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October 2023

Minute for Mission

Refugee Ministry Team

Rick Greene

MISSION FINANCE TEAM


Refugees are not a burden but an opportunity.



…be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all,

continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude

of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or

a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great

variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Pet 4:7-10 

                                                                                                

The Refugee Ministry Team (previously known as the Refugee Task Force) has a long history of assisting refugee and immigrant families with transitioning into life in Columbus. Since 1977, they have worked closely with resettlement agencies such as CRIS (Community Refugee and Immigration Services) and UsTogether to sponsor new arrivals and to assist with emergency funds for expenses and unexpected costs not covered by federal assistance. They also help special needs situations, such as in-home English tutoring for those unable to attend group classes.


In 2021, they began the work to form arrival teams at First Community. These Arrival Teams work closely with CRIS to help resettle incoming families to the Columbus area. Enough funds were initially raised to support at least three incoming families. 


How You Can Help

  • Volunteer to be part of the team! The arrival team has many roles to fill and works with the family for a few months after arrival. 
  • Items are needed to complete a Welcome Kit to give families upon arrival. 
  • If you cannot volunteer or donate, contact the team leader, Shirley Barney, to see how else you can help!


A new family will be coming in October, and volunteer activities include:

  • Pre-Arrival (e.g., welcome kits, pantry stock, seasonal clothing, and apartment set-up).
  • Arrival (e.g., airport welcome, hot welcome meal, apartment move-in).
  • Other activities include transportation assistance, budgeting help, and employment.


The Refugee Ministry Team meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 6 pm. The Team operates entirely on financial contributions from the church and community. Donations are accepted online at FCchurch.com/giving.

Monthly Update

Shirley Barney

REFUGEE MINISTRY TEAM

RMT Activities:

  • Donated $ 3,500 to cover rent for CRIS (Community Refugee & Immigrant Services) client who needed help covering rent for housing.
  • Donated $1000 for grocery gift cards for families in need. 
  • The team will support a new family arriving soon. Details will be available soon. 
  • We are updating the RMT webpage and brochure. 
  • Mary continues to support the family through ESL.
  • Les helps transport the family to medical appointments, etc.
  • We continue to support other refugee families in need with donations of household items (bikes, baby supplies, dishes, TVs, etc.).


Wilondja Family updates:

  • Helped family pay bills, including electricity, rent using the rental portal, etc.
  • As mentioned in a previous update, Asukulu was in a car accident and will need oral surgery. The team will cover the cost of surgery. 


Help wanted:

  •  Volunteers - Are you interested in supporting families or joining the RMT? Supporting resettling refugee families is extremely rewarding.


If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Shirley Barney Shirley.Barney@hotmail.com


Contact Team Leader
Refugee Ministry Page
RMT Facebook Group
Refugee Ministry Promo Video

Support Education in India

Deep Griha Society Student Sponsorships

Kitty Rohrer

MISSION FINANCE TEAM & DEEP GRIHA BOARD MEMBER


As we are busy buying school supplies, new clothes, and lunch fixings for children here in Columbus, Ohio, I am reminded of the children in the slums of India.  


More than 45 years ago, Dr. Neela and the Reverend Bhaskar Onawale recognized that the only way children in the slums have a chance at escaping a future in the slums is through education. Consequently, they developed programs that enabled these at-risk children to participate and succeed in school. Programs such as early childhood creches where children receive a nutritious lunch, snacks, regular health checks, socialization, and basic educational skills. These programs give the children a good academic start and allow the mothers to work and the older siblings to attend school rather than babysit for younger siblings.


To further the goals of providing nutrition and education to children in the slums, the Onawales developed the Aadhaar Kendra Child Sponsorship Program. There are three levels of yearly sponsorship:

  • $285 – FULL CHILD SPONSORSHIP: Includes both Basic and Educational Sponsorships
  • $190 – BASIC SPONSORSHIP: One balanced, nutrition-rich meal each day, clothes, shoes, counseling, medical care, family assistance, plus fun events and activities
  • $ 95 – EDUCATIONAL SPONSORSHIP: Materials, books, stationary, school bags, uniforms, extra tuition to support schoolwork, and fees for educational courses


These sponsorships provide services to both children living in the slums as well as the boys living in the City of Child orphanage. These programs offer children an educational advantage and provide hope and encouragement for a better life. 

 

I hope that as you buy school things for your children or those less fortunate in Columbus, you’ll consider sponsoring a child in India. Your money for a Full Child Scholarship goes a long way to support a child with everything needed to succeed in the future.                                                 


For more information about Deep Griha Society, visit deepgriha.org. Click the button below to donate online to sponsor a child through their stateside non-profit partner, Deep Griha USA.

