Local Ecumenical Mission Outreach

     Our ecumenical mission outreach refers to those ministries which we do in inter-faith coorporation with our churches in the area.

     Blue Marsh Project 

     Conrad Weiser Ministerium

     Mind, Body, & Spirit Club (MB&S) - After School Kids' Program  Currently Suspended

     Conrad Weiser Food Pantry - Food Distribution to Those in Need

     Transformative Solutions Network (TSN)  

     Western Berks Shepherding Ministry

     Robesonia Community Blood Drive

     CROP Walk - Fighting Local & Global Hunger

     Church Caregiving for the Elderly - Resources to Help

• Aging in Place
• Daily Living
• Social Isolation
• Fall Prevention for Seniors

     Retirement Planning and Investment Guide for Seniors - NEW!

     Community Vacation Bible School (VBS) - Successfully Completed!

     PLARN: Plastic Bag Yarn

Blue Marsh Project

A Combined Mission Project with Zion UCC (Womelsdorf)

Saturday, May 15 at 10:00am

     This is a combined mission project with Zion UCC of Womelsdorf.  We are excited to be working together to better our community!  The date and time for the Blue Marsh Project will be Saturday, May 15 at 10:00 am.  We will be meeting at the Visitor Center and will then be escorted to the Day Use area.  We will be installing a walking path at the sensory garden area.  If we have enough people, we will help mulch around the snack bar area too.  Please respond to the church by email (office@sprucc.org) or by calling 610-621-5770 so that we know how many people will be in our party.  We will then let Blue Marsh know how many will be coming.  Please pass this information along to anyone you think may be interested!  It should be exciting, and will give everyone a good feeling about doing some mission work.  We hope to see you there! 

     Things to bring or keep in mind; water bottle, mask, closed toed shoes, and maybe some gardening gloves. 

     If on Saturday, you are feeling sick or have been exposed, we would love for you to stay at home and keep yourself and others healthy! 

Conrad Weiser Ministerium

     The Conrad Weiser Ministerium is composed of the churches and faith groups within the Conrad Weiser School District.  The pastors and priests from our churches hold monthly meetings to plan, coordinate, converse, and give mutual support.

     Some of our Conrad Weiser Ministerium activities include:an annual combined community Thanksgiving Eve worship service; Wednesday afternoon combined community worship services during the season of Lent; the annual Conrad Weiser baccalaureate worship service; Mind, Body, & Spirit Club (MB&S) after school program at Conrad Weiser West Elementary; and support of the Conrad Weiser Food Pantry, and Community Blood Drive.

Conrad Weiser Food Pantry

     St. Paul's UCC supports the Conrad Weiser Food Pantry through our donations of food and time, as well as through special monetary offerings.  We take a special collection of nonperishable food and household supplies during our annual Harvest Home worship service each fall.

     For more information about the Conrad Weiser Food Pantry, please contact a member of the Mission Committee or the church office at 610-621-5770 or office@sprucc.org.

     IMPORTANT NOTICE

How To Support the Food Pantry during the COVID-19 Pandemic

PLARN: Plastic Bag Yarn

     Plarn is made by cutting plastic grocery bags into strips, which are then strung together into a single long strand, and then rolled into a ball like yarn.  Plarn can be used to make many items.  It can be crocheted, knitted, or connected together in many ingenious ways.  Apparently plarn has been around for at least a decade.  It is unknown who first thought of the idea.

     St. Paul's and Zion will be making plarn and then crocheting the plarn (with big crochet hooks) to form 6' x 2.5' mats.  These mats will be used by the homeless for bedding.  According to inhabitat.com, "knitted or crocheted plarn mats create a barrier between a person's body and the ground, which helps retain body heat.  Plastic is less attractive to bugs than textiles.  And when the mats get dirty, it's easy to hose them off and dry them.  Since plastic is lightweight, plarn mats are more portable than heavier padding.  At the same time, they keep plastic bags out of landfills."

     If you are interested in helping with this service project, please tell Rev. Mary Etta.  Each month there will be an in-person session to work together or receive instruction on how to do the different phases of the project.  The in-person session will take place each month on the fourth Tuesday from 12:30-2:00pm.  Upcoming events are November 22 & December 27.

     Please continue to bring clean, good condition plastic grocery bags to church and place them on the stage in Miller Fellowship Hall.  Thank you!

Transformative Solutions Network (TSN) 

     The purpose of the Transformative Solutions Network (TSN) is to serve the cooperative interests of the Body of Christ in Berks County. As a unifying organization for the Christian churches of the county, they engage in activities to connect, learn, and minister to the community, giving witness to the value of what can be accomplished when churches are united in one spirit and working together.

Western Berks Shepherding Ministry

     Western Berks Shepherding Ministries is an interfaith outreach ministry of the Conrad Weiser, Wilson, and the Tulpehocken School Districts, offering assistance to individuals and families of all faiths, through spiritually empowered volunteers.  The Ministry coordinates volunteers to provide transportation and companionship to people in need.  Transportation provided for medical appointments, testing, treatment, and therapy, as well as grocery stores and needed prescriptions.

Who is eligible for services?

     Western Berks Shepherding Ministries will help adults of any age who are in need of assistance.  Individuals must be able to walk on their own, or with the aid of a cane or a walker.  They are unable to transport those who use wheelchairs.  Individuals must also be of a clear and sound mind with no major memory impairments and therefore able to schedule and maintain their own appointments.  One week's notice is required to process your request.  Please make your requests for assistance to the director at 484-294-7394.

     Communities that are served are:

West Lawn          Sinking Spring         Spring Township          Wernersville         Robesonia

Womelsdorf         Rehrersburg            Bethel                           Mt. Aetna

Volunteers are always needed!

