Grace Ministry Distributions
Grace Ministry is a community outreach program that serves low-income families in the local community. On the second Saturday of each month, low-income families can receive food, clothing, diapers, feminine hygiene products, household basics, furniture, toys, children’s books, and a take-out breakfast. Registration and distributions are from 7:30-9:30 AM.
Drive-Thru Distributions
Once a month, we distribute groceries at the Centreville United Methodist Church parking lot in a drive-thru format to anyone in need. Distributions are held on the fourth Thursday of each month (except in November and December, when they are held on the third Thursday). Distributions are from 5:30-6:30 PM, and can include non-perishable foods, along with fresh produce, dairy and/or meat.
Volunteer opportunities include picking up donations, bagging groceries at the church, and helping with the distributions. Use the "Volunteer in our Food Ministries" button above to sign up.
You Feed Others (UFOs)
Approximately 600 You Feed Others (UFO) weekend food bags are distributed each month to children at Bull Run and Centre Ridge Elementary Schools who do not have enough to eat on the weekends. Gallon size zip-lock plastic bags are filled with non-perishable, nutritious food items kids will enjoy. The bags are distributed by the school counselors each week. UFO food bags are packed on the first Sunday of each month between worship services.
UFO bags may also be packed at home as follows:
All items must be delivered in a one-gallon Ziplock bag. To ensure the items fit without busting and to provide maximum nutrition, please provide one each of the following items.
- Chef Boyardi 14.5 oz can of ravioli or spaghetti & meatballs, with pop top (no can opener required)
- Tuna or chicken salad kit (Brunswick or Bumble Bee make them. If you can’t find them, a tuna can or pouch will work)
- Box Macaroni and cheese dinner (6 or 7.5 oz box, Kraft box is preferred)
- 8 oz Shelf stable milk or juice box/pouch
- 4 oz Apple sauce cup
- 4 oz Fruit cup
- 5 oz Granola bar (no nuts please)
- 3 oz Cheese-filled snack crackers (small bags of Goldfish will work)
- .75 oz box raisins or fruit snacks
- Instant oatmeal pouch
- 1 Ziplock gallon bag
Contact Susan Malkus at smalkus86@gmail.com.
Each bag costs us approximately $5-6 to produce when purchased in bulk. To support our ministry financially please GIVE HERE. Select the "Hunger Missions/Food Baskets" giving designation.
FACETS Hot Meals
The Hot Meals program is a consortium of many area churches to provide nutritious hot meals every night, 365 days of the year in the Fairfax Circle area. Hot Meals is open to all in need. When distributing food, we will only ask, "How many meals do you need today?" In addition to providing free, nutritious food, Hot Meals is also an outreach opportunity for people in need of additional services and support, and allows us to build relationships in the community to better support unhoused individuals.
On the third Tuesday of each month CUMC provides a hot dinner meal for over 100 unhoused men and women living in local motels and on the street. The cooking team prepares and packages the meals between 2:00 – 5:00 PM. The delivery team takes the meals to parking lots along Rt 29 in Fairfax where families experiencing homelessness can come to receive a healthy and warm dinner. The delivery team is out from 5:15-7:15 PM.
Cooking Coordinator: Barbara Carnevale carnevalebarbara@aol.com
Delivery Coordinator: Steve Jobe at stephenjobe56@gmail.com
Teens Opposing Poverty
CUMC Youth can serve the homeless in DC through Teens Opposing Poverty. Youth prepare, package and distribute food and talk with unhoused persons through TOP’s street ministry. Our TOP team goes out on Saturday afternoons once a month throughout the school year.
For more information, click HERE to visit our Youth Missions Page or contact David Raich at draich@centreville-umc.org.
New Hope Fellowship Meals
CUMC partners with New Hope Fellowship Church, a local congregation with a large percentage of unhoused congregants. On the fourth Sunday of each month, CUMC provides meals along with toiletry items and other essentials to the congregation. Opportunities to serve include providing needed donations and/or helping to deliver and distribute the meals and donations.
For more information, contact Dick Formica at rp4mica@gmail.com
Holiday Food Baskets
Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, Centreville UMC packages food boxes to be given to low-income families within the community. The boxes provide enough food to feed a family for almost a week. This ministry is a partnership with Western Fairfax Christian Ministries, who provides the family lists received from area social workers, school counselors, and other agencies.
Donations of canned foods are collected beginning in September for the Holiday Food Baskets. A list is published each fall requesting certain food items. Financial donations may also be made to help with the purchasing of the food to complete the basket needs.
The second Saturdays of November and December are the primary day when help is needed. Volunteers are needed on both days to help package the food boxes. Other volunteers are needed to with picking up the canned food items and delivering the completed boxes.
If you would like to participate in this year’s Holiday Food Basket Ministry, please contact Chris Granberg at chris.granberg@gmail.com
To make a financial donation to holiday food baskets, CLICK HERE. Select the "Hunger Missions/Food Baskets" giving designation.