Questions? Contact Kitty Rohrer.

Donate to Sponsor a Child

Community Mural Contest

Amy Caskie

DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS


We are excited to announce a contest to design a community mural that represents the mission of our church, improves the appearance of First Community South, and promotes community engagement. 


The exterior of the Annex building at First Community South is not aesthetically congruent with the other two large buildings. Rather than try to disguise the building, we hope to use it as a blank canvas to celebrate the principles and ministries of our church. This project will provide an opportunity to integrate the community into the design and promote engagement in church activities. Research shows that public art benefits the community, encouraging a sense of ownership and belonging. Columbus has seen an increase in public art murals over the past several years, and we look to expand the effort.


The mural is proposed for the exterior brick wall of the Annex building, facing First Ave at First Community South. Depending on the resulting design, we will consider painting the rest of the exterior to coordinate with the artwork.


Artists should visit the site to take their own measurements and assess the medium for their mural. No appointments are necessary as the location for the mural is outside. 


The mural design will be sourced from community contest submissions. The resulting submissions will be narrowed down to a few that best depict the themes desired and are the most visually appealing. The church and community will be given the opportunity to vote from the small group of finalists.


Community participation is essential to this project and should be considered in project proposals. The mural will be physically completed in cooperation with the artist and volunteers in the Spring of 2024. Artists should estimate the time required to complete their project when submitting a proposal. The estimated cost of artist time and materials should also be included in proposals, as the church will secure funding for this project through private grants. 


Artists should consider the objective of the mural when creating their design. Submissions should include key images and themes provided on the contest webpage.


If you know any local artists, please pass along the information and encourage them to submit a design. We would especially love to see submissions from artists within the congregation. Look for details on your opportunity to vote on the final design in next month's newsletters!


Seeing The Good

Charlie Jacob

EYEGLASS COLLECTION VOLUNTEER


On Saturday (September 23) we volunteered at the Good Neighbor Picnic. The Picnic was at Wolfe Park. Homeless and needy people were fed, got clothes, shoes, blankets, and sleeping bags. We were there to give out reader eyeglasses. We gave out 179 readers. Plus, many attendees took a glasses case. All attendees were courteous and expressed their gratitude for the glasses and cases. Ann and I found the experience to be rewarding. 

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You can support this effort by donating used eyeglasses (prescription and reader) and cases at First Community:

  • South Coat Room
  • North Rose Wing entryway
  • Trading Post stairwell in Annex Building

Rick Greene

MISSION FINANCE TEAM


The essence of life is to serve others and do good. Aristotle

Definition of Volunteerism

Volunteerism is the act of contributing free labor to conduct community service or support a nonprofit organization and is the principle of donating time and energy towards a greater cause. Volunteers help change the lives of those as a social responsibility rather than receiving a financial reward.


 Volunteering is important because it enables people to help and serve others selflessly. When individuals take the initiative to help people in the community and support philanthropic causes, it can improve the community by creating tighter bonds and forming lasting relationships. First Community Church utilizes groups of passionate volunteers to help make the world a better and safer place.

Pictured Right:

Volunteer, Shirley Barney of the Refugee Ministry Team, bringing a bicycle donation to children in the Wilondja family

History of Volunteerism            

Today, volunteering is recognized as a highly effective form of giving, and there is a history behind how a simple act of kindness became so popular worldwide.


Acts of volunteering can be traced back to medieval times when churches were responsible for helping the sick and poor. It is estimated that at least 500 voluntary hospitals were established in England during the 12th and 13th centuries. Acts of volunteering then continued throughout the centuries; examples of organized volunteering only began to appear during the 19th century with the emergence of various charity organizations helping those in need, such as the YMCA and The Salvation Army, that were recruiting volunteers to fulfill their mission. The 20th century, particularly in the 1960s, saw the birth of many more voluntary organizations committed to making a positive impact. 


Volunteerism has a long and storied history in both the United States and the world as a whole. The verb “volunteer” first originated in 1755. Volunteerism in the United States stems back to the Revolutionary War when civilians chipped in to support the war effort. The Great Depression saw a mass mobilization of volunteers to assist the unemployed and impoverished.

According to the US Census Bureau, the top four national volunteer activities in the US are fundraising or selling items to raise money, preparing or distributing food, collecting and distributing goods or clothing, and mentoring youths.


Pictured left: Volunteers (Rose, Kathleen, Carla, Melody and Kitty) loading the van for Heart to Heart's Pop-Up Pantry

Benefits of Volunteerism

Volunteering connects people to others, is good for a person’s mind and body, can advance a career, and brings fun and fulfillment.

