Mission Projects
Upcoming Mission Projects:
Rise Against Hunger – Sunday, September 29th, will be a combined service mission event! We will be hosting Rise Against Hunger and need all hands on deck! This is a crucial event; your participation is critical to its success. Mark your calendar and spread the word – this event is open to the public. If you would like to contribute to the financial campaign to raise $7,000-$10,000 towards this event, please put Rise Against Hunger in the memo line of your check to Trinity.
Trinity in Schools
This fall, we are again serving area schools via the Chesterfield Communities in Schools program. We have signed on to support Bellwood Elementary with mentors, lunch buddies, and classroom support. New this year, we will celebrate the students of Carver Academy who meet attendance and academic goals. We are also exploring an opportunity to provide vocational encouragement and mentoring for students at LC Bird High School. Better-educated youth become more productive citizens. Watch for updates and opportunities as they arise!
ADULT MISSION TRIPS
Since 1988, Trinity has sent an adult mission team to various parts of the country to work on home repairs for the disabled/elderly or on home repairs for victims of natural disasters. Typically the team has gone for a week during the summer months, but recently we have begun to go for 1-3 days at various times during the year. A former pastor and his wife, Carl and Gwen Cosslett, began this ministry. We are also looking for local one-day projects. Contact Stephanie Griffith or Karen Poole.
HANDICAP RAMPS
Several retired men from Trinity volunteer 2 days a week with project:HOMES in Richmond to provide wheelchair ramps for handicapped and elderly individuals in the Richmond – Chesterfield – Petersburg areas. Contact Bill Poole, Harold Saunders or Pete Page.
JEFFERSON DAVIS CORRIDOR MINISTRY
We are currently involved in a food ministry to benefit the disadvantaged/working-poor along Jefferson Davis Highway. We have purchased wagons that are loaned to residents who have no transportation and must walk to grocery stores or laundromats. In the future, we may use the church van to ferry individuals back and forth to buy groceries.
Our Girl Scout troop, under the leadership of Sue Makins, is building and installing Little Libraries in various spots along Jefferson Davis Highway to provide free books to children and adults.
TUMC members volunteer at A Place of Miracles Café that provides a free hot meal and take-home food on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays from 3:30 – 5:00 to assist Jen Walker with meal preparation and kitchen cleanup and Fridays from 4:30 -7:00 to help organize and distribute take-home food from local food banks, restaurants, and delis. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Jen Walker (Tuesday volunteers) or Bill Poole & Sherrie McCaul (Friday volunteers)
Food Collection for A Place of Miracles Cafe is ongoing. Peanut butter, canned tuna or chicken, canned fruit, cereal, macaroni and cheese and canned soups are some of the items we collect to distribute. If you would like to donate any of these items, please bring your donation to Mission Alley located in the Narthex.
Many families who live in motels and have no kitchen facilities beyond a small refrigerator and a microwave are in need of crockpots. TUMC is collecting crockpots throughout the year to give to these families. If you would like to donate a crockpot, please contact us at 804-748-2439.
COAT COLLECTION
Coats of all sizes—new or gently used—are collected throughout the year and distributed to needy children and adults on an “as needed” basis. All-weather men’s coats are especially needed. Contact Karen Poole.
MERCY MALL
Mercy Mall is a free boutique where families and individuals can shop for clothing, shoes, housewares, and baby items. They also give away a few food and toiletry items to each family during their appointment. They are a place for families in a crisis situation to meet their immediate needs for basic items.
Trinity volunteers on Monday evenings from 7:00pm to 8:30pm to help sort and organize donated items. If you or your community group would like to volunteer please contact Stephanie Griffith.
CARES
Since 1994, we have provided Christmas gifts for the battered / homeless women and children in the CARES shelter in Petersburg. We also provide $25 gift cards to the CARES staff members and use remaining funds to purchase $25 Wal-Mart gift cards that the shelter director can give to women and children throughout the year, as they move into (and out of) the shelter with little or no personal items. We also supply the shelter with toiletry items and cleaning supplies from time to time. This mission project was started by Jo Olson. For more information please contact Karen or Bill Poole.
CCHASM
We support the Chesterfield/Colonial Heights Alliance for Social Ministries (CCHASM) to provide a Thanksgiving meal to needy families in Chesterfield and Colonial Heights. A former member of Trinity, Lilo Burley, helped establish this organization. Our contact person is Bob Cassada.
BELLWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
In July we provide school supplies for various Bellwood students as required for their grade level. We also contribute boxes of miscellaneous supplies for use later in the year. We also provide Christmas gifts of clothing, toys, and books to various students who are not sponsored by any other agency and would, otherwise, be without a typical kid’s Christmas. For more information please contact Heidi Foutz.
ASSISTANCE FOR CANCER PATIENTS
We provide food, toiletries, gasoline cards and clothing to cancer patients who are spending a large part of their income on medicines and treatment copays. Many of them are hourly employees, and because of treatment schedules and after-effects, are unable to work every day to maintain steady incomes. For more information please contact Karen Poole.
COMMUNION RAIL OFFERING
Money left at the altar during Communion is used to purchase food gift cards, which are split between the Chesterfield County Social Services Department and CCHASM. For more information please contact Lana Lefferts.
ENVOY
We donate slippers, throw blankets, and new or gently used sweaters for the residents of Envoy Nursing Home during December. To make a donation or for more information please contact Karen Poole.
KAIROS
We support the Kairos Prison Ministries, through our
RISE UP AGAINST HUNGER
Throughout the year, our Children’s Ministry works hard to raise funds to host a meal packaging event for the entire church community to assist in packaging meals for people in need all over the world. Last year we packaged 30,000 meals on a Sunday Afternoon! This year Trinity hopes to raise enough funds to package 45,000 meals. Visit www.riseagainsthunger.org or check our our Children’s page for more information about the cause. If you or your group would like to volunteer please contact Stephanye Fuina at childrensministry@trinity-umc.com.
YOUTH MISSION TRIPS
Each year our youth embark on a week long mission trip the week after school gets out for summer. They travel with TEAMeffort, a student led ministry. Youth work repairing homes and helping in the local communities. For more information or to join the youth group, check out our Youth Ministry Page.