Our Impact | Calvary United Methodist Church

Hearts and Hands in Service

Putting our faith into action

Our Impact: The results of the many projects and programs completed this year.

The 2023 Bazaar Report

This year, we had more early volunteers who supported this project. Many thanks go out to a special co-chairperson, Fran Haller, vendors, crafters, soup makers, cheese ball makers, those who donated time, food, musical talents, donations of items to Silent Auction or White Elephant, etc. The cleaning crew was amazing. So many people stepped up to champion the cause. Special thanks to the ladies who took over the aspects of the bazaar while Becky Isaacs was away. Everything was left in capable hands, and it showed. Thanks also to the Youth Group, who participated as a vendor, ran out of their product, and had to make more. We hope the funds help toward your mission trip. This year’s final gross amount for the bazaar was over $11,000, a record. Money will be sent to the following Frederick missions:

The Rescue Mission – $750
SHIP – $1,500
The Food Bank – $1,000
The Frederick Community Actions Agency – $500
Heartly House – $1,000
The Religious Coalition – $750
Calvary Day School – $2,000 for scholarships and other needs
Sleep In Heavenly Peace – $1,500

This total of $9,000 was sent to the Frederick community in the church’s name. We will hold $2,000 in our account as start-up money for next year. Thank you so much for making this possible. We look forward to the 2024 Bazaar, hoping it will be even more successful.

Mission Central’s mission is “Connecting God’s Resources with Human Needs.”

On November 21, nine of our helping hands journeyed to Mechanicsburg, PA, to pack 264 feminine hygiene kits.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) Update:

We are most grateful to the church community for your ongoing support of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP). So far, in 2023, we have provided the funding and labor to build 20 beds. With our weekly delivery team, we have assembled and delivered over 200 new beds to local children.

Next year, we will support Bed Builds on the evening of May 9th and Saturday, May 18th, thanks to funds donated in memory of John Slovikosky and funds in memory of Charles and Lucille Main awarded through the Community Foundation. Plan to join us as we honor the memory of these dear servants and continue our work so No Kid Sleeps on the Floor In Our Town!®.

October 8: Mission Sunday Update

We have been notified by Rise Against Hunger that the 10,000 meals we packaged on Oct 8 have been shipped to Somalia! Despite recovery from a 2011 famine, recurring drought conditions have resulted in significant crop failures and reduced water availability for people and livestock, creating threats to food security. The Global Hunger Index, which assesses food insecurity based on indicators that measure undernourishment and undernutrition, categorizes Somalia as having an alarming hunger level. Thank you for your help. We supported this effort with our mission funds and, of course, with your use of packing 10,000 meals!

October 22: CROP Walk

J Ray Frank Memorial CROP Hunger Walk

On Sunday, Oct. 20th, 31 youth and adults participated in the registration and walked 3 miles through downtown Frederick to support the CROP Hunger Walk. CROP Hunger Walks are community-based fundraising events held in cities and towns across the United States, created to support the global mission of Church World Service, a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. After a CROP Hunger Walk ends, 25% of the funds raised are returned to the host community to support local hunger-fighting efforts. This year, the walk was done in memory of long-time CUMC member and CROP Walk advocate J Ray Frank. His family members joined the walk and shared a special t-shirt designed in memory of J Ray Frank. Jenn Duthoy, CUMC’s CROP Walk organizer, announced that $3,929.95 was raised, which will provide many with much-needed nourishment. Thank you to all the donors who provided additional financial support, the volunteers who helped organize, and the walkers who enjoyed a perfect Fall day walking and carrying signs showing the Frederick community our support for this important program.

August 30: Sleep in Heavenly Peace Update

Our SHP Bed Delivery team completed its 50th bed delivery on August 30th. We have assembled and delivered a total of 242 beds to local children. Over this past year, we have had 22 folks who have been part of the delivery team. A big thank you goes out to them. And we welcome new members who want to help with this wonderful ministry.

August 20: Blessings in a Backpack- Packing Event

After our August 20th service, 59 volunteers from our congregation gathered in the Activities Room of the Education Building to pack backpacks of supplies that will go to Frederick County children. The volunteers packed a total of 556 backpacks.

June 23: CUMC Frederick Pride Day Support

On Frederick Pride Day, June 23, 2023, Calvary joined Trinity and Middletown United Methodist Churches in sponsoring a table on Carroll Creek, as we have in recent years. Calvary participants staffing the booth in the afternoon hours were Amanda Calabrese, Ginger Ward, Rev. Ray Moreland, and Paul Nelson. Thanks also to Rev. Vicky Starnes, we had a very attractive banner this year that resulted in more people than in past years stopping to chat and requesting information about our churches, most of whom also thanked us for being part of the day’s celebration. The grand finale of the day, for which only God can be credited, was a brief summer shower followed by a beautiful rainbow over the city of Frederick!

