OUTREACH
JESUS CARES came about after area churches were being swamped by requests for help with food, utilities, and rent, due to job layoffs, closings, along with numerous other financial hardships. A member of our congregation saw the many needs in our community and took action. Basically there are two types of assistance needed. 1) Assistance with utilities, telephone, rent along with many other miscellaneous needs. 2) Then there is the transient need—those passing through our community without adequate food, gas or lodging. JESUS CARES was established as a unified response to these needs. Churches and many volunteers work together on ways to manage donations to help not only meet the immediate need but also meet the more long term needs like finding jobs.
More than 21 million children qualify for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program. For many of these children, school meals may be the only meals they eat. What happens when they go home over the weekend?
Our BackPack Program has been helping children get the nutritious and easy-to-prepare food they need to get enough to eat on the weekends. Throughout the year church members donate the needed items. Fortunately we are blessed with several teachers in our congregation who assist in determining the need and help to distribute the backpacks.
Imagine not having a home to return to each night... Habitat for Humanity offers safe, affordable homes for God's people in need to help end the cycle of poverty for generations. You can work alongside a future Habitat homeowner, who invests 350 hours of sweat equity for their home. No special skills are required. Long-time crewmembers willingly provide on-the-job training. Serve one time, every month, or on a weekly basis!
We so often hear of hunger problems around the world. Serve-A-Meal is a local mission to help with hunger in Jackson and surrounding areas. Christ calls us to serve the poor and the hungry; the Serve-A-Meal for Christ program makes it simple to fulfill our calling and minister to those who have real needs right here at home.
The Serve-A-Meal program is administered by RIFA. Our youth at Selmer First UMC participates in this program on a regular basis and is joined by other area churches in this outreach ministry.
Volunteer Services have always been a major part of RRM. In the past, services have included a Medical, Eye and Dental Clinics, and a Beauty and Barber Shops. In April 2008, the Dental Clinic reopened. Our newly established Dental Board governs it, and today the dental room has new dental equipment, throughout. Also, providing home repairs, Work Camps continue to meet tremendous needs in our rural area while offering numerous volunteer opportunities.
Located in a remote, rural community, RRM continues to meet the needs of low and very low-income and elderly families. Today’s services include: a Day Care Center, Day Care Meals, Senior Program, Senior Meals, Food Distribution, Home-Delivered Meals, Thrift Store, Burn-Out Emergency Help, After School Program, School Supplies, a Christmas Toy Store, Work Camps, Work Projects, and Imagination Library Sponsorship.
More than ten years ago this group began with the ladies from the Christian Voyagers Sunday School Class getting together and going out to eat. Later this group was given the name "Smiles" and invited other people to join the group.
"Smiles" motto now is people who gather with common interest and beliefs. The group in made up of some women and men from our church and from eight other churches in our community. We meet every first Wednesday of the month at our church for a time of devotion and prayer, with an inspirational print out for everyone. Some months we also have a musical program. We always have great fellowship and delicious meal. What began with a small Sunday School Class going out to eat has grown into an outreach ministry for about thirty-five people in our community with hops of continuing to grow.