mission / UNY Mission Central HUB
Ongoing Mission Opportunities
The following is a list of ongoing mission projects not being held in the Upper New York Mission Central HUB. If you're looking to help, please contact the project's organizers in advance to make sure there's still a need for volunteers and that the event is not cancelled. If you have an event to share, please email MaryBeth Ingalls, Mission Volunteer Coordinator.
Blessing Bags at Cortland First UMC
September 21, 2019 9 a.m.
In May 2019, Cortland First UMC started a new ministry called faith in action. As of July, they have built ramp pieces, cleaned up an elderly woman’s yard, cleaned windows and pruned shrubbery for a disabled woman, packed 40 hygiene kits for a food pantry, cleaned an area park, and worshiped with and visited residents at a nursing home. In July, Cortland First painted a shed, an office, and built more ramp pieces. The volunteers say they've truly seen the transformation of people through extending the hand of God through action by God's people.
Cortland First has a BIG project planned for September! They're inviting fellow UMC churches to partner with them in collecting items to build blessing bags. They're collecting the following items:
- travel-size items: deodorant, toothpaste, baby wipes, shampoo, body wash
- snack-size items: crackers, fruit snacks, trail mix
- toothbrushes
- chapstick
- bottles of water
- breath mints and/or gum
- combs
- women's personal hygiene items
- gallon-sized ziploc bags
- washcloths
- small hand towels
- tuna and cracker kits
The day will start with worship and prayer followed by bag assembly, with the goal of assemblying 1,000 bags. If you are unable to attend, please consider organizing a similiar event at your church on the same day so both churches can all come together in unison. If you'd like more information, call Cortland First UMC at (607) 591-3190 or email info.cortlandumc@gmail.com.
Rehabilitation Trip to North Carolina
October 13-19, 2019
Join Operation Northern Comfort on a working relief and rehabilitation trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Work includes a lot of fixup work, including sheetrocking, painting, etc. The cost of the trip is $200 and includes round-trip transportation, meals, and lodging. The trip is supported through local UMCOR trained volunteers in North Carolina. Click here to sign up or email Dave Robinson at drr1123@gmail.com.
Syracuse Parks Conservancy
Ongoing
Help work on restoring and upkeeping Syracuse city parks for kids and all to enjoy. Past projects have included restoration, enhancement, and improvements to area parks and public lands. Volunteer with the Syracuse Parks Conservancy. Projects are ongoing and anyone interested should complete and submit a volunteer application either electronically or by mail by clicking here.
Red Bird Mission
April 11 - 19, 2020
Watertown First UMC is sponsoring a mission team to Red Bird Mission in KY. The team will be led by Kathy Pierce & Lance Stetson, both certified and experienced team leaders. They'll be traveling during spring break week in the North Country. The cost will be $600/person, all inclusive. Anyone interested should email Kathy at kmpierce35@gmail.com for information about registration, deposits, and general information.