Community Service

News about First Reformed’s Community Service and Mission Work:

First Reformed supports many community organizations and activities with the time, talents, and resources of our members and our church.

• Meals on Wheels uses our kitchen Monday through Friday each week to prepare meals for recipients in the city limits of Lexington.  They serve approximately 125 meals daily.  Many of our church members assist with meal delivery.
• Our members stay at the Crisis Ministry homeless shelter one night per month.  Also, organizations within the church serve the evening meal at the shelter one night every other month.  Currently they are serving approximately 60 people.
• We provide benevolent gifts to several community organizations, including Communities in Schools, Crisis Ministry, Davidson County Alcoholic Care, Davidson Medical Ministries, Family Life Center, Family Services of Davidson County, Habitat for Humanity, Hospice of Davidson County, Lexington Housing CDC, Lexington Prison Chaplaincy, Pastor’s Pantry, and Salvation Army. 
• Our members participate in the annual Crop Walk and Touching Davidson County with Love events.
• We provide benevolent gifts to United Church of Christ organizations, including Black Lake Retreat, Blowing Rock Conference Center, Catawba College, Elon University, Elon Homes for Children, Johns River Valley Camp, Lancaster Theological Seminary, Nazareth Children’s Home, Our Church’s Wider Mission, and Piedmont Retirement Home.
• We also support special UCC missions such as, One Great Hour of Sharing, Veterans of the Cross, Neighbors in Need, and Strengthen the Church.

Community Garden Blossoms

Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers and community supporters, the First Reformed UCC Community Garden is off to a great start.  With technical advice from Scott Welborn, horticulture agent with the Davidson County Cooperative Extension Service, several volunteers gathered on the morning of April 29^th to pull up the old playground liner and till and fertilize the soil. The next task was to build the raised beds and fill them with top soil. Thanks to Mark Smith of G.W. Smith Lumber for donating the lumber and Patrick Miller and Todd Warfford of Todco and Best Disposal for donating the top soil.

Then the fun began with the planting of several varieties of tomatoes, peppers, leeks, squash, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes, basil, rosemary, sage and marjoram for starters. Thanks to Sylvia Walser for obtaining the plants and to Aurelia Smith for providing tools and hoses and coordinating volunteers to tend the garden.

All good gardens need a tool shed, and Doug Sink and Tom Danze, who helped build the raised beds with assistance from Vicky Gray, took on the challenge to transform the existing playground “gazebo” into a worthy shed to protect our tools and garden supplies from the elements with the assistance of Keith Johnson.  Once again, G. W. Smith Lumber Company stepped up to donate the roofing shingles and nails.

Two Sundays of Kid’s Club plantings and a shed painting organized by Kivi Miller and “tada” the garden is ready to produce fresh herbs and veggies for Pastor’s Pantry. Aurelia Smith will be coordinating volunteers and can be reached at 336-249-9795 or arsmith27292@lexcominc.net.

Thanks to the other volunteers who helped build the garden:  Birke McNeill, J.W. Bates, Rev. Robin Keating,  John Smith, Edgar Miller,  Alice Gray, Cathy Waitman, and All the wonderful First Reformed UCC Kids.

TOUCHING DAVIDSON COUNTY WITH LOVE

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”              1 Peter 4:10

 Many of our congregation did this by joining in the combined efforts of the eleven churches who participated in Touching Davidson County with Love this year.  Collectively, these efforts included over 300 volunteers and 20 jobsite assessors involving 24 projects.

Our church had a project coordinator, 2 project managers and 20 volunteers participating in nine projects.  Thanks to all who volunteered.  They were as follows:

Choral Singing at Nursing Homes:  Lib Sink & Camille Morgan

Delivering meals and gift bags:  Sylvia Walser, Dave Fulton & Glenyce Fulton

Childcare for Children of Volunteers:   Katarina Strenk & Laura Strenk

Porch Repair:  Jeff Hutchens

Making Fleece Baby Blankets:  Nicole Smith

Yard Work:  Led by Jobsite Manager Ted Smith — Adena Wall, Ann Hoffman, & John Smith

Collection of Essential Needs (deodorant):  Lynn Klopp 

Floor/Screens/Screen Door Repair:  Led by Jobsite Manager Mark Smith

Bag lunches for FRUCC’s Meals on Wheels recipients:  8 members of the Willing Workers Class

Thanks to Walter Hoffman for participating in the Thursday night Prayer Service.

Thanks to all who donated deodorant which will be distributed by the Department of Social Services to the needy.   Thirty-two stick deodorants and 2 cans of spray were collected.

Thanks also to Paula for getting information recorded in the bulletin, newsletter and on the website. 

Thanks to everyone in the congregation for generously donating.  Our church contributed $1,250.  This year’s collection totaled $11,800 (which included a balance left over from last year). 

Thanks to Birke McNeill for attending the initial meetings and helping me get acclimated into the position as Project Coordinator for FRUCC.

If you did not get a chance to participate this year, you can look forward to the opportunity to serve next year.

Sincerely,

Lynn Klopp

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