weekly for updates and details on menus and delivery times.
Charles Casey 704.844.8075
More about dinners at the Center of Hope and SMPC
The Center of Hope offers real hope and help to homeless women and children. Located at 534 Spratt Street near Uptown Charlotte, the facility has 202 beds, but is frequently "home" to 230 women and children - making it the largest women and children's homeless shelter in the Southeast. Many services are provided to the residents, including case management, medical care, Boys & Girls club, childcare, transportation, computer lab and children's library.
Begun by the Journey of Faith Circle, we coordinate a collection of supplies for the residents at the shelter. The following items are always needed and can be placed in the bin located outside the fellowship hall near the Community Outreach bulletin board:
- Baby Changing Tables
- Small Baby Cribs (sheets, blankets)
- Diapers (all sizes)
- Baby Food & Formula
- Flat Irons
- Toiletries (shampoo, soap, deoderant)
- Feminine Products
- New Towels & Washcloths
- New Twin-Size sheets, pillows, pillow cases, blankets
This is a SMPC tradition - collecting gifts for families in need and delivering the gifts on Christmas Eve. It is an opportunity to help make someone's Christmas more joy-filled. In 2008, we provided food and gifts for 18 Charlotte area families.
Mary Lynn Rawls 704.544.1570 or mrawls@carolina.rr.com
The CROP Walk raises awareness and funds for international relief and development, as well as local hunger-fighting agencies.
Bob Cushman and Avery Lane are coordinating the October 4, 2009 SMPC CROP Walk Team. Click here or more information, to join the team and to donate.
Click here to view Growing Dreams.
Bob Cushman 704.321.5262 or rtcushman@yahoo.com
On the last Sunday of each month, we collect a special offering that goes to the Charlotte Presbytery to distribute to local agencies that provide hunger relief. We ask individuals to donate 5 cents per meal each month to help fight hunger.
In 2008, we collected $5,267.46--that represents 105,349 meals during which individuals put aside money to help fight hunger.
Erin Ford 704.542.1724
Carl Hewett 704.362.4757
15 Cents a Day • $1.05 a Week • $4.50 a Month
Habitat Critical Home Repair (HCHR)
The Habitat for Humanity Charlotte Critical Home Repair program (HCHR) provides crucial repair services for homeowners who could not otherwise afford it. HCHR specializes in correcting structural hazards, dramatically improving quality of life for their clients. Doing this prevents houses from being condemned and potentially razed. Our commitment is an occasional weekend; also, volunteers are needed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. HCHR provides materials, power tools, and site supervision. We provide small items such as our own gloves, hammers, and tape measures.
Click here to see pictures of our February 7, 2009 work!
Charlie Metzler 704.906.4436 or charlesmetzler@carolina.rr.com
for what we have
Give Food
for those in need
SMPC Canned Food Drive benefitting Loaves and Fishes!
Throughout the month of November, SMPC will be collecting canned goods, which we will donate to the local food pantry of Loaves and Fishes. Last year, the members of SMPC (1,447 lbs) helped in a combined effort with several other organizations to raise 4,008 pounds of food!
The following is a list of items requested by the pantry: canned fruit, 100% juice, pork and beans, peanut butter, canned meat, and soup. Each Sunday in November, members of the Community Outreach Committee will be handing out paper grocery bags for collecting canned goods. Please return your bag with your donation of non-perishable food items to the church no later than Sunday, November 22, and place it in the marked bins located at each entrance of the church.
If you are interested in learning ways to host your own street or neighborhood food drive, pick up a flier for tips and helpful strategies for collecting donations. Fliers are located in the envelope at each collection bin or available on the blog: http://www.givethanksgivefood.blogspot.com/.
If you are interested in helping deliver our donation to the Loaves and Fishes pantry, join us on Tuesday, November 24, at 2:45pm in the church parking lot to load and transport the food. Anyone who has access to a pick-up truck and is available to help with the delivery is encouraged to call or email Elizabeth Boone. What a great way to help those in need during the holiday season!
Contact Elizabeth Boone for more information (704) 443-5205 or maddygirl23@carolina.rr.com.
Love INC seeks to reach out in the love and name of Christ by having church volunteers reach out to those living with severe needs in Charlottein their time of need. Currently, SMPC supports the work of Love INC by building wheelchair ramps.
On Saturday, April 26, 2008, a group of volunteers from SMPC built a wheelchair ramp for a Charlotte resident who is very weak as a result of cancer. Her new ramp gives her the freedom to go outside on her own. A big thank you to behind the scenes volunteers, Bill Bishop, Royce Harmon and Nancy Metzler; and to the volunteer work crew, Terri Clark, Bob Hawks, Pat McDonnell, Curtis Ireland, Brad Alford, Ed Cho, Tom McElhaney, Rick Lee and Mark Ramsey.
