Gratitude in Action: Serving Others through Mission Central

As the seasons turn and we move toward Thanksgiving, Mission Central is filled with gratitude - for the volunteers who show up each morning ready to pack and sort, for the churches that faithfully collect supplies, and for every person who believes that even the smallest act of service can ripple outward to change lives.

This year has been one of both incredible need and incredible generosity. Communities across the country have faced floods, wildfires, tornadoes, and other crises that left families with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Around the world, the demand for humanitarian aid continues to grow, with requests arriving for medical equipment, school supplies, and basic necessities.

Through it all, Mission Central has remained steadfast in its purpose: connecting God’s resources with human need. From our warehouse in Mechanicsburg, thousands of volunteers have assembled and shipped life-sustaining aid - Cleaning Buckets, Hygiene, Blessing, and Activity Kits, and more - to people in need locally, nationally, and globally.

Each bucket and box that leaves our warehouse is a message of hope. It tells a family recovering from a flood that they are not forgotten. It reminds a community rebuilding after a fire that help is on the way. It shows a mother starting over that she is seen, cared for, and loved.

This November, just days before Thanksgiving, we’ll gather for Thanks & Giving: An Evening with Mission Central at Central Penn College - a night to celebrate the spirit of service that defines our ministry. The event will feature dinner, auctions, and stories that showcase how generosity multiplies when we all come together for a shared purpose. It’s a celebration not only of what has been done, but of what is still possible.

As we approach the end of the year, we’re reminded that preparedness is itself an act of compassion. Disasters rarely give warning, and when they strike - whether a flood in Texas, a fire in Hawaii, or a storm right here in Pennsylvania - Mission Central must be ready to respond within days, sometimes hours. That readiness begins long before the need arises, with shelves stocked, volunteers trained, and supplies organized so that help can move without hesitation.

This is where the connection between thanks and giving becomes real. As we enter the holiday season, we invite individuals, churches, and organizations to join us in turning gratitude into action - helping us keep our warehouse ready for whatever comes next, and ensuring that hope is always just a shipment away.

You can help by:

1. Donating funds that allow us to purchase supplies quickly and respond immediately when needs arise. 
2. Donate supplies or host a supply collection drive at your church, office, school, or organization. (Lists and instructions are available at www.missioncentral.org/kits) You can also purchase in-store, or shop from our Amazon Wish List
3. Volunteering at our warehouse to sort, verify, or ship donations. Many hands truly do make light work.
4. Praying for those affected by crisis - and for the hands that make this mission possible.

Each act of giving, no matter the size, is a reflection of gratitude in motion. It’s the living embodiment of loving your neighbor - not just in word, but in deed.

As 2025 draws to a close, we look back with deep appreciation for all who make Mission Central what it is: a place where faith becomes tangible, where people come together to serve, and where hope is quite literally packed in boxes and sent out the door.

Thank you for helping make help happen.

Learn more, give, or get involved at www.missioncentral.org.

UMVIM: Allport-Bigler-Woodland Workcamp Bringing Hope in the Name of Jesus Christ

Michelle Schwartzman

VIM Coordinator

Email: vim@susumc.org

Web: www.susmb.org/vim/

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Many Volunteers in Mission (VIM) Teams are groups that have been meeting for years and helping in their community. This is the case for the Allport-Bigler-Woodland Workcamp. These volunteers build community as they spend a week in the Woodland, PA, area. This year the workcamp consisted of 40 volunteers. Even though it has been running for years, they welcomed 8 volunteers to their team that were new to missions. The volunteers and the individuals at the sites enrich each other’s lives so much. Thank you ABW Workcamp for your love in action! Thank you, Roger, for sharing your experience... -- Michelle Schwartzman

By Roger Walton

I had the distinct privilege of sharing my God-given gifts and talents, limited as they may be, with persons in need in the Allport-Bigler-Woodland area of Clearfield County, PA, June 19-24. I have been blessed to be able to participate for 9 of the 11 years of this workcamp. Our efforts are based on 1 Peter 4:10, which states “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms”.

There were 33 individuals, families and/or institutions on the request list for this year’s workcamp. The projects ranged from straightforward items like yard work, interior cleaning, power washing, exterior painting and hauling/stacking firewood to more complex items like replacing a porch, installing fencing and building decks/wheelchair ramps. I haven’t seen the final report on all that was accomplished, but I know we made a difference in the lives of every person we interacted with during that week.

I spent the first three days of the workcamp as part of a team building a deck and wheelchair ramp. The husband was recently in the hospital and is now confined to a wheelchair. The problem was, he had no way of getting out of his house in case of an emergency or even to go to a doctor’s appointment. When he was released from the hospital, four individuals carried him up a steep set of stairs at the rear of the house and placed him in a wheelchair inside the home. That’s what his world consisted of when we arrived. In those three days, we built a 10x20 foot deck and the structure for the first phase of the much-needed wheelchair ramp. Unfortunately, we had to stop midway on this project after those three days, because my team leader had to return home. However, a group of people (most of whom had been part of the workcamp) came together after the workcamp to finish the ramp and give great hope to this family. 

On Thursday, I replaced two storm door latches, sanded, primed, and painted an exterior door of a large house for an elderly widow. Others power-washed the entire home and cleaned ceiling fans and lamp shades on the inside. On Friday, I helped dig six 36” deep holes in shale so that posts could be set for the building of a deck and cover to be attached to a trailer. The owner purchased the FEMA trailer and is making all the preparations to turn it into their home. They are currently serving overseas in the U.S. military but are soon due to return to life in Clearfield County. Every time we dug rocks out of the holes and got closer to the 36” depth, more rocks fell in making the process agonizingly slow. 

