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Our mission and ministry reaches

into our community.

 

Learn more about:

Our Outreach Office and Food Pantry

Volunteering in our Outreach Ministry

Our Refugee Resettlement Involvement

Sunday Fair Trade Coffee

Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse (A.C.T.S.)

 

 

Our Outreach Office and Food Pantry

In the business of offering people HOPE, our program serves the city’s Near Eastside residents, including East Fayette and East Genesee Streets and surrounding areas. The Outreach Office is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. and is located in our main office area. Visit our Contact Us page on how to reach our Outreach Office and Food Pantry.

 

Here are the programs that we currently offer:

 

Food Pantry

The pantry takes place weekly on Fridays from 10 A.M. to 12 noon in the Fellowship Hall on the basement level of the church. Eligible residents may attend monthly to receive 3 days worth of food and other supplies. During pantry operation, eligible residents pick up food and other supplies for themselves and their families.  Volunteers accompany residents and assist them in collecting and bagging their supplies. A nutritionist attends periodically, and residents also can sign up for food stamps, job search assistance and other services. Volunteers also assist residents interested or in need of clothes from the Clothes Closet, or books, small appliances or other household goods, as available.

 

Those who meet the income eligibility guidelines and live in our service area will be served at the pantry. To be served at our pantry:

  1. Please bring proof of address (you must live in our service area).

  2. Food many only be picked up once a month. There is no delivery of food.

 

If you have a food emergency, call the Food Consortium at 474-8855.

 

Sunday Community Church Breakfasts

On the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, volunteers prepare and serve a free breakfast for 70 to 100 neighborhood residents of all ages in our Fellowship Hall. The breakfasts, which begin at 9 a.m., require assistance with setup, cooking and other food preparation tasks beginning at 8 a.m. We also need volunteers to help serve at 9 a.m. and help with clean-up tasks from 9-10:30 a.m. These breakfasts have become quite popular among neighborhood residents and provide a valuable fellowship opportunity to join our neighbors for a good meal and great conversation. Contact the UUMC Outreach office at 472-1715 for more information.

 

Distribution of Other Resources

Books, small appliances and job-ready clothes are available in our Pantry as they come in.

 

Counseling and Referral

Outreach staff members and the pastor are available to talk with clients about any concerns and to make referrals to local agencies if appropriate.

 

Thanksgiving Bag Project

Through donations from the congregation and from Outreach funds, preparations for a full Thanksgiving meal is provided for pantry families. In

2010 we served 766 people, which included 206 families.

 

Social Activities

Men’s Group

Held on 2 Fridays each month at the church from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, the group offers fellowship, support, and connection.

 

Christmas Dinner

For residents in our neighborhood, a Christmas dinner is prepared and served by church members. Residents sign up in our Pantry to attend the dinner

 

Children's Christmas Party

Sponsored in conjunction with the East Genesee Regent Association, the party is held annually for children of the community and provides games, crafts, and entertainment.

 

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Volunteering in Our Outreach Ministry

You don't need to attend church on Sunday or be a member of our congregation to volunteer with any of our Outreach ministries - anyone can join in. In addition, our Outreach Committee meets once a month on Tuesday at 10:00 AM. They make plans for and advise outreach efforts as well as raising funds. Ideas and assistance are welcome.

 

Please call 472-1715 for more information about our Outreach programs and how you can volunteer.

 

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Our Refugee Resettlement Involvement

The InterFaith Works of CNY (formerly the InterReligious Council) Center for New Americans (formerly the Refugee Resettlement Program) works very closely with families coming into CNY, and it assists churches that are sponsors. University Church has had a long history of refugee resettlement. In the last 25 years, we have helped to settle 13 families and counting.

 

In June 2010, we will begin organizing to sponsor another refugee family. Check out our "What's New & Now" page for details.

 

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Sunday Fair Trade Coffee

Fair Trade coffee is usually for sale the first Sunday of the month in the parlor after worship. There is both "Breakfast Blend", an organically grown, drip grind that sells for $6.00 per 12 oz package. There is also decaf coffee for sale for $7.00 per 12 oz package.

 

Fair Trade coffee is also served during our fellowship time following worship each Sunday. Donations from our congregation to cover the difference in price between Fair Trade and "regular" coffee make this possible.

 

A proportion of all Fair Trade coffee sales go back to the Latin American coffee farmers to help them stay in business and support their families. Fair Trade partnerships aim at sustainable development for excluded and disadvantaged producers and growers around the globe.

 

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Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse (A.C.T.S.)

ACTS is an inter-faith, multi-racial, urban-suburban, diverse coalition of faith communities throughout the greater Syracuse area that organizes with the mission to address the social, economic, educational and political concerns of our communities. Through a process of dialogue, education, training, and action, ACTS seeks to empower member faith communities to act on the shared values of human worth, dignity and justice. Visit www.acts-cny.org for more information. University Church is a member congregation of ACTS.

 

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