On Human Relations Day, we participate with other UMC congregations in a special offering to support neighborhood ministries through Community Developers, community advocacy through United Methodist Voluntary Services and work with at-risk youth through the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program. Our gifts work together for the common good, building community and sharing God’s love. The Human Relations Day offering supports programs like those started in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic for churches to provide food to their neighbors.
For example, First United Methodist Church in Flushing, Queens, NY, a predominantly Korean congregation with the Rev. Chongho James Kim as senior pastor, started outreach into the community by making a thousand cotton masks. Mina Yoo, the English language minister for the church, says that small act, distributing to senior home residences, nursing homes and family shelters beyond the Korean community, sparked a good energy in the congregation. Members decided to share whatever they could to help day laborers with no work – one family bringing 100 bags of rice and another 100 frozen chickens to distribute 100 bags of food one day a week. Those first weeks they distributed food to about 50 Korean families, but also to 100 mostly Hispanic families in the community. Later, an influx of Chinese families lengthened the line. First UMC continues to serve 250-300 people each week. The congregation is dreaming of future projects, like a food coop that will not only supply fresh food but also job training and nutritional education for the whole community. We know how systemic inequality affects those most vulnerable. When neighbors experience poverty and live in communities that have limited access to resources, as a denomination, our gifts on Human Relations Day work together to empower faith-based volunteer programs, community developers and programs that work with at-risk teens.
HOW TO GIVE:
Write a check to your local church and write “Human Relations Day offering” in the memo line or donate online (see Ways to Give below).
