Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, IL supports a variety of local, regional, and international organizations, enabling individuals to live their faith through prayer, hands-on work, financial support, donations of needed items, companionship, presence, and/or systemic change. In addition to these missions, many of which arose from the interests and passions of our congregation, we support other causes of the United Methodist Church that allow us to combine our offerings with those of other United Methodists, nationally and globally, to enact change around the world.
Christopher and Michelle Hays, Mission to Colombia
Provides transformational theological education to Latin American pastors and theologians.
Feed My Starving Children
Provides low-cost, nutritional meals to hungry children throughout the world.
Fundaniños Guatemala Mission and Teaching Fund
Provides support of Fundaniños Orphanage near Guatemala City.
Habitat for Humanity Builds houses in partnership with low income families.
Help for Haiti
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is responding to the earthquake disaster in Haiti. For more information on how you can help, visit umcmission.org.
Heifer Project International
Offers families a way to become self-sufficient through the gift of farm animals.
Red Bird Mission School, Kentucky
The only K-12 Christian school in this area of Appalachia provides high quality education regardless of students’ ability to pay.
South Sudan Voices of Hope
Efforts to provide humanitarian support for this war-torn region.
Educate a Girl/Change the World
Provides
life-changing education around the world. This mission lifts up girls, their families and their communities.
Your past gifts have been impactful. For example, Luxene from Democratic Republic of the Congo looks forward to graduation from the United Methodist Africa University because of the generous scholarships you have funded over the past three years.
Our 2024 fundraising goal is $8,000, to be able to provide scholarships for girls of all ages including three new college students:
- Two grade school students in Kenya attending a Christian school
- Five middle and high school students in Cambodia through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)
- Four
college students in Chicago and Nashville, including a new medical student
Gary Church, thank you for serving in love and making a huge impact in the lives of these girls by helping them attain their educational goals and giving them hope for a bright future! Contribute here.
Bridge Communities A transitional housing program focused on the achievement of self-sufficiency.
Central DuPage Pastoral Counseling Center Affordable, professional, pastoral counseling and educational services to the community.
Christmas Sharing A community-wide program of outreach to families and individuals in need.
CROP Walk Raises funds to support hunger needs locally and internationally.
ESSE (Ecumenical Support Services for the Elderly) Provides on-site daycare and meals to seniors.
JUST of DuPage A ministry to the incarcerated men and women at DuPage County Jail.
Midwest Shelter for Homeless Vets
This non-profit agency, located in Wheaton at 433 S. Carlton Ave., Wheaton, provides housing, supportive services, and community outreach to help homeless and at-risk veterans and their families achieve self-sufficiency. An easy way to help them is to shop their Amazon wishlist. Items you purchase will be delivered to MSHV.
NIL Justice for our Neighbors (JFON) A ministry that welcomes immigrants by providing free or low-cost, expert immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
Outreach Community Ministries Provides mental health and social services for children, families, and seniors.
PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) Area churches provide hot meals and overnight shelter for the homeless.
PRC (People’s Resource Center) Serves thousands of DuPage County families each month, with a food pantry, clothing bank, and educational programs.
Radical Time Out Ministers to former prisoners and their families with a weekly meal and Bible study.
United Voices for Children A coalition of congregations, agencies, groups, and individuals in the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church that speaks and acts on behalf of children, youth, and families in need.
Join Habitat for Humanity team
Tuesday, April 16–Friday, April 19, Lafayette, Indiana
You are invited to partner with Habitat for Humanity to help build houses for
three families in Lafayette, Indiana. No previous experience or special skills
are required, and all tools will be provided. Come for a day or all four. For
more information, contact Lois Davisson through the Church Office. We're also accepting donations at
Sunday, May 5, check in 1 p.m., walk 2 p.m., St. Paul Lutheran Church, 515 S. Wheaton Ave.
The Walk to End Hunger is only two months away, so find those sneakers and invite friends and neighbors to join in this community event. CROP Walk raises funds for and awareness of the ever-present food security issues in DuPage County and around the world. Portions of our CROP funds support DuPage Outreach seniors, the People’s Resource Center and the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry.
Join the Gary UMC CROP Team by registering to walk and/or donating. Checks are also welcome through the Church Office (write CROP in the memo line.) Any amount is appreciated, and donations are welcome through the end of May.
For 40 years, our community has joined together to serve in love by helping our neighbors locally and globally. Let's make a statement in our 40th year with our gifts and our feet. Contact Judy Selby through the Church Office with any questions.
Wednesdays, May 8, 2-6 p.m., Activity Center or Commons
Each pint donated can save up to three lives. The need is constant, and every pint is precious. Walk-ins also welcome. Other 2024 dates: Aug. 21, Nov. 20.
