We want to celebrate that we are taking care of one another with our outreach activities. First up… 

MISSION OF HOPE OUTREACH

As the hands and feet of Christ, our United Methodist Church of Mount Vernon has supported the Mission of Hope in Cedar Rapids through our Meal Ministry, Blanket Ministry and food donations for over ten years.  Their mission is to “Develop Rich & Satisfying Lives through Jesus Christ.” As part of that mission, they strive to meet the physical and the spiritual needs of people in the community through Free Meals, a Food Pantry, and Clothes Closet. They strive to provide Spiritual Growth through daily Bible study, addiction support, mentoring, job search assistance and much more. 

In the ten years our church has served the Mission of Hope, we have provided over 4000 meals! We have brought in blankets to tie with their clients and have donated many already tied blankets to those in need. We have added to their food pantry with our donations. 

YOU, our church family, have provided the funds needed to purchase the food and the supplies for those meals. YOU have baked delicious cookies and bars (and at one time, lasagnas). YOU have helped set up and YOU have served these meals three times each year, sometimes bringing your families to assist. THANK YOU! 

Currently, because of COVID19, meals are not being served indoors. Box lunches have been distributed each day to those in need. This April, we decided to donate money to provide fresh, hot pizzas instead of box lunches. That was a big hit and a welcome change. Our next date to serve is Wed., September 23. Stay tuned to see how we can continue to be the hands and feet of Christ and serve our brothers and sisters.

THANK YOU!  

Here is the scripture Mission of Hope shared on our behalf when distributing the meal we helped to provide: 

Ephesians 2:4-8 (NRSV)

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—