To love and to serve
For who is greater, the one seated at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:27
Outreach to others is one of the most vital components of our faith. We are passionate about making our local and global communities a better place for all. By serving others, we feel the transformative power of our beliefs and see the positive change that it brings to the world. As we continue our work of empowering people and building sustainable programs, we see a light and a renewed resolution in those we touch. The greatest things happen when we listen to God’s call, open our hearts wide, and serve.
To learn more about our local agency partners, click here.
CURRENT OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
Join Team Bill Britt!
Covenant House Executive Sleep Out | Nov 19
Bill Britt joins other clergy, rabbis and business executives in sleeping outside to bring awareness to the hundreds of homeless youth living in Atlanta. Won’t you contribute to Bill’s fundraising efforts? To give, visit www.prumc.org/give, or make your check out to PRUMC with CH Executive Sleep Out in the memo, and mail it to the church business office.
PAL Kids Need Us!
We are collecting non-perishable snacks for the kids attending virtual school at the Anderson Police Athletic League. You can drop off at the church or provide through our Amazon Wish List where the items will be shipped to PAL. Snack suggestions include: individual bags of Cheez-Its, Goldfish, pretzels, cheese-filled crackers, fruit snacks and pudding. For more information contact Beth Spencer at beths@prumc.org.
Agape Dinners Needed
Volunteers are needed to provide and deliver dinner for 275 children served by Agape. Meals are prepared by Chef Bob for 3:30 pm pick-up at the church. Up to 10 volunteers travel by bus with the Agape staff to deliver meals.
Cascade UMC Thanksgiving Give Away
Monday, November 23
Shifts: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm & 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Cascade UMC – 3144 Cascade Rd SW, Atlanta, GA 30311
Assist Cascade members in their annual Thanksgiving Basket give away to over 1400 low income families. Contact Beth Spencer at beths@prumc.org to volunteer for this 20 year old tradition feeding those in need.
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES
Please reach out to Beth Spencer at beths@prumc.org for more information about the following upcoming volunteer opportunities!
Partners in Change: New virtual opportunity! Become a coach and help create new beginnings for low-income individuals seeking to improve the lives of their families.
Restoration Partners: Mentor returning citizens, write letters of hope to those incarcerated, and donate items for Welcome Home kits as returning citizens are released.
Agape: Virtual tutors needed. Volunteers needed to pass out breakfast and lunches to Title One families.
Atlanta Police Athletic League (PAL): Support the PAL officers as they take on new roles supervising the virtual learning of 50 APS students at the Anderson PAL Location.
Christmas Kindness: Multiple small group volunteer opportunities throughout September, October, and November. Actual event is December 9-12 in a modified form with limited volunteers.
Hopeworks Christmas: Deliver Christmas goodies to low-income widows.
Decent, safe, affordable
PRUMC and Habitat believe that every person should have access to a decent, safe and affordable place to live. Because of that belief, we team up each year to build homes for hard working families. Our strong partnership with Habitat is founded on their mission of sustainability. Each recipient of a Habitat Home works by our side to build the home. They also attend required home ownership education classes on maintenance, budgeting and more. Because of this type of “hand up” outreach, we are building better communities that last.
Please check back for updates on new projects!
Typical Schedule:
Day 1 Install walls, deck, columns, and beams.
Day 2 Install trusses and doors. Build side porch and stairs. Begin siding.
Day 3 Deck and felt roof. Install framing. Continue siding.
Day 4 Shingle, insulate. Finish siding and caulking. Install porch railings. Paint.
Day 5 Paint. Finish shingling. Install interior doors.
Day 6 Paint. Install baseboards, window sills, trim, cabinets, and counter tops.
Day 7 Paint. Install hardware.
Day 8 Clean up / touch up. Landscape. Dedicate.
This is a fun and rewarding volunteer opportunity that builds homes, communities and hope. Contact Beth Spencer or Diane Scanlan with any questions.
