This group works in concert with the VA Honor Center to help provide veterans who are transitioning out of homelessness into the community.  We have used household items, furniture, and non-perishable food to assist setting up a new home.  We also have a Whittler's group to provide fellowship and new skills to any interested party.
Contact:  Danny Aguila  augie139@hotmail.com

Volunteer opportunities abound at this NE Gainesville elementary school - help the teachers, help in the office, read to or with children, serve as a mentor, help with school events - so many ways to help!  You WILL be blessed!
Contact:  Cindy Holmes at holmesmc@yahoo.com

Our pastor lays hands on and prays over some of your favorite things that make your life so special.  Your pets are always there for you - how about lifting them up to God and offering a prayer for their safety and health, and the important part they play in your life?  And speaking of playing an important part of your life, how about those wheels you depend on?  Not just your car - we blessed wheelchairs, bicycles, motor scooters, motor cycles, skateboards, wagons, baby carriages - if it has wheels, the pastor  will lay a blessing on it!  Watch for our scheduled blessings under the Calendar tab.

We have developed a partnership with Metcalfe Elementary School in NE Gainesville. This is a tremendous opportunity to support our community and the children who are the future.
Contact:  Cindy Holmes at holmesmc@yahoo.com

Help us collect new underwear for all sizes.  We pass them on to several charitable agencies here in town to help serve the homeless and needy individuals and families right here in Gainesville.
 

Blessing Bags give you an opportunity to help someone in a one-on-one interaction.  These bags contain a bottle of water, breakfast/protein bar, small foods, washcloth, soap, shampoo, cleansing towelettes, a new t-shirt and socks, and other tangible items.  So many times we are reluctant to hand over cash to a needy person, certain that the cash will be spent on, shall we say, “unsavory” items.  Keep a Blessing Bag in your car so you can offer the love of Christ and help to someone whenever the opportunity arises.

Since 1926, The Florida United Methodist Children’s Home has opened its doors to children with a variety of special needs.  Some children are victims of abuse.  In other cases, the justice system requires troubled youths who have broken the law to live at the home.  Others at the home were abandoned and tried to survive on their own.  Fortunately social services stepped in to place them in a safe environment, the United Methodist Children’s Home.  You have heard this story before, but it is a never-ending story, and Wesley United Methodist Church continues to dedicate its time, resources, money, love, and prayers for these children.  Every 5th Sunday Wesley has a Change for Children collection as part of our fundraising for this important mission.  God loves the little children and we at Wesley love them, too!
www.fumch.org

For over 30 years GCM has provided emergency help and hope to families and individuals in crisis.  Early in their history (when they were located in a little house behind First Baptist Church), a number of local churches (Wesley included) decided to unite to provide as much support as possible to GCM, in money and goods, with the plan that they would be the distribution site for services instead of each church separately trying to provide on-site services.  This coordination helped considerably with prevention of duplication of services.  Participating churches are invited to have a representative on the GCM Board.
GCM needs your help in collecting the items listed below for our holiday boxes.  Each year we receive more requests for food during the holidays, but we can’t meet the need without your help.
Items needed:  Gift certificates for meat ($10.00), rice, canned pumpkin pie filling, peanut butter, evaporated milk, sugar, canned fruit, stuffing mix, canned vegetables, flour, dry milk envelope, and boxed Jell-O.
www.gcmhelp.org

Gator Wesley is the United Methodist Campus Ministry serving the college campuses of the University of Florida and Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL.  It is their mission to offer God’s radical love to every student in Gainesville and to form a community of disciples grounded in Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  It is their vision to see students boldly committed to following Jesus and characterized by their living out the Gospel in every aspect of their lives, passionate worship, holiness of heart and life, and courageous witness in the world through evangelism and mission bringing God’s kingdom to earth.
www.gatorwesley.com

We all know they build houses, but that’s not all!  They also build people!  To qualify for home ownership a person must be interviewed by a volunteer Family Selection Committee who looks at issues like a family’s financial situation and stability.  Prospects must live in substandard housing, but have a steady job and have bills which are less than 40% of their income.
People who qualify for the program then must put in at least 400 hours of sweat equity (200 hours building homes for others and 200 hours building their own homes), must attend classes on home ownership, and must pay $300 to $450 per month mortgage payments for 30 to 40 years.  Habitat is not a free “give-away” program by a long shot!
Habitat was established in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller.  He was an attorney who gave up his fortune so others could have decent housing, and the initiative has since spread around the world.  The Gainesville Chapter started in 1989 and has built more than 100 homes, with more to be finished very soon!  Habitat has a Thrift Shop at 2317 Southwest 13th Street and welcomes volunteers in many capacities, not the least of which is financial!  The phone number is 352-378-4663.
www.alachuahabitat.org