Help World Relief
Helping some of our newest neighbors
World Relief is a refugee resettlement non-profit that started in Wheaton. Last year they brought over 900 refugees from around the world to the Chicago area. These legal immigrants have gone through a multi-year extensive process before being cleared to come to the United States. World Relief has a record of getting these families, most still learning English, in place in our community and bringing them to self-sufficiency in under six months.
To broaden Gary Church’s support of World Relief we are launching two efforts:
- Provide welcome kits to help World Relief set up an apartment for incoming families. Use this sign-up form to let us know you can provide items for welcome kits. Here's a list of needs. If you’d like to contribute financially, go to garychurch.org/give.
- Expand our Good Neighbor Team effort to ease families’ adjustment to life in our area. A group of 4–8 people help a family integrate into the community. If you are interested in learning more about Good Neighbor Teams, please contact Jeff Bray through the Church Office.
Please watch the e-news for more details about Gary
Church’s World Relief efforts. And, watch the video below.
Additional current needs
Items needed for DuPage PADS
DuPage PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) provides temporary shelter for the unhoused. Here's a list of their current needs. If you can help, donate items in the bin in the Commons.
Volunteer at the
People’s Resource Center
Wednesdays, 2:45–6
p.m., 201 S. Naperville Rd.
The PRC needs volunteers to help with food distribution. Volunteers will stock shelves, pack boxes of food, assist shoppers and direct traffic. Volunteers must be 13 years or older, able to lift a watermelon and comfortable remaining active during the shift. Fill out a volunteer application at peoplesrc.org/volunteer.
PRC needs food and personal care items
The People’s Resource Center continues to see increased visits to its food pantries. Some of the items needed are rice, dry pasta, peanut butter, and personal care items like diapers in sizes 5-7, bar soap and toothpaste. Tuna and soups are always welcome. Due to overwhelming donations of clothing, the PRC is taking a break from accepting clothes for now. Thank you to all for your donations! If you have food to donate, please feel free to leave it in the bin in the Commons.
Help people in the Holy Land
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) is working with local partners in Israel and Gaza to provide help with everything from relocation and food to trauma counseling and telemedicine services. You can donate to UMCOR through garychurch.org/give.
Recycle Styrofoam
The recycling
collection Sundays in 2024 will be Jan. 7, April 14, July 14, and Oct. 6. Can you
help continue to care for God's creation by helping one time or more for
collection or driving duties? If so, please contact Elaine McCluskey through
the Church Office.
If you miss the dates, feel free to drop off Styrofoam at Dart Container
Corporation, 310 Evergreen Dr., North Aurora.
Educate a Girl / Change the World 2024
Educate a Girl/Change the World provides life-changing education around the world.
We kindly request that you continue to support this powerful mission that lifts up the girls, their families and their communities.
Your past gifts have been impactful. For example, Luxene from Democratic Republic of the Congo looks forward to graduation from the United Methodist Africa University because of the generous scholarships you have funded over the past three years.
Our 2024 fundraising goal is $8,000, to be able to provide scholarships for girls of all ages including three new college students:
- Two grade school students in Kenya attending a Christian school
- Five middle and high school students in Cambodia through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)
- Four
college students in Chicago and Nashville, including a new medical student
Gary Church, thank you for serving in love and making a huge impact in the lives of these girls by helping them attain their educational goals and giving them hope for a bright future! Learn more in the video below, and contribute here.
Tutors needed
Tuesdays,
6–7 p.m., Gamon Hall
Gary Church offers a weekly tutoring program to local elementary school children, and we invite your participation! For many years, Aldersgate UMC offered this program to children from Lincoln Elementary in south Wheaton. In the fall of 2022, Gary Church helped Aldersgate relaunch this program after a pandemic hiatus. Together, we provided tutoring for over 20 children during the 2022-23 school year. Following our merger last May, we are thrilled to be continuing this impactful ministry for the 2023-24 year at Gary Church. But we need your help!
We are looking for tutors to help us meet the growing need in Wheaton. Tutors range from high school students to retirees, and no special skill set is needed. The goal of the ministry is to provide one-on-one homework help to local students in grades 2 through 5. Many of the students who sign up for this program come from immigrant and refugee families resettled in the area. So, in addition to homework help, tutors work with students to improve their basic reading and math skills. The most important goal, however, is to show these children that another person cares about them and their learning.
With
the pandemic years of remote schooling, students across the country have fallen
behind, especially low-income children. That makes the need for this ministry
even greater. Consider offering an hour from your week to help children from
our community. Although we try to keep tutors and students paired throughout
the school year, we understand that you cannot be there every week. The
children are a joy and glad to get your attention. There is some preparatory
training required and we have some experienced educators to provide support as
needed. Please contact Jeff Bray through the Church Office if you have questions. Sign up to volunteer here.
