More Than Missions
You think you have to give up your summer mission trip to come to Youth 2011?
Think again…
We are excited to announce to you our Mission Projects for Youth 2011:
STOP HUNGER NOW
Stop Hunger Now is an international hunger relief organization that coordinates the distribution of food around the world. The organization is driven by a vision to end world hunger in our lifetime.
At both sites we will host a meal packaging event, providing up to 200 volunteers the opportunity to package dehydrated, high protein, and highly nutritious meals that are used in crisis situations and in school feeding programs in developing countries around the world.
Currently, we have budgeted to package 10,000 meals at each site. But we want to do more! Please consider donating to this mission project. The more money we collect, the more meals we can package: meaning the more people we can feed! Meals cost only 25 cents each. Help us reach our goal of 30,000 meals per site! DONATE to the Purdue site HERE or the Sacramento site HERE.
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Hospitals are not fun places to be, especially for children. We are collecting items for the Child Life Departments for children’s hospitals at both sites. In Sacramento, we will be serving the UC-David Children’s Hospital, who is a partner with Methodist Hospital of Sacramento. At Purdue, we will be working through the Methodist Health Foundation to collect items for multiple area Children Hospitals. We will post a detailed list of items that are needed by children and teen patients.
Please plan to bring items with you to Youth 2011 to donate! We will set up a display and collection area at each site. On the last day, we will have all the items delivered to the hospitals. A detailed list of items needed coming soon.
CHILDREN WITH HAIR LOSS
This organization provides free real-hair wigs for children who have experienced hair loss for various medical reasons. Children with Hair loss will provide on-site stylists to give professional hair cuts to volunteers who donate their hair. Start growing your hair out now! What a gift this will be to a child in need.
Hair must be at least 8 inches in length. Youth must have a signed release form from parents in order to participate. Downloadable release form coming soon.
KAIROS PRISON MINISTRY
Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women and children, their families and to those who work in the prison environment. Well-organized and well-trained volunteer teams of men and women from the communities surrounding an institution present an introductory 3-day weekend, described as a short course in Christianity. This inter-denominational team of volunteers — both clergy and laypersons — works in cooperation with the Chaplain who carefully selects up to 42 inmate leaders to attend. A well-organized follow up program is part of this ministry.
We will be making Agape Greetings and Gifts for people going through the Kairos experience. These gifts will be determined by Kairos in order to meet prison guidelines. Possible projects include designing and creating greeting cards, posters, bookmarks and more.
All mission opportunities will include a space to debrief and reflect on your experience so that this becomes MORE THAN just a mission project, but a way to connect deeper with God to carry the spirit of service and love home with you.
Serving others and being active in the mission of God is central to who we are as United Methodists. Although a large national gathering such as Youth 2011 does not offer the ideal place to have organized mission projects, we believe it important for us to do what we can to serve others as we gather together by:
• Being good stewards of resources: In order to best use our limited resources of money and volunteer power, we are focusing our efforts into on-site mission projects. Instead of spending thousands of dollars chartering buses to carry attendees to the surrounding areas and hundreds of hours of planning and preparing off-site projects, we are focusing our efforts on-site.
• Making the most positive impact possible: We strive to have a positive impact on the places in which we are a part of for four days. We see ourselves as guests and want to be respectful of our host cities. We have listened to leaders in our host cities and throughout the denomination to learn what specific needs are and how we might best meet those needs.
• Taking advantage of our uniqueness: It is not often that thousands of youth and youth workers gather in one place. We have chosen mission projects that we feel take advantage of this unique characteristic of Youth 2011. Together we can make a huge impact through giving of our money, time, and energy.