     Volunteers are trained to be of assistance to help transport to medical appointments, testing, and therapy.  They can also help with grocery shopping, errands, and companion/respite visits.

     Volunteers are coordinated through the director.  In addition to training, volunteers are covered with excess liability insurance and are eligible to receive a mileage reimbursement.

     Volunteers are only asked to help one morning or afternoon a month.  But, you may volunteer to do additional appointments if you would like.  We value your service and without you, this ministry would not be possible.

     Volunteering is a rewarding experience.  You will find that just a small amount of your time can make a tremendous difference in someone else's life as well as your own.

How can I support this Ministry?

     You can volunteer as well as contribute.  Contact the director to volunteer.  Contributions may be sent to:

Western Berks Shepherding Ministries

c/o Trinity Lutheran Church

108 S. Robeson Street

Robesonia, PA 19551

     If you need assistance, or know someone who needs assistance, or if you would like to volunteer, contact:

Lisa Snyder and Jodi Eisenhauer, Co-Directors

Western Berks Shepherding Ministries

Phone: 484-294-7394

Email: WesternBerksShepherding@gmail.com

Robesonia Community Blood Drive

     St. Paul's UCC, St. Fancis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, St. Daniel's ELCA, and Trinity ELCA share together in a community blood drive in Robesonia through the Miller-Keystone Blood Center.  We host about four blood drives a year, rotating to each of our different churches.  We invite you to come give a pint and give the gift of life.  As Christ sacrificed of his own blood that we might have everlasting life, we are invited to sacrifice of ourselves - giving the gift of life, sharing the hope of Christ. 

     "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."  (John 15:12-13).

     For more information about the Blood Drive, to make a donation appointment, and/or to help with the refreshments please contact Terry Pastor (the blood drive coordinator for St. Paul's UCC).  Appointments are encouraged; walk-ins are welcome.

CROP Walk

     CROP Hunger Walks are community-wide events sponsored by the ecumenical faith-based organization Church World Service (CWS) and organized by local congregations or groups to raise funds to end hunger at home and around the world. 

     CROP Hunger Walks help to support the overall ministry of Church World Service, especially grassroots, hunger-fighting development efforts around the world. In addition, each local CROP Hunger Walk can choose to return up to 25 percent of the funds it raises to hunger-fighting programs in its own community.  St. Paul's UCC generally participates in the Reading-Berks CROP Walk, which benefits our local Greater Berks Food Bank.  Our walk usually takes place in October.  Watch our website for the date and information about the next CROP Walk.

     CROP Hunger Walks help to provide food and water, as well as resources that empower people to meet their own needs. From seeds and tools, to wells and water systems, to technical training and micro-enterprise loans, the key is people working together to identify their own development priorities, their strengths and their needs something CWS has learned through some 68 years of working in partnership around the world.

     CROP began in 1947 and the CROP Hunger Walks began in 1969.  For more about the history of the Crop walk, click on this CROP Hunger Walk information link.

Resources to Support Our Local Senior Community

     Over the course of our lives, many of us begin to experience mobility limitations, physical impairments and cognitive changes.  Other needs arise as well in the midst of global pandemic.

     Not every senior has a family member to lean on, which makes it more important for those in the church community to step up in a big way.

     Here is a quick list of resources:

Aging in Place:   

     Pitch in to ensure the home of a senior who is aging in place is free from hazards.

     Common In-Home Injuries for Seniors and How to Prevent Them

     11 Low-Cost, DIY Aging in Place Modifications

     4 Questions to Ask About Senior Safety At Home

Daily Living:   

    The activities of daily living (e.g. eating, bathing, and dressing) are challenging without assistance.

     5 Tasks Seniors Need Help With the Most

     18 Easy and Healthy Meals for Seniors

     Protective Face Masks: Resources on Making and Wearing Them

     Locating Transportation Services for Seniors

Social Isolation:     

    Unfortunately, social isolation has been linked to several physical and mental health issues in seniors; here are ways to help prevent this.

     Easy Ways to Help Seniors Stay Social

     How to Avoid Loneliness and Social Isolation for Seniors

     What to Put in a Care Package for Seniors

     Tips to Help Seniors Boost Physical and Mental Health During Quarantine

     For more information please contact Beverly Nelson at beverly@standupforcaregivers.org 

     Stand Up for Caregivers!

Fall Prevention for Seniors:  

     In an average year, 3 million older Americans go to the Emergency Room (ER) after a fall.  That's nearly 30% of American seniors.  SingleCare, an organization that provides access to affordable healthcare services, has created a medical review guide to provide important tips and resources for seniors and their caregivers to stay safe.

This guide includes:

• Statistics on senior falls
• Causes of senior falls, as well as fall prevention strategies
• Questions to ask a doctor about a senior's risk of falling
• Fall risk assessment for seniors

     To learn more about fall risk assessment and strategies for fall prevention in seniors, please review SingleCare's newly published piece entitled Fall Prevention for Seniors.  

     For more information please contact Sarah Breckon at sbreckon@singlecare.com.  

Retirement Planning & Investment Guide for Seniors:  NEW!

     Are you planning to retire soon?  Just think, no more daily grind, a chance to do some of the things that you have wanted to do all of your life.  While this can be an exciting time, it can also be quite frightening.  Retirement requires careful thought and planning so that it is a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

     To help you in your planning, please check out the following link entitled Retirement Planning Guide for Seniors.  Included are several resources that help you consider lifestyle choices, tips on how to live your best life, how to estimate retirement expenses, and so on.

     For more information please contact Helen Garraway at helengarraway@fullerslibrary.com.

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