We rise by lifting others
The Great Day of Service
Each spring at Peachtree Road we take one Saturday to serve our community as a church family. This church-wide event is designed to make a large impact in a short time, and inspire others as well as ourselves.
As we clean, sort, paint, pack and garden, we strive to make a dent in the overwhelming needs of our outreach partners. The Great Day of Service is our springtime jump-start to volunteer efforts that we can continue throughout the year. The goal is to make helping others a priority, and to remember it is fun and rewarding!
The Great Day of Service is an impactful way to experience the work of our outreach partners. Their presence is important and transformative and we are honored to be active participants in serving our community.
Schedule
8:00 am . Gathering and Breakfast
8:30 am . Holy Communion
9:00 am . Teams head out to service projects
11:00 am to 1:30 pm . Old Fashioned BBQ
2020 Projects
1 Agape Ragtime Senior Program – Activity
Volunteers will interact with the senior adults during a morning out of bowling and lunch. This project bring smiles all around!
Captain: Keri Caldwell | Ages 10+
2. Covenant House Georgia
Volunteers will assemble Welcome Baskets for the Rights of Passage program – for when the youth transition into long term housing. These baskets say “You are loved and welcome here!”
Captain: Bonnie Copeland | Ages 18+
3. Fellowship of Christian Athletes – Urban Baseball
Volunteers will join youth in baseball games at Carver YMCA with one game in the morning and one game in the afternoon. During the games, volunteers will staff the concession stand. Great for baseball fans of all ages!
Captain: Karen Trotter | Ages 10+
4. Fellowship of Christian Athletes – Soccer
Lots of activities for volunteers at the Atlanta Youth Academy. Help read the devotional before each game, pick up trash, work their concession stand and experienced players can be used as linemen. Great for soccer fans of all ages!
Captain: Elizabeth Meredith | Ages 10+
5. Jerusalem House – Family Program I
Volunteers will take children and their families bowling. This is a great project to do as a family with opportunities to visit and minister with families from Jerusalem House.
Captain: Buddy Littleton | Ages 8+
6. Metro Transition Center – Family Day
Volunteers will set-up and staff a Family Day for the returning citizens and their families. There will be a cookout, games, activities and a DJ!
Captain: Amy Bentley | Ages 18 +
7. Wilderness Works
If you enjoy field trips and being outgoing to strangers, this is the right project for you! PRUMC volunteers will take 20 homeless children on a field trip or enrichment experience in Atlanta. Location TBD.
Captain: Randall Mullen | Ages 10 +
8. Agape Teen Discovery Program
This project is an opportunity to share career mentoring and knowledge with teens from the Agape Program. Participants will work through case-study exercises together and have the opportunity to learn more about school and career opportunities. Volunteers will help with staffing as well as sharing their personal stories.
Captains: Michael Chiock | Ages 18 +
9. Hollis Innovation Academy – I
Use your green thumb to help brighten the school’s garden atrium! Volunteers will replant flower and vegetable boxes.
Captain: Catherine Jones | Ages 10+
10. Hollis Innovation Academy – II
If you like the musical “Alladin” or just musical theatre in general, why not give this project a go? Volunteers will work on creating the sets for the school’s spring musical. This project will involve painting, cutting, gluing, set carpentry and creative design!
Captain: Mary Beth Cornell | Ages 12+
12. Agape – Interior Makeover VELAZQUEZ family
Volunteers will help makeover bedrooms & the kitchen for this deserving for this family – new furniture, bedding, kitchen table, desk, etc. Come help with the transformation!
Captain: Melissa Biggs | Ages 12+
13. Agape – Shopping Day VELAZQUEZ family
Volunteers will take the family shopping to stock the pantry, get new clothes and shoes, home essentials and more!
Who doesn’t LOVE to shop?
Captain: Juliane McCaleb | Ages 8+
14. Agape – Home Repairs VARGAS family
Volunteers will help make repairs on an Agape families mobile home on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20.
Captain: Doug Linneman | Ages 16+
15. Agape – Interior Makeover VARGAS family
Volunteers will help makeover bedrooms for the deserving children of this family – new furniture, bedding, curtains, etc. Come help with the transformation!
