Service Opportunities

February 11 we will be serving the homeless through 45 & Hope.

We will meet to cook a preplanned menu from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. and then leave to travel a north route and a south route on I-45. We have safe preplanned stopping locations and we will have time to visit with the men whom we are serving. This is a great activity for your Small Group or Sunday School class. Each month, we’ll need five cooks and twelve servers. Plan ahead and sign your group up for one month in 2012!

register

The church is accepting donations of used vehicles in any condition. These will be used to provide transportation for families who are part of the Family Promise ministry. To donate a car, contact John Hull or Susan Kent.

Visit a local residence for senior citizens and spread some joy. Bake cookies, play a game of bingo, or just take your kids for a short visit with a lonely senior.

• Eden Brook of The Woodlands
  Location: 1730 Woodstead Court
  Phone: 281.681.9900
• The Forum
  Location: 5055 W. Panther Creek Drive
  Phone: 281.367.3170
• Interfaith of The Woodlands
  Senior assistance ministries
  Location: 4242 Interfaith Way, The Woodlands, TX 77381
  Email senior@woodlandsinterfaith.org for more information.
• Montgomery County Friendship Center
  Meals on Wheels and other senior services.
  • Conroe location: 1202 Callahan Avenue
    Phone: 936.756.5828
  • The Woodlands location: 2235 Lake Robbins Drive
    Phone: 281.292.6353
• Regent Care Center
  Location: 10450 Gosling Road
  Phone: 281.296.9234
• Silverado Senior Living Center
  Location: 7950 Bay Branch Drive
  Phone: 281.882.3565
• Woodlands Health Care Center
  Location: 4650 South Panther Creek Drive
  Phone: 281.363.3535

Share the love of Christ with a special needs child or adult.

• Easter Seals Houston (formerly United Cerebral Palsy)
  Provides respite at our church for special needs children several times a year. 
  Contact Kristie Carlisle to volunteer.
  Contact Erin Hauder about summer camp.
• Camp Blessing,  (Arrow Retreat Center in Porter, Texas)
  A weeklong summer camp for special needs children and their siblings. Download application to volunteer at www.campblessing.org or call Debbie Glass for details 281.297.5923.
• Bridgewood Farms
  Bridgewood Farms provides opportunities through continual education for mentally retarded adults. Thrift stores in our area need help and donations.
  • Oak Ridge Thrift Store
    Location: 26834 I-45 North, Oak Ridge, TX 77376
    Phone: 281.298.9007
  • Nearly New Thrift Store
    Location: 106 S. San Jacinto, Conroe, TX 77301
    Phone: 936.756.4539
• Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch
  An equestrian facility in Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge for special needs individuals. Half-day clearing, light construction work usually available.
  Location: 25902 Glen Loch Drive, Spring
  Contact: David Darnell 713.302.3640

Make a difference in the life of an at-risk child by mentoring a youth or participating in a fun event at a nearby ranch.

• Gospel Lakes Ranch
  A non-denominational Christian ministry whose primary goal is to reach out to underprivileged children and help establish them in the local church. Camps, special events need volunteers.
  Location: New Waverly, Texas Contact: Benny Hashel 936.767.5055; 936.827.9728
• Diamond Star Youth Initiative
  Experience an equine therapy day in the country at a Montgomery County location with at-risk teen girls. Interact with girls who have recently been released from CPS custody.
  Contact Jim Stiffler 281.364.9774 to plan an event
• Montgomery County Youth Services
  Offers services and activities that benefit youth struggling with conflict in the home, peer pressure, school issues, behavior, grief and divorce.
  Location: BridgeWay Youth Shelter, 4501 N. Frazier, Conroe Phone: 936.890.1132
• Destination: Manhood
  Impact the life of a young boy who doesn’t have a father figure in his life.
  Contact: Terry Loughridge
• Big Brothers, Big Sisters
  Mentor a young boy or girl and make a lifelong difference.
  Phone: 713.271.5683

• Family Promise
  A nationwide network of religious congregations that provide shelter, meals, and support to families without homes. The Woodlands UMC hosts families every third month at the Loft.
  Contact Mike Smith about helping on a FP weekend 281.363.3572
  More information
• Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless
  Help the many “invisible” homeless individuals in Montgomery County through the coalition office in Conroe.
  Contact Jack Hay or 936.788.3212
• 45 and Hope
  Serve a hot meal on Saturdays at noon to homeless people under the overpasses in the I-45 corridor from SH 242 to Crosstimbers.
  Contact David Droll at 713.249.1933
• Compassion United
  Every Saturday morning at 9:15 a.m., help serve breakfast to some of Conroe’s less fortunate at Lewis Park.
  For information, email Luke Redus
  Phone: 936.788.8499

• Montgomery County Food Bank
  Serious food shortages exist in Montgomery County. Donate food or join a team of volunteers to sort food at the center in Conroe.
  Location: 111 S. 2nd Street, Conroe, TX 77301
  Contact Diane Mullis 936.539.6686
• Third Sunday Food Drive
  Volunteers are needed to collect bags of food in the church parking lot during worship services at The Woodlands UMC on the third Sunday of each month for distribution to food banks in South Montgomery County.
  Contact Sherry Lewallen
  More information
• Salvation Army Soup Kitchen
  Location: 304 Avenue E, Conroe, TX 77303
  Contact: Lt. Jimmy Parrish at 936.760.2440
• St. John’s UMC – Bread of Life
  An outreach ministry to downtown Houston’s homeless and hungry.
  Location: 2019 Crawford, Houston 77002 Contact: Faye Robinson-Miles, executive director of Bread of Life 713.659.3237 x4117

