The traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving come together in our Lenten Mission Project. Maybe you give up a category of food, like desserts, or maybe you give up food for an entire day, so that you can devote more time to God and God’s people. Some people choose to give up television or video games and use the time for prayer and service to others.

This year, instead of collecting 5,000 food items at the church building, our goal is to raise $5,000 for three local agencies: Manna Food Bank (which feeds all of Montgomery County), UpCounty Consolidation Hub (created almost overnight to meet the emergency needs of Germantown residents), and Gaithersburg HELP (our local food pantry).

Food continues to be an important need in our community. Children who were accustomed to eating at school are missing meals. Adults who have lost jobs and/or who do not qualify for government assistance struggle to feed their families. Our seniors sometimes choose to buy groceries or buy their prescription medicines. Additionally, many neighbors are facing evictions or cut-offs of their water, electricity, and gas.

Give through the mobile app or mail a check to the church or hand-deliver a check to Mary Beth Lawrence. By the way, she is convinced that a goal of $20,000 is not out of our reach.

And a special bonus for those of you who have extra food in your pantries – on Saturday, March 13, church members have volunteered to drive by your home and collect your bags and boxes of food. Email the church office to let Pastor Mary Beth know you want a pick-up.

God of compassion,

we praise you that you look upon our frail lives

with love and understanding,

and that you desire for us all

new life in Jesus Christ.

We are overwhelmed by your love,

which goes to the cross for us,

endures the grave,

and leads us to new life.

By your Spirit,

strengthen our souls

to be brave and bold in Christ’s service.

Take our offerings,

and use them for your purposes,

in the name of Jesus Christ,

our crucified and risen Lord. Amen.

(from The Book of Common Worship)

 

 

• 200 residents receive hot Saturday and Sunday breakfast!
• No experience is necessary – all are welcome!

 

 

 

CLICK TO REGISTER

 

 

The Gaithersburg Community Soup Kitchen – The Lord’s Table – is a volunteer organization that collects food from area food banks, wholesalers, grocery stores, churches, and individuals. Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, we now prepare brown bagged lunches for 40–60 people. These lunches are provided Monday through Friday from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. at Epworth Methodist Church (Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg).

 

Additional food collected by this group is given to Gaithersburg HELP and churches for distribution to those who need groceries.

 

For more information, please contact Patrick Donohue at Epworth Methodist Church or Francie Whitlock at Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church.

 

 

 

Have you been following the refugee crisis, feeling compassion but not knowing what you can do to help? Join KindWorks in their project outfitting apartments for refugees!

 

If you would like to donate items needed to furnish an apartment for a family, including beds, furniture, kitchenware, linens, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc., contact Alexa Abdelatey. You will receive email notification when the next family is coming and instructions on how to proceed. Volunteers will be needed to move furniture and other items, and to set up the apartment for the family.

 

 

 

For further information, contact Yaw Obeng.

 

Gaithersburg HELP is a year-round food pantry that has served the Gaithersburg community since 1968. This is an all-volunteer organization composed of 200 volunteers from more than 25 local congregations, including GPC. It provides short-term, emergency assistance to more than 3,500 families in need. Gaithersburg HELP provides 3-day emergency food supplies based on family size, supplies for infants, help with prescriptions, transportation to medical appointments or to obtain services, and other support and referrals. GPC provides financial support to Gaithersburg HELP, as well as donations of food and supplies. This organization is one of the recipients of the items collected during the Lenten “Feeding of the 5000” Food Drive that GPC members participated in for several years. Gaithersburg HELP always needs volunteers to assist with telephone screening, provide transportation for clients, perform administrative tasks, or serve in the food pantry.

 

A list of current volunteer opportunities, along with a link to the volunteer application, can be found here. For more information on ways that you can get involved, please contact Gaithersburg HELP or visit www.gaithersburghelp.org.

 

 

SOME is an interfaith organization that takes a holistic approach to helping the poor and homeless in Washington, D.C. During the past 40+ years, SOME has grown from a local soup kitchen to a comprehensive program that provides affordable housing; employment training and placement services; medical, dental, and mental health care; meals and clothing; addiction treatment and counseling; and more. It is a vibrant, faith-based program that offers hope and a fresh start to thousands of poor and homeless individuals and families each year.

 

GPC provides financial support to SOME, and volunteers from GPC prepare a hot breakfast for 400–500 individuals at the SOME dining room on the first Tuesday of each month. SOME serves a nutritious breakfast and lunch at its main facility on “O” Street in northwest D.C. every day of the year, and GPC volunteers have been providing the hot breakfast once a month for more than 30 years!

 

Food items are donated by volunteers each month. Donations needed include eggs, bread, syrup, apple sauce, and orange juice. Additional items (ham and milk) and whatever items are not received as donations are purchased with support from the GPC Community Engagement Ministry budget. Food donations should be delivered to the GPC kitchen on the Sunday before the first Tuesday of the month.

 

For more information on how to join the GPC SOME Crew or donate food for the breakfast, contact Steve Olin.

 

 

 

GPC’s Prison Ministry is a group of volunteers affiliated with the St. James’ Prison Ministry—a consortium of local churches serving Montgomery County’s inmate population and their families at the three correctional facilities: the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Boyds, the Montgomery County Detention Center in Rockville, and the Pre-Release and Re-Entry Services Center, also in Rockville. Volunteers are involved in a wide variety of activities, including meeting and praying with inmates, collecting and distributing religious literature and greeting cards, mentoring and participating in job partnership programs, and providing other services as needed.

 

To volunteer with the Prison Ministry, contact Mary Wasik.

 

 

A few summers ago, Summit Hall ES added two eight-classroom portables. The teamwork of GPC men that helped move classroom materials and even two pianos to meet the deadline for the beginning of school was remarkable. Unfortunately the portables take up so much space that the loved Move It Monday running program that we helped staff had to be discontinued.

GPC volunteers still help in classrooms at Summit Hall, by working on math or writing with the students, and doing copying for the teachers. One member has diligently updated the bookroom used by the teachers. Our support to Rosemont ES and Forest Oak MS is primarily through contributions.

Collecting Box Tops for Education is something we can all do by checking our food boxes and labels. These little stamp-like items earn money for the schools to spend on extras that their budget can’t provide. There are collection boxes in Lindsay Hall and the church office.

Our Christmas Giving Tree tags help GPC members know the needs of families, so that many of our members can support the school families. Some volunteers have worked on trash pickup, trimming trees, planting chrysanthemums, and providing craft programs for kids during family dinners at school. One summer, the GPC youth group spent a 90° day helping with outdoor cleanup, and cooling off inside, labeling new books for the bookroom.

The opportunities are endless and new events may include meeting with a group of mothers to get to know them and have them hear English in an informal learning opportunity. Also, a reading specialist is looking for volunteers to help collate papers into packets.   

Some of the mothers of Summit Hall students helped us cook breakfasts at GPC for the Men’s Shelter. They look forward to another opportunity to join in that activity.

Please consider helping us with this neighborhood project. The rewards cannot be measured.