Mission Focus
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Christmas Mission Projects
 
 The holiday season is approaching fast! This year we have two different choices on how we can help our community in need.
 
1. Prologue Inc. is collecting donations of new toys (If your toy requires batteries, please include them with your gift.) and fast-food gift cards for children/teens who are experiencing homelessness. Prologue often falls short on gifts for preteens and teens. One suggestion is small denomination gift cards to fast food restaurants. Favorites include Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, and Subway. (Please include the amount of the gift card with it.) Please bring in your new unwrapped gift or gift cards by December 8th. We will deliver them to Prologue for distribution. Thank you!
 
2. Our Sunday School kids will be conducting a food drive to support the Cockeysville Food Pantry. The holiday season is a busy time and supplies often run low. The food pantry needs donations of non-perishable food. Items that often-run low are canned soup, canned fruit, mac and cheese and jelly. Check out the Sunday School’s display for a complete list. (Please no food with expired dates.)

 

 
Thanksgiving Meals
We will be partnering with ACTC (Assistance Center of Towson Churches) again this year to provide Thanksgiving meals to many in need in our community. Monetary donations will be used to purchase prepacked bags of food and perishables to make the Thanksgiving holiday meal special. The due date for donations for thanksgiving baskets is November 17th.
 
 
FELT – Feeding Empty Little Tummies

 

Since 2015 we have been providing children in need from Mays Chapel Elementary School with weekly backpacks of food so they have enough to eat over the weekends and breaks. This year we started out with 10 children. That number will fluctuate throughout the year as circumstances change or families relocate. These past few years have been especially hard for many families in our community. Making sure the children have nutritious meals when they aren’t in school enables them to concentrate in school and succeed in life. Thank you for your support in helping us with this very important mission.
 
 
 
107 Homeless Students (PreK-High School) Need Our Help! They are from families, in Baltimore County, that Prologue Inc. assist. 
 
Below is a breakdown of Students and also a list of School Supplies needed. Please bring your donations or check to church by 
August 4. If you write a check, please include school supplies on the memo line and we’ll do the shopping! Thank you!!
 
Preschool-K-22, Lower Elem-21, Upper Elem–23, Middle School–23, High School-18
 
School Supplies
Backpacks, Composition Books–Wide Rule, Crayons, Erasers–Cap,
Folders–2 Pocket Plastic/Poly with Prongs, Glue Sticks, Highlighters–Wide & Thin Tips, Markers–Dry Erase, Markers–Washable Wide Tip, Markers–Wide Tip, Notebook Paper–Wide Rule, Notebook Paper–College Rule, Pens, Pencils, Pencils–Color, Pencil Boxes,
Pencil Large Zipper Pouches, Pencil Sharpeners, Scissors, Spiral Notebooks–Wide Rule, Spiral Notebooks–College Rule
 
 
 
“As the humanitarian relief and development arm of The United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Committee on Relief – UMCOR – assists United Methodists and churches to become involved globally in direct ministry to persons in need. UMCOR comes alongside those who suffer from natural or human-caused disasters – famine, hurricane, war, flood, fire, or other events—to alleviate suffering and serve as a source of help and hope for the vulnerable. UMCOR provides relief, response, and long-term recovery grants when events overwhelm a community’s ability to recover on their own. UMCOR also provides technical support and training for partners to address emerging and ongoing issues related to disaster relief, recovery, and long-term health and development.” Current responses are U.S. and International disaster relief, Ukraine response, U.S Hurricane response, Aid to migration and refugees and others.
Mays Chapel UMC has applied for a grant to renovate the 1854 Chapel to become a disaster supply storage facility. This will enable us to become part of the UMCOR supply chain. We will keep you updated on the progress and needs and skills necessary to make this a successful part of the UMCOR network.
 
 
Manna House started out informally, handing out food bags to the poor and needy in the community. And grew from there.
 
In 1966 the Midtown Churches Community Association was incorporated.
In 1973 their soup kitchen was opened in a row house on St Paul St.
In 1986, through a grant, they were able to obtain additional resources for their clients.
In 1989 the soup kitchen and administrative offices moved to the current location at 435 E 25th St.
Over time they have added literacy programs and (MEET) mentoring, education, employability training. Midtown churches community association became Manna House Inc in 1994. They continually add resources for their clients. Health care for the homeless brings their van weekly to 25th St. case workers help clients obtain valid identification, transportation to health care appointments, case management, showers and clean clothes and much much more.
 
Mays Chapel has been a part of the breakfast club for many years. Manna house has been providing meals for those in need for over 50 years. This year they were able to obtain the restaurant next door and are close to completing a major renovation. Instead of a crammed 20 seat dining room there will be space for 50 people at a time. A greatly needed new kitchen facility will be available.
We are looking forward to serving breakfast again soon. At this time, they are still serving just Monday-Fridays. Volunteers are always needed to pack hygiene kits, sort clothes, and organize storage of donated items. There are other ways your time and talents can be used as shown on the website.mannahouseinc.org.
Mays Chapel collects travel size toiletries to donate for their hygiene kits.
Monetary donations are always needed. Please mark your donation “Manna House”.
Examples:
$10 donation purchases one Maryland Birth Certificate
$20 donation purchases a Maryland State ID
$50 purchases a pair of steel toed work boots.
Larger donations are used to purchase bus passes for clients to go to medical appointments or work. Also, for security deposits for housing.
As always, thank you for your faithful and generous support of Mays Chapel missions.
 