Captains: Pebbles Nix & Jenny Warner | Ages 12+
16. Agape – Agape – Shopping Day VARGAS family
Volunteers will take the family shopping to stock the pantry, get new clothes and shoes, home essentials, baby needs and more!
Who doesn’t LOVE to shop?
Captain: Carlton Gansereit | Ages 8+
17. Solomon’s Temple
It’s a MAKEOVER! If organizing and designing spaces are some of your favorite activities, this project is for you! Volunteers will install blinds in all the bedrooms, paint bedrooms and stairwell and landscape.
Captain: Amanda Tucker | Ages 12+
18. Jerusalem House
Calling volunteers looking for an outdoor project! This project involves providing some TLC for the Jerusalem House property. Activities include raking leaves, trimming bushes and hedges, planting flowers and vegetables and pressure washing.
Captain: Jennifer Evans | Ages 12+
19. Jerusalem House – Family Program II
Volunteers will assist in beautifying the property through various landscaping jobs and also work on indoor projects at the residential building.
Captains: Rev. Elizabeth & Phillip Byrd | Ages 12+
20. New Hope AME Church
This project is a great opportunity to provide TLC to a well-known historical site in Atlanta – right in our neighborhood! Volunteers will clean the playground and cemetery and do planting on the grounds.
Captain: Katie Amy | Ages 5+
21. The Wesley Foundation at Georgia Tech
The Wesley Foundation at GA Tech is a non-profit extension of the UMC serving the students of GA Tech. Volunteers will work with the PRUMC Men’s Ministry team to beautify the property through landscaping and planting.
Captain: Dyer Kennedy | Ages 12+
22. Boys & Girls Club
Dust off your carpentry skills! Volunteers will be building wooden shelves for heavy storage in 2 locations on the campus.
Captain: Tommy Powell | Ages 16+
23. Feed My Lambs Atlanta
This project is for volunteers wanting to provide some TLC to spaces that are well-loved by children each day! Volunteers will do some touch-up painting, deep cleaning, minor carpentry repairs for closet & pantry doors.
Captains: Tracy Ryan | Ages 10+
24. Trinity Community Ministries
Trinity House helps homeless men (many vets) reclaim their lives and return to their families and communities as mentors and leaders. Volunteers will work on in house projects such as organizing closets and building shelving.
Captain: Earl Young | Ages 8+
25. Action Ministries – Women’s Community Kitchen
Do you LOVE organizing? This is your project! Volunteers will clean and organize the Women’s Kitchen pantry and kitchen space. This project also includes installing additional shelving in several locations.
Captain: Nicole Postlewaite | Ages 8+
26. Buckhead Christian Ministry
Volunteers will clean and organize at the renovated, expanded THRIFTique, BCM’s thrift store at Miami Circle!
Captain: Colleen Hutson | Ages 10+
27. Hopeworks – YOUTH PROJECT
PRUMC youth will work at 2 elderly widows homes doing inside cleaning, yard work, restocking the pantry and visiting with the homeowners. No generation gap here!
Captains: Elisabeth Pannell & Angie Howell | Youth 12+
28. Family Project – Action Ministries – Smart Kid, Smart Lunch
Do you want to participate with your family in GDS but only have an hour or so to give? Sign-up for the Family Project! Families will work together packing hundreds of snack packs & literacy kits for area children.
Captain: Lindsay Wimberly | Families with children ages 5 – 10 years old
29. HopeWorks I
(Project reserved for older adults and those with Special Needs)
Volunteers will assemble fruit baskets for the elderly widows of HopeWorks.
Captain: Pablo Mejias | Ages 10+
30. Hygiene Kits & Lunch Bags for Homeless
(Project reserved for older adults and those with Special Needs)
Volunteers will assemble hygiene kits and lunch bags for the Homeless Ministry at PRUMC.
