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Serving Others



At Christ United, serving others is second only to loving God. We invite you to share your gifts and talents with those in need and be part of our transformational ministries. The life transformed may just be your own.


Monthly Opportunities

Sandwich Blessings

Help our neighbors facing homelessness and food scarcity by supporting our Sandwich Blessing ministry.  Individuals or groups prepare a sack lunch and gather each week to serve and talk with those coming for Streetside Showers service.  

The event is held each Wednesday and Saturday from 10:30 AM – 2 P.M.  at two locations: 

Assistance Center of Collin County | Saturdays | Located at 900 18th Street, Plano, Tx.

Hope Restored Missions | Wednesdays | 1947 K Ave Suite B100 Plano, Tx.

Sandwiches can be made off-site or at the church. Please contact amber@cumc.com to reserve a room at CUMC or if you have any questions. The Sign-up Genius (see link below) has the details of quantity and items for meal preparation.   

Men’s Service Group

Join us for breakfast and a morning of fellowship before working on small house projects in our community. This is a great opportunity to develop friendships and live out our mission of serving others.


Upcoming Events

Bottled Water Drive

You can help support our local partner agencies and homeless neighbors during the hot summer months. Bottles need to be in packs of 24 or less. Donations can be dropped off in the Atrium Jul 24 – Aug 4.


Serving Opportunities with our Mission Partners

It is incredible to witness the impact of volunteers from our community as we work together with  local partners who help our neighbors. There’s a place for everyone to become engaged in supporting services provided by agencies such as Hope Restored Missions, God’s Pantry, AGAPE Women’s Shelter, City House, Veteran programs and many more. Please contact Betsy Crawford or Amber Orr to learn more and hear about upcoming needs for various missions.


Food Scarcity

Help our neighbors facing homelessness and food scarcity by supporting our Sandwich Blessing ministry.  Individuals or groups prepare a sack lunch and gather each week to serve and talk with those coming for Streetside Showers service.

The event is held each Tuesday and Saturday from 10:30 AM – 2 P.M.  at two locations:

Hope Restored Missions | Tuesdays | 1947 K Ave Suite B100 Plano, Tx. | SIGN UP TO SERVE

Assistance Center of Collin County | Saturdays | Located at 900 18th Street, Plano, Tx. | Sign - Up | SIGN UP TO SERVE

Sandwiches can be made off-site or at the church. Please contact amber@cumc.com to reserve a room at CUMC or if you have any questions. The Sign-up Genius has the details of quantity and items for meal preparation.

Contact Amber Orr for more details.

Snack packs are provided to those facing homelessness and food insecurity. We deliver our snack packs to many local agencies that work directly with these neighbors as well as providing them to walk-in individuals at the church. Suggested items for snack packs: applesauce pouches, bottled waters, cheeze-its, chips, dried fruit, fruit cups, granola bars, hand warmers, seasonal juice boxes, peanut butter crackers, pretzels, protein bars, protein packets, chicken, tuna, vienna sausages, etc. small pack of tissues small pack of baby wipes Please pack items in a gallon size zip-top plastic baggie. An encouraging note is always a nice touch!

Contact Amber Orr for more details.

Housing

FG is an emergency homeless shelter for families that provides stability and supportive services including shelter, supportive housing, general and vocational case management, and education. The school age children living in the shelter are students within PISD schools.

Family Gateway - We Help Families Affected by Homelessness

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 Ministry page for more information about volunteering for MSG.

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.

The mission of City House is to protect, serve, and empower children and young adults that are experiencing homelessness, abuse, or neglect. There are 3 major components of City House; emergency shelter, transitional living program houses, and street outreach.

https://www.cityhouse.org/City House

These transitional living houses serve young adults who have aged out of foster care or are homeless without critical support. They provide classes to the residents to help launch residents into sustainable independent living.

Jim Riley Outreach

Emily's Place is a local agency that helps to break the cycle of domestic violence for women and their children through long-term transformational care that seeks to restore faith, hope, and health.

https://www.emilysplacetx.org/

Education

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

 

Guinn (under Education tab)-The mission of Guinn Special Programs is to educate, inspire, and empower every student, regardless of their individual life circumstances. They are dedicated to the proposition that all students have the right to a high-quality education, irrespective of past decisions. The Guinn Special Programs Center offers programs for at-risk students that include: Accelerated curriculum programs, Behavior management programs, and the School Age Parent Program. The Guinn Center assists students K-12 from all of the PISD schools.

Guinn Special Programs Center / Homepage (pisd.edu) 

Guinn Special Programs Center / Homepage (pisd.edu) School Age Parent Program / School-Age Parent Program (pisd.edu)

Sigler (under education tab)- We are looking for some wonderful CUMC volunteers to mentor 2nd-5th grade Stars at Sigler Elementary School. The time commitment is only 30 minutes a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays and will be during your student's grade level lunch period between 12:10-1:10. Prior to mentoring a volunteer background check will need to be completed at https://plano.voly.org/ email kimberly.edwards@pisd.edu or amber@cumc.com Sigler Elementary / Homepage (pisd.edu)

 

Global Missions

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.

Contact Betsy Crawford or more details.

The UMCOR Sager Brown Deport in Baldwin, LA packs and ships supplies for disaster relief when war, conflict, or natural disasters disrupt one’s life. Mission team members may participate in packing supply buckets or volunteer in the local community on housing rehabilitation projects. Participants will stay on campus with access to an excellent dining hall.

Inspiring Travel Forms

 

Mission Opportunities

Accordion Sample DescriptionThe 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.

Contact Rita Ward for more details.

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.

Gift cards are needed and appreciated year-round for our neighbors in need. Walmart, gas stations, and fast food cards are needed in increments of $5 and $10. Please contact amber@cumc.com with any questions.

Our annual gift tree drive begins in late November and runs through early December. Toy and monetary donations are collected, sorted, and distributed to local agencies for Christmas.

Support our homeless neighbors by supporting our mission partner: Hope Restored Missions. Donate, volunteer, and more to help end homelessness in Plano!

Men’s Packets Deodorant Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Brushes/Combs, Soap/Body Wash, Small bottles of lotion, Shampoo Razors and shaving cream, Small foot powder, Nail clipper/kits, Body spray/cologne.

Women’s Packets Brushes/combs, Toothbrush/Toothpaste, Deodorant, Soap/Body Wash, Small bottles of lotion, Shampoo & conditioner, Razors and shaving gel, Small foot powder, Nail clipper/kits, Body spray/perfume, Feminine sanitary product.

Items For Outreach Gallon size Ziploc bags, Travel hand sanitizers, Travel size emptied containers for bulk sanitizer gel, Wash clothes/small towels, Individual wipes packets.

Please bring donations to the HRM Resource Center or drop at the church welcome desk 1947 Ave K, Suite B100, Plano, 75074 phone -214-501-2181 Hours 10AM-4PM Mon-Fri.

Donation List

Hope Restored Mission

Contact Amber Orr for more details.

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 second Monday of each month from 7 PM – 8:30 PM in room N156.

Hygiene packs are distributed to our neighbors in need and are always needed. Suggested items: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, and lotion packed in gallon sized plastic bag. A handwritten encouraging note is always appreciated. Hygiene kits are needed year-round.


Learn More

Betsy Crawford | Director of Serving Others Ministries

Amber Orr | Assistant Director of Serving Others Ministries

Because we do not have the resources to handle all requests here at Christ United, we rely on these programs and centers to help us manage the needs of our community. In addition to our own church programs, Christ United members help support these agencies by volunteering and donating.