This gift of time and talents by SMPC members is an outward sign of love for those in need in our community.
Putting in the time to build ramps provides great opportunity for camaraderie, friendships and kidding. We welcome new volunteers to share in the work, fun and satisfaction. Please contact Mark Ramsey to help!
Click here to see the work and the workers!
A long time ministry of SMPC, the Monday Menders provide a valuable service to residents of Sharon Towers continuing care retirement community in Charlotte. Volunteers lovingly mend clothing for residents to allow them to continue using their favorite items. The Monday Menders meet each Monday from 9:30 till 11:30 at Sharon Towers to mend. We continually have a need for novice and veteran "menders" to help with this special ministry.
Lindalee Macauley 704.579.1705
Return to Top of PageSalvation Army Christmas Stockings
The JOY Group coordinates this annual project for SMPC. The Salvation Army distributes Christmas stockings to needy children in Mecklenburg and Union counties. The Salvation Army served 4,300 families including 10,000 children in 2007. Since 2003, the JOY Group at SMPC has coordinated the collection of Christmas. In 2007, SMPC provided 130 filled stockings to The Salvation Army. Our 2008 total is 181 filled stockings!Jean Carney 704.752.1836
2009 Rally Day School Tools Collection A Big Success!
Members of SMPC brought all sorts of school supplies on Rally Day to benefit Classroom Central, A Child's Place and Center of Hope. Close to 2000 items were donated which equates to 8 boxes plus 6-7 backpacks for each organization. Thank you for your generosity; it will go a long way toward helping children in need!
A big thank you goes to Sharon Mitchell for coordinating the effort along with her husband, Francis. Also, a special word of thanks to Leanne and Little Mark Schwarzmann and Patty Stevenson for taking on the huge sorting job on Rally Day.
Click here to see the huge collection of supplies!
Return to Top of PageSMPC sponsors seven different scouting units for boys and girls. Is your child interested in scouting? Click here for more information.
Mary Lynn Rawls 704.544.1570
SMPC supports the Meck 13 Girl Scouts in collecting Pop Tabs (click here for more info) for the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte. Tabs can be found on soda, pet food, vegetable, soup or other kinds of cans. Tab collection cans are located in the kitchen at SMPC.
Sponsored by the youth at SMPC, this event highlights the problems of hunger and poverty in our area. The special offering collected on Super Bowl Sunday is given to a charity designated by the group; since 2005 SMPC's donations have benefitted Second Harvest Food Bank. Since 2006, SMPC's high school youth have participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring Service Blitz at Second Harvest Food Bank on the Saturday leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. In 2008, collectively the youth (16 churches total) who volunteered during the blitz raised almost $5,000 to help the Food Bank end child hunger. They serve as an inspiration to all of us!
Katie Harrington 704.544.0404
"Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those
who are without a bowl of soup to eat" 
The Men's Shelter of Charlotte is a 238 bed shelter providing basic needs and access to transitional services for homeless men in the greater Charlotte area. The goal is to help homeless men return to self-sufficiency.
Erin Ford 704.542.1724
Special Offerings benefitting local Community Outreach organizations:
Pentecost
SMPC designates its Pentecost Offering to:
- Locally, Camp Tree Tops, a project of Thompson Child & Family Focus (formerly The Family Center) click here for information about SMPC's involvement
- Nationally, Leadership development opportunities for Presbyterian youth and young adults and children at risk programs
Peacemaking
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God," said Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace (Matthew 5:9).
SMPC designates its Peacemaking Offering on the first Sunday in October to:
Click here to see a recent load of donations for the shelter
- Synods & Presbyteries
- General Assembly
Christmas Eve
SMPC designated its Christmas Eve Offering in 2008 to:
Locally, Hall House, a project of A Child's Place
Internationally, OFCB Ministries in Bayonnais, Haiti
Looking for other opportunities?
This is a partial listing of organizations that need help:
A Child's Place Working to erase the impact of homelessness on children and their education. Click here for further information.
Classroom Central A free store for teachers working in low income schools in the Charlotte region. SMPC collected a mountain of school supplies for Classroom Central and Center of Hope at Rally Day, September 9, 2008! Click here for a complete list of items! A big thanks to Marion Kay for coordinating. Click here for pictures at Classroom Central.
CUP Ministry (Christians United for People)
Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network)
Thompson Child and Family Focus
Uptown Shelter (Men's Emergency Shelter)
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