31. “Praying for Peanut Butter”
(Project reserved for older adults and those with Special Needs)
Volunteers will help make peanut butter sandwiches to be distributed to area homeless shelters.
Captain: Brandon Blewitt
32. Welcome Baskets & Home Cleaning Buckets
(Project reserved for older adults and those with Special Needs)
Volunteers will assemble welcome baskets for women leaving Metro Transition Center and assemble home cleaning buckets for Agape homeowners.
Captain: Lisa Snodgrass
33. HopeWorks II
Volunteers will deliver assembled fruit baskets to the elderly widows of HopeWorks.
Captain: Ashley Roberson
34. GDS Check-In
35. GDS Picnic Workers
Volunteers will assist Chef Bon and his staff with the Great Day picnic lunch, decorating tables, etc.
Captain: Jo Hodges
36. GDS Set-up on Friday
Great Day FAQs
What time does my project end?
Each project length is different. They end anywhere from 10:30 am – 3:00 pm. Your project captain will confirm the length.
Do I need to bring anything to my project?
Your Project Captain will contact you with information a week before the Great Day. Usually we provide all the necessary equipment.
Do I need to bring lunch or water?
Water is provided by the church and lunch will be provide your Project Captain if your project continues during lunchtime.
How do I know where my project is?
You will receive an email the week of the GDS with complete details and directions to your project.
Do I need to come to the church first? Or can I go straight to my project?
You can meet either at the church, or at your project. We recommend coming to the church so that you may experience communion with the large group.
What should I wear?
Wear casual clothes that can get dirty.
What if it rains?
If it rains, and you are on an outdoor project, you will receive instructions to your rain plan (indoor) project.
How do I get more information on who we are helping?
To learn more about the agencies we are helping, ask your project captain for information or link to their website from www.prumc.org.
How often is the Great Day? Are there more throughout the year?
The Great Day of Service occurs once annually during Lent.
Can I count this toward school service hours?
To count The Great Day toward school service hours please email Beth Spencer at beths@prumc.org.
How do I register?
Register online or on a paper form located throughout the church.
What are the age breakdowns? Is there a nursery for children too young for projects?
The registration form indicates appropriate ages for each project. Nursery is available at the church for 4 months to 4 years. We have planned outreach activities for ages 4 to 7 at the church. Some off-campus projects take children as young as 4 years old.
Food Drive for BCM
Twice a year Peachtree Road fills up the food pantry at Buckhead Christian Ministry (BCM) so that Atlanta’s working poor families will not go hungry if they cannot afford groceries. We commit to collecting non-perishable food items (see list here) in March and October. As a reminder, paper bags with lists attached are given out each Sunday in those months. Groceries can be dropped off at bins located throughout the church.
Diaper & Formula Drive
Diapers and baby formula are necessary but costly items. The families assisted by Buckhead Christain Ministry and Feed My Lambs can’t always afford these staples for their infants. We can help cloth and feed the smallest of God’s children and lend a hand to their parents. We collect diapers of all sizes and formula in September in bins located throughout the church.
Living Christmas
Each December Peachtree Road is privileged to host Christmas Kindness. We provide a shop full of new coats, household items and toys so the working poor of our city may select gifts for their families with dignity, at no cost to them. Beyond providing material items, Christmas Kindness gives an experience of respect and independence to patrons who are known as “working poor.” Many live in area shelters, and all are in need.
Christmas Kindness patrons are warmly welcomed into our church and guided to areas where they select their own gifts for children and family. All items are new, and whether our patrons go home with a toy, a toaster or a warm winter coat, they all leave with the feeling that they matter.
Christmas Kindness is not about giving a gift. And it’s not just about giving Christmas. It’s about living Christmas. If you are looking to live out Christmas this year and give of your heart, please join us in supporting this beloved outreach program.
Christmas Kindness is funded exclusively by donations. $150,000 in gifts extend the Christmas Kindness ministry to 2,100 people in the Atlanta area. Thank you!
Please check back for updates on Christmas Kindness 2020! Contact Beth Spencer or Diane Scanlan with any questions.