Love in action: a weekend dedicated to service
Every year, Mission + Outreach organizes a service weekend: an opportunity for our church community to cook for and feed the poor, gather books and write letters to the incarcerated, create a nicer home for the unhoused, collect food for a local food pantry, and build a home for a family seeking affordable housing – all in the spirit of serving others and serving God.
Our weekend of service kicked off with a fun gathering of families and friends who cooked and baked breakfast and lunch for guests of L-Street Mission as a part of Church School’s Cooking for a Cause service work. Here’s a reflection from the evening’s events: “We’ve never had so many sign up for Cooking for a Cause-it was the most ever! We eased into the evening, making cards and baking goodies. We talked about L-Street Mission and the love that’s needed, more than anything, for the unhoused. We measured, poured, melted, and whisked, then played a true or false game. We learned about our faith and our homeless friends. So many added love to our endeavor. In prayer, we thanked God for our time together, asked Her to bless our work and give us the courage to spread Her love wherever we go.”
For many years, our church has supported L-Street Mission, comprised of a group of dedicated volunteers serving the unhoused population in Brockton. It is located in the basement of the Central Methodist Church. Here is a peek at what it’s like at L-Street Mission from a volunteer: “Volunteers arrive every Saturday morning to help serve the neediest of God’s people with food, clothing, and conversation. Here you will find all of humanity: moms, dads, young, old, many races, other languages, immigrants, and veterans. L-Street is only 13 miles door to door from UCC Norwell, yet the atmosphere could not be more different. How could there be so much need in our own backyard? The breakfast and lunch served may be the only warm meal the guests eat all week. Consider volunteering one Saturday. Your life will be changed as you help change another’s.”
Wellspring Multi-Service Center has centers in Hull and Weymouth, MA. Wellspring provides support and skills to people facing challenges to their well-being and seeking to achieve independence and self-sufficiency. Services include: adult education, counseling, housing assistance, advocacy, thrift shops, and a food pantry. As part of our service weekend, we collected 214 breakfast items such as cereal, NutraGrain bars, Quaker Oats, and pancake mix with maple syrup through the wonderful support from our generous church folk and from the surrounding community. Thank you to area grocery stores Star Market in Marshfield, Roche Bros Market in Marshfield, and Market Basket in Hanover who all contributed to support folks who have food insecurity. Brenda Stewart, the congregation member who lead the collection this year said, “As it’s been said, there’s enough food in the world to feed everyone. But the problem isn’t the amount, it’s the distribution. On this weekend of service, we have the opportunity to be God’s hands and deliver food directly to those in need. We’ll be delivering to the Wellspring pantries in Weymouth and Hull, and they’ve requested cereal and other breakfast foods.”
The mission of Prison Book Program (PBP) is to support people in prison by sending them free books and reading materials that meet their specific needs and interests. For congregation member and M+O chair Cathy Huycke, connection had a powerful effect on her, “This was my first time volunteering at PBP. What struck me was the connection that these books brought to some of the incarcerated. Sometimes the letter from a volunteer is the only outside connection they have with people as they no longer have relationships with their family or friends. They all have a love of learning, the desire to improve their skills, and to escape for a time the hard life they are living. It’s a wonderful program and I’m so grateful that UCC Norwell is part of it.”
Rehoboth House - Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore is committed to supporting homeless families by offering shelter, education, and advocacy. They strive to meet a wide array of needs, including social, educational, physical, emotional, personal, psychological, and spiritual. For years, volunteering at Rehoboth House has been part of UCC Norwell’s service days and weekends. One of our volunteers commented, “We had a great day today helping with sprucing up the grounds and getting things ready for colder weather coming. A nice connection was made with one of the teens who is living here with his family. He worked with many of us and shared some laughs and we enjoyed lunch together. It was a perfect day to meet and work with each other!” Another shared "I feel very strongly that it is important for everyone to have a safe living environment and I am happy to help today. "
UCC Norwell founded the South Shore chapter of Habitat for Humanity in 1986, part of the ecumenical Christian-based volunteer-driven organization that builds homes in partnership with families in need. SSHH sells homes at cost with interest-free mortgages in 32 towns and cities south and southwest of Boston. For years, UCC Norwell volunteers put “Love into Action” by building homes and creating relationships. One of this weekend’s builders shared: “I always love taking part in UCC Norwell’s Habitat For Humanity work days. There are so many reasons I love to volunteer for this specific ministry. First and foremost, meeting the future occupants of the homes, which we did today. They are always so thankful for the opportunity to be home owners and so appreciative of the time we spend helping to build ’their home’. Also, it’s always fun to spend time with other members of UCC Norwell as we work together side by side, visiting a bit, especially during lunch, and usually learning new construction skills! The supervisors are always helpful, friendly, and PATIENT! At the end of the day the work crew is a bit physically tired, but full of grace and satisfaction that our time spent on the worksite is helping those not as fortunate as most of us, who are home owners. Thank you to South Shore Habitat and M + O at UCC Norwell for making these mission opportunities available”.