One of the more well-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Volunteering allows people to connect to their community and make it a better place. Even helping with the most minor tasks can make a real difference in the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need. It can also benefit individuals and families by dedicating time as a volunteer, making new friends, expanding their network, and boosting social skills.


Volunteering can help counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. The social contact aspect of helping and working with others can profoundly affect a person’s overall psychological well-being. Nothing relieves stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. 


When considering a new career, volunteering can help get experience in an area of interest and meet people in the field. Even if not planning on changing careers, volunteering allows one to practice essential workplace skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, project planning, task management, and organization. 


Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore interests and passions. Volunteering can be meaningful and interesting, with a relaxing, energizing escape from day-to-day work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into personal and professional life.

Pictured right:

Volunteers Kathleen and Marcy harvest garlic at the Share & Learn Garden

Additional Volunteer Statistics

  • One out of four Americans volunteer, and two out of three help their neighbor, according to a study by The Corporation for National & Community Service.
  • According to an Independent Sector Study, volunteers are worth an average of $28.54 an hour. Volunteerism has a value of over $184 billion.
  • #GivingTuesday, 2017, processed more than $60.9 million from over 7,200 organizations. 
  • Volunteers, on average, spend 50 hours per year donating their time to the greater good.
  • Food preparation and distribution was the most reported volunteer activity, representing 11.3% in 2015.
  • People who volunteer over 100 hours a year are some of the healthiest people in the U.S.
  • Volunteering decreases the likelihood of high blood pressure development by 40%.
  • 96% of volunteers reported that volunteerism enriched their sense of purpose.

 

First Community Church offers a variety of volunteering opportunities. Many people are needed for successful programs to operate successfully; church volunteers perform tasks that the staff doesn’t have the capacity or skills to accomplish and are vital to a healthy church. The Missions program offers many opportunities to volunteer at the Church. These opportunities include one-time participation, long-term commitments, monetary donations, etc. 


Over the next few issues of On the Mission! We will showcase some of the Missions programs and volunteer opportunities for these programs.


If you want more information about volunteering at First Community Church and its other Mission programs, please email us at mission@FCchurch.com.


Heart to Heart

Monthly Update


by Yohan Kim

HEART TO HEART FOOD PANTRY MANAGER



We have been busy bees at the pantry. As of September 24, the Drive-Thru served 273 families, 82 new. That includes successfully pulling off giving out food during an election, once again, which spawned quite a bit of buzz among voters who were interested in donating and volunteering. Our Pop-Up Pantry was also abuzz with activity, delivering over 131 backpacks with school supplies to Riverview International Center and serving at least 166 families across several sites.


Training and leadership standards, plus a volunteer handbook, continue to be developed. That is done in concert with our ministry team. We are thankful to those who attended Darkness to Light sexual abuse awareness and prevention training, which is important for the work we do, which involves volunteers who are minors and operating in the same location as a preschool. We hope that more opportunities will be available in the future, as allowed by Julie Richards’ schedule and the possibility of online training next year.


Our partnerships continue to blossom. We had 160 lbs. of spices from Penzeys, 451 lbs. of refrigerated food from Marc’s, 1,924 lbs. of frozen meat from Giant Eagle, approximately 13,843 lbs. of dry goods from the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, and 275 lbs. of food from Our Lady of Victory in Marble Cliff. We look forward to an upcoming food drive at Jones Middle School, the ongoing matchday drives by Grandview Heights Girls Soccer, and other potential partnerships. South Side Family Farms has also been providing a weekly assortment of produce, in addition to our shop-thru at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and support from several gardens. 


Now that the kids are back in school, we need more help with our work, especially during our morning shifts. Signing up is an excellent way to assist our neighbors and discover what Heart to Heart is all about! 


Volunteer SignUpGenius

Thanksgiving Food Drive

to support Midweek Missions & Heart to Heart

          

Julie Richards

DIRECTOR OF K-5 MINISTRY


This year’s Thanksgiving food drive, benefiting the Midweek Missions Thanksgiving Basket project and Heart to Heart food pantry, will begin on October 11. Please support our efforts by supplying the food needed to pack baskets for 20 Franklinton families and provide Heart to Heart with the food clients need to prepare a Thanksgiving meal. 

 

Look for boxes where donations can be dropped off close to the K-5 classrooms, at the Rose Wing entrance, and close to the coffee station at First Community North. Donations at South can be placed in the marked box located in the coatroom donation area. 

 

The drive will conclude with a churchwide Thanksgiving food collection on Sunday, November 5, during all worship services. Donated items should be brought into worship and placed on the chancel to be blessed. There will also be a special offering in worship to benefit the Heart to Heart food pantry.

