Each month we focus on a particular cause or mission to support. 

 

MISSION OF THE MONTH- SACA

Our Mission focus for October is the Southern Anoka Community Assistance (SACA) Food Shelf, founded in 1976 to help meet the food insecurity needs of residents in Columbia Heights, Hill Top, Fridley and Spring Lake Park. Dave Rudolph, Food Shelf Co-Coordinator has been directing this organizations program efforts for the past 14 years. He reports an ever-increasing demand for the food shelf. Today, the program serves 55,000 clients on a yearly basis. This represents an increase of 91% as compared with service numbers from 2019. Over the past 14 years, the program has evolved from providing prepacked boxes of groceries into a service where clients self-select food that fits their individual family tastes. Recently, SACA increased their ability to serve clients by changing food shelf appointments from 15 minutes to every 10 minutes. This allows for 10 more families to be served every day.

SACA operates on food and financial donations from the community.  They use monetary donations to buy food through Second Harvest where each $1 can purchase over 10 pounds of food.

SACA provides healthy food for our community members in need with the goal of supporting a pathway to stability and self-sufficiency. The food shelf also provides for individual food delivery through a program called SACA Delivers. The service focuses on clients who find it hard to travel to pick up food at the food shelf. They receive a monthly delivery of food

Who are clients of the food shelf?

Large families, single parent families, individual adults, students, and Seniors are served by the food shelf. 

What life circumstances bring people to seek food assistance? 

Clients often speak of seeking assistance when they are going through a rough patch lasting 1 – 3 months.

Big bills, lost jobs, retirement that doesn’t cover their needs and prescriptions outstripping their budget bring clients to seek help. 

SACA also runs a Thrift Store that is open to the public. All essential items are affordably priced. Thrift store items are donated by the community and the store is maintained and staffed by volunteers. All (yes, 100%) of their sales revenue is used to purchase food. All donations to the SACA Thrift Store are tax deductible.

3 FUMC members volunteer their time with SACA. Jody Lee, Gary Boyer and Jeff Mondloh volunteer for 4 hour shifts each week.  SACA is always seeking additional volunteers. Volunteers with Spanish language skills are especially needed to help clients with limited English abilities. Speak with one of us if you would like to learn about the available opportunities.

The food needs for our community are great.  Please consider donating to this worthy cause.   

We are so grateful and appreciate your continued ministry to the missions of FUMC.  Giving is easy using the “Give Online” button on the FUMC website and then select “Missions.” You can also mail your donation to the church. Please write “October Missions” on the memo line of your check. Thank you for your generous support of our mission programs!

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Family Table is a free meal for those in need in the surrounding community and are looking for fellowship.  All are welcome.  It is held on the 4th Saturday of the month: Dine in is from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, and Drive Thru is 12:00 –12:30 PM.  

Upcoming dates:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow School and Daycare is a church owned ministry.  It was specifically created to be open to all children and respects persons of all faiths and those with no religious faith.  Provides DayCare to the public from infant through Pre-K.  Rainbow’s phone number is 763-571-7521.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drivers are always needed.   We drive one week per month during the lunch hour.

To volunteer, contact: Impact Services, Meals on Wheels at 763-236-8718, ask for Laura Fanucci. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We serve at Feed My Starving Children. When we serve there we pack meals for children all over the world. This is a way you can make a difference for hungry kids. There are sitting jobs as well as standing jobs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to alleviating human suffering around the globe. UMCOR’s work includes programs and projects in disaster response, health, sustainable agriculture, food security, relief supplies, and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will be supporting a new missionary, Rev. J. Park.

 

Rev. J. Park is a United Methodist missionary serving as the Country Director of the Southeast Asia Mission Initiative, based in Ho Chi Minh City.  Rev. Park felt a call to ministry early in his life and has served as a pastor for 20 years, including starting multiple church plants.  His family came to the Christian faith through Methodist missionaries in Korea which inspired many of his family members to become pastors and missionaries.  His wife, T. Park, is also a missionary.  They are excited and happy to serve in Southeast Asia and hope to spread the Christian message in that part of the world.   The Minnesota Conference has a partnership with the Parks, and we can look forward to hearing more about them in the future.