• Montgomery County Women’s Center
  Provides safe shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, legal and support services to victims/survivors of family violence, sexual assault, stalking and abuse in Montgomery and surrounding counties
  • Something Special Resale Shop
    Portofino Shopping Center
    Monday – Saturday: 9am - 6pm
    Donation hours: 9am - 6pm (Call for furniture pick-up)
    Phone: 281.292.0443
• Pregnancy Assistance Center – Conroe
  Provides help, encouragement and supportive services to women and men in crisis due to pregnancy.
  Assist in the Thrift Stores (sort baby items, assemble gift bags, etc)
  Two locations: 115 N. San Jacinto Street, Conroe, TX 77301 and
  26402 I-45 N, Spring, TX 77386
  Phone: 936.441.6442 in Conroe or 281.367.1518 in The Woodlands
• Elizabeth’s Place
  This ministry for teenage mothers and their children is hosted at the Loft twice a month. Mentor a teenage mom, provide food for monthly meetings, lead a Bible study, mentor a young woman, etc.
  elizabethsplacemc@gmail.com

There is always a need in Montgomery County for willing hands to take on home repairs, debris clearing and various types of assistance for local residents and nonprofit groups.

• United Way of Montgomery County
  Phone: 281.292.4155
  Location: 1600 Lake Front Circle Suite 248, The Woodlands 77380
• Interfaith of The Woodlands
  Contact: Kathy Rifaat 281.367.1230
  Location: 4242 Interfaith Way, The Woodlands 77381
• Habitat for Humanity
  Help with the construction of a new home and a new life for a Montgomery County family.
  Contact: Russ Palmore 936.321.5864 or 936.697.3818
• Geezer Squad
  Serve on a weekday work crew (Wednesdays) on home repair and small building projects for area seniors and disabled.
  Contact: Pete Poulsen
• U.M. ARMY
  Senior high youth and adults work together to repair homes and build wheelchair ramps for individuals living in poverty in Texas.
  Contact Bob Swan

• Blood Drive
  Blood drives are held at the church five times a year on Sunday mornings (main building and The Loft). Both donors and volunteers are needed.
  Contact Kyle Russell
  More information
• The Community Clinic
  An Oak Ridge medical clinic for the poor and underinsured
  Location: 101 Pine Manor, Conroe 77385 (near Pier 1)
  Contact: Rebecca Jones 281.364.7889
• Craft Circle
  Women of all ages needed to make hand-crafted items for the annual Masterpiece Gala and Boutique. All proceeds go to missions.
  Contact JoAnn Johnson
  or Ruth Huffman
  More information
• Interfaith of The Woodlands
  Conduct a neighborhood collection drive – for food, personal hygiene or baby items – or work in Interfaith’s thrift shop.
  Location: 4242 Interfaith Way, The Woodlands
  Phone: 281.367.1230
  • Hand-Me-Up Shop Assistance
    Duties: sorting donations, pricing items, organizing sales floor, assist cashier, etc.
    Location: 25018 Spring Ridge, Spring, TX 77386 (east of I-45, south of Rayford Road
    Phone: 281.367.4942
• Literacy Volunteers of America
  Help an adult improve his reading skills; teach English as a second language.
  Contact Shirley Noble at 936.494.0635
• Society of St. Stephen
  The church provides financial assistance to needy families in our congregation and the South Montgomery County area. Find out how you can help with this vitally important ministry.
  Contact Mack Brown
  Donate
• Tamina Community Center
  Offering residents of Tamina educational programs, activities and services that emphasize self-determination and personal responsibility
  Location: 18955 Main Street, Conroe, Texas 77385
  Contact Shirley Grimes, director 281.465.4646
• The Woodlands UMC Military Ministry
  Assemble personal hygiene kits with donated supplies and write notes of encouragement to our troops overseas.
  Contact Susan Kraha 281.755.6910

Make a difference in an inmate’s or an ex-offender’s life by visiting in prisons.

• Prison Ministry/Restorative Justice
  Volunteers are needed to mentor incarcerated prisoners and ex-offenders. Volunteers are also needed to serve on Kairos and Epiphany weekends as well as in the Prison Entrepreneurship program.
  Contact Murray Batt for information
  or George Pollard about Kairos.

• Back to School Project
  Volunteers are needed to shop for and deliver school clothes to needy children in Montgomery County.
  Contact Carol Winkler.
• Angel Tree
  Purchase Christmas gifts for the children of individuals who are incarcerated.
  Contact Deanna Kimbrell.
• Christmas Miracles
  Help low income families in our area by purchasing gifts and providing Christmas dinners.
  Contact Betsy Sebastian
  More information
• Short-term Mission Trips
  We sponsor a variety of mission trips every year to Central America, Europe, and beyond.
  Contact John Hull or Jane Jordan

• Share the message and love of Jesus Christ with people all over the world—from your own computer in the comfort of your own home—through Global Media Outreach, an offshoot of Campus Crusade for Christ.
  Contact Ginny Foley or 281.419.8458.
  More information