 

We are collecting:

• Canned Green Beans

• Stuffing Mix (box or bag)       

• Cream of Mushroom soup  

• Broth (chicken or turkey)

• Fried Onions            

• Canned Sweet Potatoes

• Cranberry Sauce         

• Gravy (chicken or turkey)

• Egg Noodles             

                    

Midweek Missions also needs 20 frozen turkeys. All turkeys must be delivered to the First Community North walk-in refrigerator on either Sunday, November 19, 8:30 am -12:30 pm or Monday, November 20, before 11 am. 

 

The Midweek Missions program and Heart to Heart food pantry are happy to collaborate for this year’s Thanksgiving food drive. Whether used by Midweek or Heart to Heart, please know that a family in need will receive your food donations this holiday season. 

Holiday Hours

Heart to Heart will be closed Monday, October 9 in observance of Indigenous People's Day.


A complete list of 2023 closings is available online at H2H.FCchurch.com/holidays2023

Heart to Heart Holiday Help

Amy Caskie

DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS


Heart to Heart will once again offer assistance to families in need this Christmas through the support provided by First Community Church. Again this year, the program will be organized by our longtime volunteer, Kitty Rohrer, with assistance from Rebecca Wolfe and Pat Porterfield. We are extremely grateful for their time and effort that will go into coordinating the program this year.


In response to feedback we have received on the Christmas program in the past couple of years, we have made some adjustments to make the program run more smoothly. Most notably, no sponsor contact with recipient families will be required.

However, this means we will accept donations of gift cards only. Gift cards may be donated in any amount from these four retailers:

  • Amazon
  • Wal-Mart
  • Target
  • Meijer

Tax-deduction receipts for these gift card donations will not be made available from the church. We will not accept cash donations to purchase gift cards. Any cash donations made to Heart to Heart between now and the end of the year will go toward the operating costs of the food pantry and will not be used for special programs. However, gift card donations can begin immediately, and the donations will be held until we are ready to distribute them to recipient families at a time and place TBD.


We will begin to accept recipients into the program on November 1. We will accept 150 families, regardless of number of children. Once the number of families accepted reaches 150, we will close the program, regardless of the date. Each family will be given $150 per child in gift cards to the retailer that best suits their needs.


If you are interested in making a gift card donation or need more information, please get in touch:


While we understand it may be more fun to purchase, wrap, and donate toys, clothes, and other gifts for kids, we are not staffed to run a project of this magnitude. If you're interested in donating this kind, we have several suggestions:

  H2H Website  
H2H Facebook
H2H Instagram

Upcoming Events

this Fall


Halloween costumes and décor in the store now!


  • We are open Sat, Oct 7 from 10 am to 4 pm
  • We are open Sat, Nov 4 from 10 am to 4 pm
  • We are closed Wed, Nov 22 for Thanksgiving
  • Get your holiday shopping started here on Black Friday, Nov 24
  • We are open Sat, Dec 2 from 10 am to 4 pm
  • Christmas Sale begins Mon, Dec 11 and ends Fri, Dec 15
  • We are closed for Christmas from Dec 16 through Jan 2. The store reopens at 10 am on Wed, Jan 3, 2024.
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In The Garden

Updates from the Share & Learn Garden

The Share and Learn Garden at First Community North sits on the property behind the Mary Evans Child Development Center. All the produce grown in the garden comes directly to Heart to Heart. The garden is managed and harvested by a small but mighty and fun group of volunteers. Master Gardeners Cheryl and Loren VanDeusen, and their daughter, Kate Paulson, are the group's leaders. The group convenes on Tuesday mornings, weather permitting. We receive weekly updates from Kate Paulson during the growing season, including these excerpts below.

Below is an email from Kate totaling the produce donated to Heart to Heart so far this growing season. Because these volunteers are experts, they will continue to harvest produce for the food pantry well into October. Both the variety of produce and the amount harvested is impressive for such a small space!

September 26, 2023

Hi Amy,


Here are totals as of 9/26/23:


- 568 pounds total 

- 500 garlic cloves

- 230 containers of peppers or 660 peppers 

- 620 Okra pieces 

- 115 bags of collards @ 30 leaves per bag, 3,450 leaves

- 264 cherry tomato containers, 4,700 cherry tomatoes

- 200 4th of July tomato containers, 1,170 tomatoes 

- 73 cucumbers 

- 6 bags green beans 


The tomatoes and all variety of peppers are still going crazy….should have another 3-4 weeks. 

Have not harvested carrots yet…that will add the weight ! We will start harvesting in a few weeks. 

