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A Hope and A Future
United Methodist Cooperative Ministries/Suncoast, Inc. |
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| Greetings! |
We are extremely excited to enter the Holiday Season with its spirit of giving and hope. We have many programs available on our website http://www.umcm.info where you, too, can provide hope to families in need.
Don't miss this Saturday's event, Ditty Bag Stuffing Day! We invite you to help make this season better for those who desperately need the basic necessities in life that we ourselves are so blessed with. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
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Share the Dream Banquet
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Share the Dream, UMCM's annual event to celebrate and give thanks for the successes of the past year, was attended by over 180 friends and supporters on Thursday, November 8. Over $16,500 was raised to support the agency's work with children and families in need.
Emcee for the event was Dr. Anne Burkholder, former Executive Director of UMCM. Entertainment was provided by internationally acclaimed pianist, Dr. Xu, Hui of the St. Petersburg College music faculty, and Dave Holmstrand of the Caladesi Steel Drum Band.
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Rev. Gene Watson won two tickets donated by Southwest Airlines in the silent auction.
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Dr. Burkholder shared her personal memories about her time with the agency and the founding of the Southeast Asian Preschool (now the Children of the World Preschool). Attendees joined Dr. Burkholder in honoring some outstanding volunteers who have given their time and talents to serve the community: Betty Ashley, Bonnie Swan, Michael Madson, Shaun Egger, Sandy Thursby, and Bill and Nancy Burkholder. "All of these volunteers have had an immense impact on the people they have served," she stated.
A highlight of the evening was the silent auction, and excitement surrounded the tables as attendees tried to take home the items they desired. One highly sought after item was a pair of Southwest Airlines tickets donated for the event by Southwest Airlines and the Florida Literacy Coalition. The winner of the tickets, after a hard fought battle, was Rev. Gene Watson.
Thank you to those who made the evening possible, and to all supporters of UMCM for a wonderful year full of hunger relief, homelessness prevention, and educational services to the community. The community is truly blessed by all of you.
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Welcome Program Aides
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A hearty welcome goes to Program Aides who began working in the PASS Program this year. The students love working with you!
Elaine Navas--St. Paul's site
Sandy Prior-- St. Paul's site
David Wilson--Dunedin site
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Upcoming Events
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Community Service Event
UMCM's Ditty Bag Project Stuffing Day
November 22-23 Office Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday
December 24-25 Office Closed for Christmas Holiday
December 31 - Jan 1 Office Closed for New Year's Holiday
January 2 Registration Opens for Walk for the Dream
March 9, Walk for the Dream
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| Our Programs |
Suncoast Community Citizenship Project
Backpacks 4 Success Project
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Fire Safety Fun for Families
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Fires are a realistic concern for families and the more educated we are the better we can handle such emergencies effectively. What better way to learn how to prepare than by listening to the experts!
Students at the High Point Families Learning Together site were able to do just that as the Largo Fire Department made a visit.
Firefighters brought a new fire truck and families were able to climb inside and touch the fire safety equipment and uniforms. One of the firefighters read a book entitled "Who Am I" describing a firefighter's job and even included props such as boots and an axe. The firefighters also spoke to the families about what they can do in the event of a fire and held a safety lesson.
Thank you so much, Largo Fire Department, for teaching us how to prepare for a fire emergency!
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Community Service Event -UMCM's Ditty Bag Project Stuffing Day
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Ditty Bag? What is a ditty bag?
Soldiers and sailors have used ditty bags for years to carry their personal hygeine items with them no matter where they serve. These simple cloth bags with drawstring tops also come in handy for those who are homeless or in transition between living facilities.
This Saturday, November 17 at 9am, come out to our main offices and join in with other volunteers to sort, count and stuff ditty bags at UMCM's Ditty Bag Project Stuffing Day. By the end of the day, we will have over 4,000 to distribute to agencies that serve the homeless on the west coast of Florida. For more details and to register for the event, click here.
Donations of funds as well as the hygiene items themselves are welcome. For a complete list of items, click here. Items or donations may be delivered or mailed to the UM Cooperative Ministries' Administrative Office, 403 First Avenue SW, Suite 102, Largo, FL 33770.
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Sweetbay Supports Pack-A-Sack 4 Kids
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Sweetbay Supermarkets has announced a donation of $30,000 to UMCM's Pack-A-Sack 4 Kids program.
During the month of September, Sweetbay Supermarkets offered shoppers in Pinellas, Manatee, and Pasco counties the opportunity to make a gift of $1 or $3 to the program when they checked out their groceries at the register.
The community responded wholeheartedly.
The funding will be used to help support the food costs of the program, and should make it possible for up to 7500 more sacks to be distributed to children this year. To learn more about the Pack-A-Sack 4 Kids program, and how you can offer your help, click here.
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Become a Volunteer!
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Program Aides for PASS
We have openings for Program Aides in UMCM's PASS Program in Dunedin, Mondays - Thursdays, afternoons, commitment one hour per week or more.
To volunteer for these opportunities or to learn more, contact Kitty Carpenter, kcarpenter@umcm.info, 727-442-6881, Ext. 5
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Family Cooking
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Last month our adult literacy students and their children learned about healthy and safe ways to prepare fresh foods with the assistance of the Pinellas County Extension.
Through these classes, families  made recipes like Fettuccine Alfredo, Vegetable Stir Fry and Spiced Baked Apples. Together each parent and child washed, measured and cut the fresh vegetables and followed provided recipes to create the dish.
These cooking classes help teach children and their parents about what is going into their food and help them be more aware of nutrition in a fun setting. For more information on the Pinellas County Extension or how you can help, visit http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu.
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| Want to Help? |
The programs and projects of UM Cooperative Ministries benefit over 15,000 people per year. You can help by donating items on our needs list or making a financial gift. Click on the links below to learn more.
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All of us at UM Cooperative Ministries wish you, your friends and your families a most blessed Thanksgiving holiday!
Grace and Peace,
Pamela Qualls, Executive Director
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| Info | United Methodist Cooperative Ministries/Suncoast, Inc.
403 1st Avenue SW, Suite 102 Largo, FL 33770 (727) 442-6881
www.umcm.info
contact@umcm.info |
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