Community Outreach

Central's Outeach Program reaches out to Local Community needs.

Harvest Table, Central Emergency Fund, Goodwill Inn, House of Hope, Kids Hope USA, Pine Rest Clinic, Tool Trailer, Voluntees in Mission and Youth Team

Community Outreach

Central's Fellowship Hall opens its doors every week Monday through Friday to the homeless and economically challenged. Services provided to clients include a hot breakfast, access to showers and a phone, as well as a message and mail center. Most importantly, Community Outreach provides a safe and warm environment and good fellowship. Further, our Community Outreach Coordinator, Jacquie Thomas, works with guests on job and assistance applications, provides BATA bus passes on a regular basis, and counseling on how to obtain other services that they might be in need of. Guests may stay as long as they like during the hours we are open. We have at least three volunteers assisting Jacquie each of the days we are open. If you are interested in volunteering for this ministry, please contact Mike McDonald at 935-3759 or Jacquie Thomas at the church office at 946-5191.

Community Meal

Central Church joins eight other local churches to serve a hot meal to the homeless and economically challenged year around – seven days a week. Central hosts its Community Meal every Thursday from Noon until 1 pm in the Fellowship Hall. We have rotating teams of volunteers that cook, serve and clean up after the meal each Thursday. If you are interested in forming a team or simply would like to volunteer your services for this ministry, please contact Jacquie Thomas at the church office at 946-5191.

Safe Harbor Shelter

Central UMC participates with over twenty other Traverse City area churches in the Safe Harbor program which provides shelter, meals and Christian fellowship for the homeless of Grand Traverse region during the cold weather portion of the year. We have been a participating church since the inception of Safe harbor in 2004. The program normally begins in late October and ends in early April. For this year, Central hosted Safe Harbor from the night of Saturday, January 28, 2012 through the morning of Saturday, February 11, 2012. Central hosted an average of 38 guests for 14 nights, a slight increase over the prior year. 138 Central volunteers worked over 1000 hours and served over 1300 meals during the period. We had eighteen first time volunteers this year. Volunteers have the opportunity to prepare and serve evening meals, visit with our guests in the evening, stay overnight as a monitor, prepare and serve breakfast and help make sure our guests are up and on the way in the morning.

**Click here ** for more information regarding volunteer opportunities. There are also opportunities to help with set up before and clean up after our hosting period and to provide food items for meals and snacks.

If you are interested in serving on the shelter planning committee or being added to our volunteer list, please contact Mike or Sandra McDonald or call 935-3759.