We seek to be always active in mission to help the needy—locally, nationwide, worldwide. Some of the ESUMC organized activities are listed here, but individual church members also support many other charitable activities.
GRIP – Greater Richmond Interfaith Program
Locally, we are active members of GRIP, the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program. Once each month, on the third Friday, we take our turn to provide, prepare and serve food to the hungry at the Souper Center, located at 165 – 22nd Street, Richmond, CA 94804 We also take part in the annual GRIP Hunger Walk.
Blessings Closet Mission
The Blessings Closet is located in Room 2 and open to the public on the second Saturday of the month, from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
The Blessings Closet was established to provide clothing to anyone in need, no questions asked. We offer clothing from infant to plus size. The clothing received is donated by other folks as well as stores. Our clothing is laundered, and free of holes, missing items, and patches. All of the clothing we offer is gently worn or brand new, many with the tags still attached. We also offer shoes and boots of varying sizes and kinds, as well as socks, and nylons. We have hats, coats, blankets, and much more. The Blessings Closet is located at the church and is open the second Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please contact Ron Stout (510-921-4969) if you need more information. Arrangements can be made if you need something in a hurry or have an emergency situation.
VIM – Volunteers in Mission
From time to time we join in VIM (Volunteers in Mission) activities. The projects are usually construction or construction/medical projects and may be local, regional, national or international.
Special Offerings
We receive special offerings to help alleviate suffering. Some of these are in materials—backpacks and school supplies, Christmas gifts for children at Fred Finch and the County Juvenile Hall. Others are monetary, for various national and international disasters, and also include the six “Special Sundays” recommended in the United Methodist Church. These are:
Human Relations Day supports social justice and work with at-risk youth.
UMCOR Sunday funds worldwide ministries of food, shelter, health and peace.
Native American Ministries Sunday provides scholarships for United Methodist Native American seminarians.
Peace With Justice Sunday supports advocacy for peace and justice through a broad spectrum of global programs.
World Communion Sunday provides scholarships for U.S. racial- and ethnic-minority students and international students, on both undergraduate and graduate levels.
United Methodist Student Day furnishes scholarships and loans for students attending United Methodist-related and other accredited colleges and universities.
We also have some funds available for local emergency needs. Always, we try to be alert for new opportunities to help.