The Bear with Me Program was started in 2003 at Christ United with the mission to provide stuffed bears, pillows and dolls to children who are ill, in counseling, under-privileged or displaced from their homes due to violence, abuse or other conflict. The goal is to provide comfort and to make difference in a child’s life through the word of God.

To learn how easy it is to make a bear to donate, watch this video.

There are opportunities for groups to assemble hygiene kits. These kits provide basic necessities to people who have been forced to leave their homes due to human conflict or natural disaster.

When people walk into our church for assistance, we provide them with a food kit and a hygiene kit if they need it. We keep these replenished through funds donated by you. Hygiene kits are also used as learning tools in personal hygiene, literacy, nutrition and cooking classes.

Here are some examples of what you can use to assemble your kits in a one-gallon bag.

• soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste & wash cloth

Individuals and small groups are invited to collect and assemble kits as needed. Please contact us for more information!

Christ United has been involved in putting together flood buckets, health kits, layette kits and more for Sager Brown for over 20 years. Other volunteer duties include sorting, organizing, doing inventory, shipping, sewing and other specialized skills.

VOLT is a mission team that provides eye care such as vision screenings, glasses and treatment of certain minor eye diseases with the goal of providing a better quality of life to those with poor vision. The team serves those who would otherwise not have access to eye care facilities both internationally and in the United States. They also provide Christian education programs, clothing, books and medical supplies to those being served as the projects allow. VOLT meets the third Monday of each month from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in room N156.

Opportunities to serve through VOLT include:

• Local, pre-trip opportunities including cleaning donated glasses, reading prescriptions and inputting glasses into a computer inventory system.
• All are welcome to join in on one of our mission trips either locally or internationally. All volunteers will be properly trained!

Provides assistance to people whose property has been devastated by a natural disaster such as floods, fires, severe thunderstorms, and hurricanes. The primary responsibility of the DRT team is to make things safe, sanitary, and secure in the early stages of recovery. The team also offers reconstructive assistance following the early stages of recovery. Since 2004, this courageous team has been all over Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. We gladly welcome any new comers, so please email Tina Wilson for more information.

DRT Deployments

• Van, TX                  Dulac, LA
• Grandbury, TX     Bastrop, TX
• Tushka, OK           Altus, OK
• Marlow, OK          Orange, TX
• Santa Fe, TX         Oklahoma City, OK
• Sherman, TX        Gainesville, TX
• McAlester, OK      Pass Christian, MS
• Mclean, TX            Grand Prairie, TX
• Carbon, TX            New Orleans, LA
• Kountze, TX          Pass Christian, MS
• Lancaster, TX       Falfurrias, TX

Christ United has partnered with Pastor Slawomir and his congregations in Poland, and with Reverend Clair in Belize. Our goals have included growing these Church’s (Miedzyrzecz, Chodiez, and Czarnkow Poland, and Dangriga, Belize) through construction, Vacation Bible Schools in the local communities, Youth programs, and VOLT eye clinics. As a result, many families have joined the different churches.

Alternative Valentine’s Day cards are available for purchase in the Atrium each February. Choose from four hand-designed cards to give to your favorite valentines. All of the proceeds support Journey of Hope – a nonprofit group specializing in grief support for children.

Each December, The Alternative Christmas catalog provides wonderful gift options that take the place of traditional Christmas gifts. These meaningful gifts are in the form of a donation that will help change lives through transformative programs detailed in the catalog. Give a gift of hope in honor of a friend, family member, teacher, co-worker or anyone else on your list. You will also receive a Christmas ornament.

Project Hope’s mission is to eliminate hopelessness in the North Texas Area by providing a program of coaching, training, education, and opportunity to all people who want to move from an impoverished lifestyle to a sustainable, quality lifestyle. The program focuses on seven areas: Family, Faith, Education, Career, Budget, Health, and Personal Issues. Visit our Project Hope page for more information!

The Project Hope Tutoring Program provides tutoring for the children of the families who are involved with Project Hope Coaching. Tutors focus on academic tools such as good study habits, organizational skills, time management, and improving their grades by sharing their own knowledge and talents. Academic needs are tailored and enriched for each student in K-12. The students, families, and tutors work collaboratively once a week through flexible sessions; virtual or in-person. Personal goals are set for the student to ensure their success in school. Our hope is that by providing academic tutoring and encouraging personal goal setting, students will develop a love of learning in order to be successful in school and in life.

Learn more about the program and how to volunteer on our tutoring page. You can also connect with Amber for more information as well.