I can honestly say that I was physically drained by the time I drove home to Mechanicsburg on Friday afternoon, but I can also say that I was greatly blessed by the experience and look forward to “sharing my gifts” with the people of these Clearfield County communities in the future. 

Please be open to these types of mission opportunities, whether it be here at home, across the region and state, or wherever God calls you to serve. Let us all be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.

Contact Linda Wooster for more information.

Hands and Feet in Service and Outreach

By Darlene Thomas

Hands and Feet is a ministry that came to life in August of 2017 at Shiremanstown United Methodist Church (SUMC). The title for this ministry came from our church’s vision statement to “be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Hands and Feet volunteers are comprised of not just members of SUMC but include youth and adults from several area churches. We meet monthly on a designated Saturday and form teams comprised of adults and youth to serve the community. The workday starts with a hot breakfast for the volunteers, followed by a worship service to help us focus on why God has called us into missions. 

The projects are identified through various referral sources and each site is assessed for viability prior to the workday by our Sites Manager. Materials, tools and supplies are organized ahead of time, so each team is ready for work at the beginning of the day. Each team has a leader who is experienced in the Hands & Feet procedures. Various leadership team members visit the sites throughout the day to ensure the teams have what they need and or troubleshoot any problems. We undertake projects such as: painting, yard work, repair, clean up/organization, small construction, etc.

We feel the work is important; however, we know God calls us to each of these homes for a purpose that sometimes isn’t visible to the human eye. We trust God has us there for a reason! Building relationships with the people we serve is part of what God calls us to do. We invite them to share lunch with us and have a devotional during lunch. This is a wonderful time of fellowship for the team and the neighbor they serve.

If your church is within the local community of SUMC, we invite you to join us on an upcoming Saturday. Adults and youth are welcome!

If you know of someone who could use our help within approximately 20-30 min drive of Shiremanstown, please contact us. We would love to show God’s love to these neighbors.

If your church is outside of our designated radius and you are interested in starting up a similar ministry, we would be happy to share our processes to help you build a similar ministry in your area.

We look forward to being in service with your church in whatever capacity God has planned! There is plenty of need in this hurting world. Won’t you partner with us to serve others and share God’s love??

For more information, contact Darlene Thomas, Director Hands & Feet at gabrielt0303@gmail.com or call Shiremanstown UMC at 717-737-6621.

This ministry is a Volunteers in Mission (VIM) ministry of the Susquehanna Conference. Key leadership positions of the ministry participated in VIM training several years ago and we report our monthly workday information to the conference for record keeping.

Connecting With Your Community

By Doug Hoy, SUSUMC Disaster Response Coordinator

Growing up, I spent many hours watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and learning life lessons that have formed who I am today. Fred Rogers was a pastor and, through his ministry and television show, he emphasized the importance of kindness, community, and friendship.

He once said, “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”

When we think of disasters, what comes to mind? Hurricanes…Flooding…Wildfires…Earthquakes? Have we considered the homeless, the hungry, single parents, seniors, or that forgotten population between 18 and twenty-something? While the needs of survivors of the former certainly should occupy our thoughts, prayers, and actions, the latter also suffer. They are our neighbors and friends. They live in our communities. They have needs!

And, while it is not about the numbers, research confirms this. Fifty seven percent of Americans surveyed indicated they only know some of their neighbors. Sixty nine percent of 13 to 25 year olds say they have three or four meaningful interactions within a day. Forty percent say they have no one to talk to and that no one really knows them well.

Our younger population is suffering as well. One in four young people say they have one or fewer adults in their lives they can turn to if they need to talk. Twenty-four percent of young people indicated they have no adult mentors and feel like their life has no meaning or purpose. 

In a world so fraught over the impact of a pandemic, troubled by social and political discord, and divided by racial and social injustice, there are people in our communities who are hurting, lonely, and in search of someone who cares. They want to connect, talk, and find meaning and purpose in their lives.

Philippians 4:19 says, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” This verse reveals that our God is an abundantly loving, caring, and giving. When we keep our eyes focused on Him, He will work in our lives and communities and give us opportunities to meet every need. He will supply us with the ability to be a caring, Christian presence to someone in need. And, according to the numbers, all we need to do is reach out.

So, who are those people in our neighborhoods? And, how can we identify their needs?

The Disaster Response Ministry offers the Connecting Neighbors program, which provides church leaders, laity, and congregations with ideas about how to do mission in our own back yards. Equipping Vital Congregations offers the Mission Insite program that can help congregations identify those areas of need within our community. Using these resources will help us to learn more about our communities. Through these programs, we can discover new, tangible ministry areas where we can connect and engage with them.

As your congregation works to identify opportunities and develop a plan, consider Mister Rogers’ advice. 

“What really matters is helping others win, too, even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.”

Ephesians 4 tells us we have all been equipped “for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Everyone has something they can contribute. And, by keeping our focus on God, prayerfully considering the needs of our community, and acting on the opportunities He provides, we can meet the needs of our neighbors and build the kingdom of God.

For additional information on these programs:

Connecting Neighbors – Visit the Disaster Response Ministry webpage at www.susmb.org/drm and click on the Connecting Neighbors Training link under Resources.

Mission Insite – Visit the Equipping Vital Congregations webpage at www.susumc.org/evc-mission-insite

Contact Doug Hoy at 717-766-7441, ext. 3402 or email drc@susumc.org