Mission:  to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth.
We empower families to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity – but our approach is more than just giving them a handout.  Heifer links communities and helps bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty.  Our animals provide partners with both food and reliable income, as agricultural products such as milk, eggs, and honey can be traded or sold at market.
When many families gain this new sustainable income, it brings new opportunities for building schools, creating agricultural cooperatives, forming community savings, and funding small businesses.
Passing on the Gift:  The core of our model is passing on the gift.  This means families share the training they receive, and pass on the first female offspring of their livestock to another family.  This extends the impact of the original gift, allowing a once impoverished family to become donors and full participants in improving their communities.
The goal of every Heifer project is to help families achieve self-reliance.  We do this by providing them the tools they need to sustain themselves, thanks to the generosity of donors like you.  You have the power to give a hungry family the training it takes to feed themselves and their children; to give a young girl a chance at an education; to empower a woman to have a voice in her community.  Together, we can change the world, one family, one community at a time.  And it all starts with a gift.
www.heifer.org

Suzie Aguila coordinates and makes most of the shawls for this warm and caring ministry.  Knitters and crocheters take time to make these small shawls, which are then blessed by the minister and congregation.  There is a note attached to each shawl, wishing God’s blessings and comfort to the recipient, and the shawls are draped over the pews in the sanctuary.  Members are invited to pick up a shawl to deliver to anyone who needs a bit of comfort.

As you go about your day and see the opportunity to do something nice for someone, attach the small business-card-sized blessing from WUMC to let the person know we are thinking about them.  Cards are available from the church office.

Each December we support the Salvation Army with food contributions, collecting canned goods and non-perishables for the Salvation Army.  Your thoughtfulness can provide food for many families this holiday season, and as you know, there are more families in need than ever before.
As we get ready for holiday company and clean houses, why not donate our gently-used excess to the Salvation Army Thrift Store, located at 55 NW 23rd Avenue, just down the street from the church!  And if you have large items, you can arrange for them to be picked up at your house by calling 373-7480.
Monetary gifts are always welcome!
www.salvationarmyflorida.org/gainesville

Samaritan’s Purse (also known as the Shoe Box Project) is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ.  As shoebox gifts are distributed, local pastors or church leaders present the Gospel in a fun way designed for kids while family and friends listen in. Along with their shoebox gift, children also receive The Greatest Gift, a colorful presentation of the Gospel in their own language.  Their shoebox is the first gift many children have ever received!  The treasures and personal letters inside communicate that someone cares for them and gives them an opportunity to experience the love of God.
School Supplies:  Pens, pencils, sharpeners, crayons, markers, stamps, ink pad sets, writing pads, paper, solar calculators, coloring books, etc.
Toys:  Small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoo, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, etch-a-sketch, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), slinky, etc.
Hygiene Items:  Toothbrush, toothpaste, mild soap (in plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.
Other:  T-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries), etc.
You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family.  (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.)  Please, do not include used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.
www.samaritanspurse.org

This ministry was established in 1980 by Father Baker.  His goal was to provide the basic necessities to help the impoverished and hungry in the community.  Mission Statement:  The overall mission of St. Francis House is to provide emergency food, temporary shelter, transitional housing, and related support services in a safe, secure environment for people in the Alachua County region who, for whatever reason, find themselves confronted with homelessness and hunger.
www.stfrancishousegnv.org

VISION:  As the humanitarian relief and development arm of The United Methodist Church, UMCOR transforms and strengthens people and communities.
MISSION:  Compelled by Christ to be a voice of conscience on behalf of the people called Methodist, UMCOR works globally to alleviate human suffering and advance hope and healing.
UMCOR provides humanitarian relief and disaster response in the United States and internationally.  Their efforts are targeted in places where natural disasters, war, or conflict have done so much damage that communities are unable to recover on their own.  While UMCOR is not a first-response organization, they stand ready to accompany communities in need over the long haul of their recovery, until they are well on their way to establishing a “new normal” after a crisis.
In addition, UMCOR helps communities in the United States and abroad prepare for emergencies and to reduce the risk of disasters through a roster of training programs.
They also are involved in global development work.  Specific programs address issues of health, sanitation, poverty, sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and food security.  Many development problems are interrelated, so UMCOR uses integrated solutions to address their root causes.  UMCOR seeks to empower local hospitals, schools, churches, and other stakeholders by enhancing their capacity to address these issues.
www.umcor.org

As we at Wesley become more invested in our mission work, we have combined the In-Church Emergency Fund and the Extra Mile Fund into the Benevolence Fund.  With the money collected we hope to be able to not only assist those within our own church but also help others in the community as emergency needs come into their lives.