Serving in the Community

Breckenridge-Franklin Elementary

Christ Church contact: Patty Groot

Breckinridge-Franklin Elementary provides literacy-based education and an extensive mathematics curriculum. For more information on Breckenridge-Franklin Elementary, see the Breckinridge-Franklin Elementary School website.

Christ Church is excited to partner with Breckinridge-Franklin Elementary and the Blessings in a Backpack program to provide much-needed food for the weekends, which can in turn assist a child by improving attendance, test scores, their behavior and their health. For more information, see the Blessings in a Backpack page.

If you would like to tutor a child at Breckenridge-Franklin Elementary, please contact Patty Groot.

Cabbage Patch Settlement House

Christ Church contact: Rick Ashton or Kim Glass, board members

The Cabbage Patch Settlement House is a non-profit, Christian organization that exists to empower families and children to be self-sufficient by helping them maximize their spiritual, social, emotional, physical, moral, economic and educational potential. For over 98 years, The Cabbage Patch Settlement House has helped Louisville's disadvantaged children and youths eliminate the boundaries of poverty and ease the trials of growing up in the inner city.

Servant Opportunities: There are many ways to be involved by donating time, services, goods and/or money. For specifics, check the Cabbage Patch website. Cabbage Patch is a mission project of the Daily Bread Sunday school class.

Choices, Inc.

Christ Church contact: Nelson Knight

Choices, Inc. helps women rebuild their lives by providing transitional housing and case management services at three facilities: Norma's House, Marijane Toney House and Marti's House. They primarily minister to women and children affected by domestic violence, substance abuse, homelessness, substance abuse and mental illness. Approximately 70 percent graduate from this facility into stable, nontransition housing. Christ Church partners with Choices, Inc. annually through its Christ Church Cares Day.

Servant Opportunities: Mentoring, maintenance help, household goods donations. Contact Beth Hedges at 585-3780 or Nelson Knight.

Day Spring

Christ Church contact: Clay Stinnett, Day Spring board member

Day Spring provides stable and secure residential housing and support services for adults with mental retardation, helping individuals develop their maximum potential as they live in community as an extended family. Christ Church partners with Day Spring annually through its Christ Church Cares Day.

Servant Opportunities: Day Spring offers a variety of both occasional and ongoing volunteer opportunities. Occasional opportunities include preparing mailings, making meeting reminder phone calls and grounds or residential repairs/clean up. Ongoing opportunities include partnering with a resident(s) for day activities such as participation in health and wellness programs or service/ volunteer initiatives. For more information, please contact the Community Advancement office at Day Spring at 502-636-5990, or via e-mail at information@dayspringky.org or Clay Stinnett.

Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church

Christ Church contact: Open Door Ministries, Alice Wells

Christ Church Contact: Fill the Freezer/Feed the Hungry, Leah Bennett

Open Door serves lunches to our homeless or underemployed neighbors at Fourth Avenue UMC Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 1 pm. Persons simply need to come to the St. Catherine Street door and a friendly volunteer will hand them a bag lunch.

On Saturdays, a hot, sit-down meal is prepared and served in the church’s basement. CCUM’s Fill the Freezer...Feed the Hungry ministry prepares large casseroles (which are then stored in freezers at Fourth Avenue) so that healthy food can be heated and shared with the hungry who visit each Saturday.

Servant Opportunities: To serve at Open Door or prepare lunches, contact Alice Wells. To prepare meals for Fill the Freezer… Feed the Hungry (good group service), contact Leah Bennett.

Habitat for Humanity

Christ Church contact: Randal Pearson, team leader

Christ Church is an annual sponsor or co-sponsor for a home through Habitat for Humanity. Through this partnership, Christ Church joins with other United Methodist congregations in helping low-income families build and own their own homes. During a 12-week build, Christ Church provides the funding and volunteers needed for the completion of the partner family's home.

Servant Opportunities: Volunteer, hospitality, fund-raising coordinators and on site volunteers during the 12 weeks of the build. Click here for more information on Christ Church's projects.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries

Christ Church contact: Wenda Webster Fischer, Refugee Support team leader

Through Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Christ Church sponsors a refugee family annually. As a sponsoring congregation, our support team acts as guide, friend and advocate for the refugees for the first three months after their arrival. In addition, Christ Church also funds scholarships for refugees seeking to further their education. To ready about recent activities with our refugee family, check out the Refugee Blog.

Servant Opportunities: As part of the Christ Church sponsorship support team, share in the duties of preparing an apartment, welcoming the family or individual, orienting them, transporting them to appointments, guiding them culturally and getting to know them. All sponsorship responsibilities are guided by KRM. In addition, individual volunteer opportunities are available directly through KRM by accessing the website.

The Portland Promise Center

Christ Church contact: Jim Tennill

Christ Church continues to partner with the people of the Portland Promise Center in loving God and loving our neighbors every day by working side by side to revitalize the Portland neighborhood through spiritual, economic, leadership and community development. Christ Church members are active in ministry with children and youth, education and training, Celebrate Recovery, tax preparation assistance, board leadership and community development planning.

Servant Opportunities: Mentor and/or tutor children and youth, guide adults in obtaining further education and training, assist with tax preparation, provide meals for Celebrate Recovery or lend professional assistance to beginning entrepreneurs. To find out more about these and other serving opportunities, contact Jim Tennill or the Portland Center.

St. Matthews Area Ministries (St. MAM)

Christ Church contact: Jennifer Arington, board member

St. MAM is the community ministry for the 40207 zip code, consisting of 13 area congregations which combine resources to meet various needs in the area, including: emergency assistance (financial, food, clothing), child development, early essential resources for infants and toddlers, blood drives, youth diversion services and family support.

Servant Opportunities: Serve as a board member; assist with collection and organization of family support resources (food, clothing, early essentials); Panera bread distribution; grant writing; fundraising.

Wesley House Community Services

502-968-8231

Christ Church contact: Betty Dixon

Wesley House Community Services provides safe affordable child development and childcare, educational services such as tutoring and homework assistance, recreation, arts integrated programs, field trips and a summer program that includes camp, computer education, a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Site, partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools for English as a Second Language, GED training and a Gently Used Clothing Store.

Servant Opportunities: Contact Wesley House for more information.

Wesley Manor Retirement Community

Christ Church contact: Norma Sledge or Mary Ann Reynolds

Wesley Manor is a senior retirement community which offers all levels of care. The campus consists of patio homes, assisted living, memory support care and skilled and nursing care.

Wesley Manor's mission is to serve its residents and families with a dedicated and professional staff in a nurturing Christian environment. Wesley Manor Retirement Community is operated by Methodist Retirement Homes of Kentucky.

Servant Opportunities: Help with annual dinner or the golf scramble, visit with residents, adopt a garden — there are many other ways to volunteer. For more information, contact Norma Sledge, Mary Ann Reynolds or Wesley Manor.

Wesley Wear House

Christ Church Contact: Anne Wells, 426-2798

Wesley Wear House is a gently used clothing store in the Butchertown neighborhood near downtown Louisville. It provides essential funding to Wesley House Community Services and offers area residents a source for good-quality clothing at reasonable prices, helping them move toward self-sufficiency and success in the workplace.

Servant Opportunities: Volunteers are needed to receive and sort clothes, help customers, act as cashier. Contact Anne Wells at 426-2798 or Wesley Wear House at 589-4045.