 
 

Our mission is to improve the quality of life and provide equal opportunities to people of all abilities through community development and employment services while raising public awareness.

Inspired by the success of our Expressive Arts Therapy program, we launched our Meaningful Day program in 2019. This is a Monday-Friday program that aims to provide an elevated experience for young adults with disabilities after they exit the educational system. Karina Association offers the Meaningful Day program via our approval as a Service Provider for DDA and DORS.

We provide Community Development Services to our participants, where they are immersed in their community via volunteering and hands-on learning opportunities. CDS fosters personal growth and development of new skills through engagement in community-based activities with people without disabilities. CDS provides the social support necessary to foster lasting relationships and a path to discover each individual’s niche for employment opportunities within the community. With encouragement and support, young adults identify their skills, interests, and needs, and work toward improving their ability to self-advocate. This journey of self-education is an ongoing process, as individual needs change over time.

We are also approved to provide Employment Services, including a variety of support to help Karina’s participants identify career and employment interests, as well as to find a niche for self-employment.

For enrollment information, please contact office@karinaassociation.org.

 
 
 
Prologue Outreach workers meet the homeless in Baltimore County where they are. (Camps, shelters, airports, woods, etc.) Prologue provides needed resources to clients to help them return to a stable environment or at least make it through another day safely. 
 
Mays Chapel United Methodist Church supports the homeless they serve by providing packed lunches once a month, collecting school supplies, and purchasing gifts at Christmas to bring joy to so many.
 
How can you help? You can join in a lunch packing session held once a month. Purchase school supplies during July/August to help the many children that cannot afford basic supplies. Let a child know that they are loved by purchasing a Christmas gift for them in November/December. Monetary donations are used to purchase lunch making supplies or provide emergency needs.  
 
Always, thank you for supporting Mays Chapel Missions!
 
 
 
United Churches Assistance Network (UCAN) is an ecumenical partnership of sixteen local churches in North Baltimore County that have pooled resources in an effort to better respond to the needs of the community. Together they offer financial assistance and supportive guidance to those in crisis situations and where required, refer clients to the Cockeysville Food Pantry and the Epworth Thrifty Penny for clothing. UCAN is an all volunteer organization. We have NO payroll.
 
UCAN opened its doors on June 3, 1996 providing assistance to adults & families. These monies included food certificates, lodging, prevention of evictions, utility payments (gas, electric and heating fuel oil), transportation (including MTA tokens) and prescriptions. This aid is in addition to assistance provided through networking with other community assistance networks within Baltimore County.
 
 
 
Tend My Sheep Haiti along with our partners have continued the work at the Duparc Farm Ministry. It was a very challenging year in Haiti. But, in spite of serious inflation and ongoing terrible violence, our amazing workers and staff have accomplished many things.
 
TMS Chicken Project – A large chicken broiler house on the property had been badly damaged in recent hurricanes, and the roof was almost totally gone. Thanks to a generous donation, we were able to put a new roof on and repair all of the other damage. We purchased chicks and were able to raise them and sell them in the market in town. We raised more and sold some, and as food became dangerously scarce, we gave some to vulnerable people in the community.
 
The Duparc Goat Herd – Enclosing about an acre of land, the cinder block goat enclosure walls housed a large goat herd prior to 2011. The two earthquakes badly damaged the walls surrounding the enclosure and needed extensive work. Thanks to project donors, the goat enclosure walls were repaired, and a new weather shelter and water basin were built. Late last summer, goats were purchased, and the vet began vaccinating and doing regular health checks. Farm workers are busy preparing a pasture area for goat grazing next to our community soccer field. We are purchasing more goats, and as funds become available, we will have enough pasture to graze a large herd. We are organizing a program to give young people female goats to begin their own herd, and the rest will be sold.
 
Crop Fields – We have cleared fields overgrown due to years of neglect and begun planting. We grow a large amount of corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, onions, and other vegetables. We have also been planting bananas and plantains and fruit trees. We purchased a corn grinder that enables us to grind corn grown on our farm and for other farmers in the community.
 
Work for Food Program – At this time, the church on the farm is focusing heavily on providing food to the starving. Food is being distributed in exchange for work to those able to work. The workers are caring for our crops and clearing additional overgrown fields so we can continue to expand our production. Some food is purchased, some is packed in the USA and shipped, and some is grown or raised on the farm – including vegetables and ground cornmeal. Those who are unable to work receive food packets for free. All food packets go with the gospel message, and when possible, a hearty meal is shared following Sunday services. Church services are full and overflowing!
 
Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
 
Thank you for always supporting Mays Chapel Missions. The generosity of our congregation allows us to touch so many lives, near and far. We’d love to hear your ideas and thoughts on different ways we can do this. See any Mission Team member for more info.