September 17, 2023


Hi all!


Thank you for last week’s quick(er) work session with the pop-up rain. ☔️


This week’s goals: 

- harvest tomatoes, peppers, okra, collards, green beans

- overseed onions 

- plant hostas (Sheri Van Cleef to donate) 


As an FYI, a pallet of mulch will be delivered Wednesday morning (I will be there to accept delivery). 


Even as the autumn equinox approaches, the garden is still humming along; there will be carrots to harvest, garlic to plant, and mulch to apply to keep the onions and garlic warm over the winter. 


***The Franklin Park Conservatory’s 2023 Harvest Awards will be held Oct 5 at 6pm. If you would like to attend, please let me know by Tuesday so I can RSVP. ***


See you soon

Kate 

September 9, 2023


Hi all!

I hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend. 


Thank you to everyone who harvested last week! It may be September, but there is plenty of life left in the garden!


As promised, I planted a few mums beside the summer squash plants to encourage pollinators to, well, pollinate the squash blossoms! 


Yesterday, (Friday), I harvested tomatoes, peppers and collard greens for John, our friendly maintenance worker at FCC. He was thrilled ! In light of this…I feel like we can wait until Tuesday to harvest as a group. ❤️ 


As an aside, the onions planted a couple weeks ago are up several inches. 


So this week we can:

- harvest tomatoes, peppers, Okra, collard greens. 

- routine weeding 

- prep soil in small bed beside playground fence to plant hostas 


See you Tuesday!

Kate 

Prison Ministry News

From Ohioans to Stop Executions:


"Faith Week to End Ohio’s Death Penalty – October 2-10 – provides an opportunity for communities of faith around Ohio to demonstrate their commitment to repeal. 


Faith Week will culminate in Day of Prayer, a 24-hour, in-person prayer vigil at the Ohio Statehouse starting at 5pm on October 9 and ending at 5pm on October 10 – World Day Against the Death Penalty. Midway through the vigil, faith leaders will release a letter from over 400 Ohio faith leaders, calling on lawmakers to end the death penalty."


Sign Up to Participate

Monday Night Meals

Seeks Additional Volunteers


The existing teams serving meals to Friends of the Homeless on the first, second, and fourth Mondays of each month are looking for additional volunteers. Seasoned members of these teams will guide you through the process. If you are interested in joining a team to serve the unhoused, please contact Pat Porterfield.

Healing Arts Mission


Click the image to read the update from Healing Arts Mission (HAM) in Haiti. First Community Missions has been a long-time supporter of this organization and recently awarded them a grant in the amount of $10,000 for their continued work. A representative from HAM will join us in February to update us on the work resulting from the new grant.

Monthly Mission Meeting

for All Ministry Teams

Everyone interested or currently volunteering with a Mission Ministry Team is invited to attend this monthly meeting. During the meeting, we have discussion time and announcements from all teams. Afterward, the teams break into groups to have their discussions.


If you're interested in working with a ministry team, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about their activities from the leadership on that team. As many teams also have individual meetings with their leadership each month, this is also an opportunity for those working with the ministry to discuss face-to-face with the leadership to raise concerns or get more information.


Our Core Missions with these breakout sessions are Heart to Heart food pantry, Tri-Village Trading Post thrift store, and the Refugee Ministry Team. The Mission Finance Team also meets at this time to discuss grants and mission-related projects.


During our September meeting, the large group heard a short presentation from the Refugee Ministry Team. Afterward, the Mission Finance Team awarded two grants: Habitat for Humanity Mid-Ohio (Northwest Partnership) and Healing Arts Mission. They also voted for this year's Christmas Offering to be split between our own Refugee Ministry Team and Friends of the Homeless.


For more information on each team, please contact:


The groups typically meet at First Community North on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6 pm with a few exceptions. Below is a schedule of upcoming meeting days, locations, and topics:

Mon, Oct 23

Tue, Nov 27

Tue, Dec 19

Tue, Jan 23

Tue, Feb 27

FC North Choir Room (115)

FC North Grace Hall

Location TBD

FC North Grace Hall

Location TBD

Presentation: Monday Night Meals

Guest: Tandana Foundation

Christmas Party

Welcome New Volunteers

Guest: Healing Arts Mission

You are welcome to join the meeting in person or on Zoom. If you would like a link to join virtually or if you have general questions about Missions, please contact the Mission Office.

More from Missions

Did you miss the last issue of On a Mission!? View it, and all past issues, by clicking the link below.

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News from our Mission Partners

Back Bay Mission

Deep Griha Society

Healing Art Missions

Rafiki Global AIDS Ministry

Tandana Foundation

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