Join the Hunger Team by preparing and serving sandwiches for our community members who are currently experiencing homelessness. We gather each week and make sandwiches to be served at the Assistance Center of CC from 2-5 PM for those receiving services from our partner organization Streetside Showers. Come once, or every day and serve up love to someone in need.

SIGN UP TO SERVE

Contact Amber Orr  for more details.

There are many ways for all ages to support our local North Texas Food Bank who provides food and support services for those in need! We volunteer with them regularly. Learn more about supporting them.

Groups and individuals can assemble food and health kits. These kits provide basic necessities to people who have been forced to leave their homes because of human conflict or natural disaster. When people visit our church for support of assistance, we provide them with a food kit and a health kit if they want it. We keep these replenished through funds donated by you. These kits are also used as learning tools in personal hygiene, literacy, nutrition and cooking classes.

During business hours you can drop off donated food on our second floor above Underwood Hall. The food is delivered weekly to a local food pantry.

We are looking for drivers throughout the year (1 or 2 times per month) to be a part of a team that picks up food on Saturday mornings from local markets and delivers it to local food pantries. It’s a fun way to get your entire family involved. For more information, contact Ruth Jensen.

Opportunity to provide a complete Thanksgiving meal to a family in need. Donations will be accepted in the Atrium in November. In addition to donations, volunteers are needed for the distribution of the food items. For more information, contact Sally Smith.

• Healthy, non-perishable food
• Items with intact, un-opened, consumer or commercial packaging
• Items with non-breakable packaging (no glass, please)
• Food within the expiration date on the packaging

Example items include:

• Cereal, rice, beans
• Ramen Noodles, mac and cheese, pasta, pasta sauce
• Peanut Butter, Jelly
• Hamburger Helper, boxed potatoes
• Snack items (pop tarts, granola bars, Jell-O cup)
• Canned meats (tuna, stew and chili)

Additional things you can do to bring focus to Hunger:

• At meal time, say a prayer for those going without food and a prayer of thanks for the food you have to eat.
• Invite guests to bring a can of food to your book club or other social gathering.
• Each time you go to the store, have your child pick out a can of food to donate to a child in need
• Invite your friends to volunteer at a food pantry with you or organize a food drive in your neighborhood.
• Organize your Mom-to-Mom, Bible study, exercise or service clubs to donate food or money to a local pantry.
• Collect your extra coins in a jar and donate them to a food pantry twice per year.
• When purchasing canned food, buy an extra can or two to donate.

As of 2018, Christ United is excited to be an advocate and supporter of this initiative that will care for some of our most vulnerable in our community this year. In conjunction with the CC Homeless Coalition, we worked with other community leaders to establish the Plano Overnight Warming Station where people who are experiencing homelessness can seek shelter and receive services during inclement weather.

The POWS will be open on nights when the forecasted temperature is 35 degrees with a 20 percent chance of precipitation or a standing temperature of 32 degrees or below is anticipated. We are excited to support this center that can provide overnight housing to those who would otherwise be sleeping outside.

Each year, Plano experiences 30 to 35 nights a year when temperatures fall below freezing. The Plano Overnight Warming Station, with the help of volunteers and donors, will provide shelter and meals to homeless individuals and families during these nights. The POWS is located at The Salvation Army’s east Plano location.

To sign up for training so you can join the Christ United POWS Team, go to:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0c4bada62da7fb6-volunteer2

Contact Christ United POWS Team Leaders Heike Dean at: heikedean@yahoo.com to learn how you can get involved.

Christ United’s Men’s Service Group (MSG) is a volunteer organization designed to help Christ United men serve God through home repairs and maintenance in Plano and the surrounding areas. Work is done in the homes of those in need and on our church campus.

Visit our Men’s and Women’s Ministry page for more information about volunteering for MSG.

This is an ongoing supply drive that supports children in our community as well as our Project Hope tutoring participants. Supplies can be dropped off in the serving others donation bins inside the north and south entrances. Please contact amber@cumc.com for more information.

Items needed:

• crayons
• scissors-blunt and sharp
• glue sticks
• Ticonderoga pencils
• washable markers-broad and fine
• erasers
• black Expo markers
• highlighters-assorted colors
• colored pencils
• notebook paper-wide and college ruled
• 12×18 construction paper-assorted colors
• plastic folders-assorted colors with brads
• binders-1 in and 2 in
• rulers
• pencil bags
• plastic resealable bags-sandwich, quart, and gallon
• tissues
• baby wipes
• disinfectant wipes
• hand sanitizer
• backpacks