WestFed
Westfed is a local collaborative effort of Westside churches that provides an end-of-month food panty at Grace Lutheran Church and sponsors the building of homes for low income families in our community through Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers are always needed for both efforts! Food donations are collected through a bin in our church narthex and hints about monthly food needs appear regularly in the church bulletin.
Hurricane Recovery through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
For the last two years, our church has sent volunteer groups to the Gulf Coast to help with recovery efforts needed as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Teams of volunteers replace drywall and floors, paint and repair roofs. Both skilled and unskilled volunteers are needed. (Plumbers and electricians are especially valuable commodities!) Those with less experience are teamed with skilled workers. Groups are typically formed for trips to the Coast in spring and fall. Click here to see what's going on!
Tutoring
A dedicated band of volunteers meets regularly (at Gamble) with students from Westwood School providing extra enrichment and one-on -one time with an adult. The students’ teachers provide the “lessons” for the tutors to work with. All one needs to be a tutor is a background check and a willing spirit! We also collect labels from Campbell's cans to help purchase school supplies for Westwood students. A basket for the labels is in the church narthex.
My Neighbor’s Place
My Neighbor’s Place is a new ministry operated by local churches and headed by Westwood United Methodist who owns the building on Harrison Avenue. Tuesday mornings, the building hosts a free store for clothing and household goods and Wednesdays, a food pantry. Volunteers are needed to sort items for the free store, to provide hospitality and help shoppers make their selections. Our church also collects donations of casual clothing and small household goods for My Neighbor’s Place through a bin located in the church narthex.
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Our church participates with Westwood United Methodist in hosting homeless families several times a year as they work to develop job skills and find employment and permanent housing. Families stay overnight at the Methodist Church and go to the Interfaith Hospitality Network headquarters during the day. Volunteers provide meals and hospitality when the families are at the church. Donations of small personal care items (shampoo and other toiletries typically offered free with hotel stays) are collected in our church narthex for Interfaith. Click here for more information.
Third Presbyterian Church
Westwood First has a special relationship with Third Presbyterian Church, our neighbor church to the south on McHenry Avenue. The youth program uses our gym for basketball and other activities. We support the Third Church youth program through the sale of Kroger and Meijer cards that return a portion of money spent in these stores in conjunction with the cards. We also collect food for Third Church families in a bin in the church narthex.