Food Ministries


GRACE Ministries

GRACE Ministries is a community outreach program that serves low-income immigrant families in the local community. On the second Saturday of each month, low-income families receive food, clothing, diapers, household linens, toys and children’s books. The ministry also provides job training for Personal Care Aids and Commercial Drivers Licenses to eligible low-income immigrants.

For more information please click HERE to go to our Grace Ministries Page.

Centreville Library Food Distributions

Once each month we distribute groceries at the Centreville Library parking lot to anyone who has need.  Distributions are usually on the fourth Thursday of the month 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 up groceries at the church, and helping with the distributions.

Contact Phil Mohr at pmohr@centreville-umc.org.

Our upcoming distribution schedule for 2024 is:

January 25

February 22

March 21

April 25

May 23

June 27

You Feed Others (UFOs)

Over 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.  In a 1-gallon ziplock bag, please include the following items:

2 breakfasts (granola bars, oatmeal, small cereal box, etc)
2 lunches (cheese/crackers, cup of soup, peanut butter crackers, etc)
2 dinners (easy mac-n-cheese, individual beef ravioli, tuna, etc)
2-3 snacks (applesauce, pudding, fruit cup, fruit snacks, etc)
1 juice box (100% fruit juice box or a milk box)

Contact Joe Estabrook at joe@joeestabrooks.com

Each bag costs us approximately $5 to produce.  To support our ministry financially please give here. Select the "U Feed Others" giving designation.

FACETS Hot Meals

The Hot Meals program is a consortium of many area churches to provide no-barrier food distribution that offers a nutritious meal every night, 365 days of the year. 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, women and children living in local motels and on the street. The cooking team prepares and packages the meal between 2:00 – 5:00 PM. The delivery team takes the meal to parking lots along Rt 29 in Fairfax where families experiencing homelessness can come to receive a healthy and warm dinner.

Delivery Coordinator: Steve Jobe at Stephen.Jobe@ic.fbi.gov

Cooking Coordinator: Barbara Carnevale carnevalebarbara@aol.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 homeless people through TOP’s street ministry.  Our TOP team goes out on Sunday afternoons once a month throughout the school year, typically on the first Sunday of each month.

For more information, click HERE to visit our Youth Missions Page or contact Sean Gray at sgray@centreville-umc.org

New Hope Fellowship Meals

CUMC partners with New Hope Fellowship Church, a local congregation with a large percentage of unhoused congregants.  Approximately once a 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 October for the Holiday Food Baskets. A list is published each fall requesting certain food items. Also, financial donations may 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 servants are needed in the weeks leading up to help with the counting of canned food items and the contacting of recipient families.

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 "Holiday Food Baskets" giving designation.

 

Non-perishable Food Collection

Food Collection Baskets are located in the church lobby.   Donations of non-perishable food items can be dropped off each Sunday or any time the building is open. The donated foods are used to support our food distribution ministries throughout the year. Everyone is invited to bring one non-perishable food item each week to help keep the food pantry shelves full throughout the year.

Here's a list of some desired staple items, but we'll accept all unopened and unexpired food.

Rice
Black Beans (dry bagged or canned)
Pasta (any type – spaghetti, rotini, shells, etc.)
Pasta sauce
Cereal (any kind – not too sugary)
Milk (shelf stable)
Cooking Oil
Flour (1lb bag if available)
Peanut Butter
Jam/Jelly (any flavor)
Granola Bars
Canned Meat (tuna, chicken)
Juice (shelf stable)
Pancake Mix
Pancake Syrup
Diced Tomatoes (15 oz can)
Sugar
Packaged Oatmeal
Any canned fruit or vegetable
Any other nutritious non-perishable food
Thank you for loving our neighbors in this way!
Questions? Contact Phil Mohr at pmohr@centreville-umc.org

 

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