July 16- July 22: Henderson Settlement Mission Trip

Calvary United Methodist Church (CUMC) completed a very successful and rewarding Mission Outreach journey to Henderson Settlement in Frakes KY July 16-22, 2023. With 8 Youth Ministry members accompanied by 2 chaperones, and the 6 person Adult Team, we completed several challenging projects. The Youth Team demo’ d the Henderson Youth Education Center kitchen cabinets, built all new cabinets, painted the stairwell, power washed and stained the 2-story deck, painted the side of a building, and built a cement basketball pad. At the same time the Adult Team renovated a living room and entry as well as attaching facial siding and soffit to the exterior of an elderly couple’s trailer home, and then installed the new kitchen cabinets in the Youth Education Center. As rewarding as these projects were, we were also very proud of our Youth Team for conducting the morning devotions Tuesday. We sang a special “Henderson” rendition of Amazing Grace written by Helen Shepherd which touched everyone present. Throughout the week, we felt the presence of God in the work we did for those in need, the collaboration of our Teams, and the appreciation of the beauty of the Kentucky mountain countryside. The CUMC Mission funding of $4300 allowed us to have the materials and resources needed to do our work. Thank you to all who supported this important Mission Outreach program either by being part of our 16 person Team or financially. We look forward to our next Mission Outreach journey – stay tuned!

July 19: Calvary Summer Blood Drive

It was an outstanding day at Calvary UMC’s Summer Blood Drive– we were able to collect 85 units of lifesaving blood (the goal was 76, so that was easily surpassed) in Pastor Steve’s first official drive as Calvary’s Blood Drive Coordinator. In addition to his outstanding efforts, this drive also tied a 10-year-old record with 8 first-time blood donors today. Congrats to everyone on these great achievements and on a successful drive. The next drive will be Wednesday, September 27.

June 14: Youth Mission Central Trip (grades 6-12)

5 youths, 1 alum, 2 parent volunteers, and Miss Jenn headed to Mission Central in Mechanicsburg PA in support of our church mission work. Mission Central is a warehouse and distribution center for disaster relief “Connecting God’s Resources with Human Need.” We were able to use the Youth Mission Fund to purchase 4 new brooms and 1 dry mop to use and donate to Mission Central. Our team moved furniture and palates, swept, mopped, and cleaned work and storage areas in the warehouse. We also checked and packed 210 hygiene kits to aid in disaster relief. We are excited to plan our next trip there in the Summer of 2024.

June 10: United Women in Faith’s (UWF) Annual Yard Sale

Thanks to 22 UWF members, many spouses, and at least 24 other volunteers, the Yard Sale was another success – raising $4,815. Additionally, many others helped unload the stage and organize the items for sale. Our PR coverage was quite extensive this year, including the local newspaper, radio stations, many websites, posters, flyers, word of mouth and more. Hundreds of customers, including the many waiting in line for the doors to open, browsed the massive display of donated items for sale. Whether you donated items, unloaded the stage, purchased treasures, supplied baked goods, dug up plants, helped with the sorting and organizing, or worked during the sale and the clean up afterwards including taking remaining items to other charitable locations in the area, your efforts are sincerely appreciated. Proceeds will be distributed as follows: $1000 to the Calvary College Scholarship Fund, $300 to Calvary Weekday School, donations to the Faith House, the Religious Coalition Family Shelter, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and the UWF fund. We look forward to your support again next year!

May 10: Red Cross Drive

Calvary’s May Blood Drive was an extraordinary success thanks to the donors, volunteers and Red Cross Biomed team. A special thanks to Eric Anderson who finished his 75th and last Drive as the coordinator and is turning over his role to Pastor Steve. We achieved a record-breaking 100 units of blood, a first for Calvary. This Blood Drive will impact up to 300 lives in desperate need of this precious gift of life. Look for future Blood Drive scheduled on July 19th and again on September 27th.

May 7: Bake Sale

Thanks to our congregational donors and bakers of the many delicious items, we raised $568 in donations to support the project cost for our Henderson Mission Trip coming up in July. Both adults and youth will be headed to the Henderson Settlement in Frakes KY to provide hands on support for those in need.

May 4: Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) Build a Bed

The Calvary Mission Team wants to thank the congregation for a great response to the bed build for Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Almost 50 people and our financial support to purchase lumber and mattresses ensures that 20 local, needy children will be served. The beds will be delivered by church members complete with mattresses, sheets, blankets and pillows, free of charge.

April & May: Mission Possible Kids

For the first time since the pandemic, Calvary’s kids began meeting to come up with ideas for ways kids can make a difference in the lives of others. We began in February by collecting donations and making and decorating 20 bags for Calvary’s Love Bag deliveries. In March, we participated in packing food for Blessings in a Backpack with Calvary’s Youth. In April, we collected donations of pillows and bedding for Calvary’s Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) effort. We sorted, inventoried and shelved those donations, and then broke down dozens of large boxes and hauled them out of the Sleep in Heavenly Peace room and loaded then into a truck to be taken for recycling. In May, a few of our MPKids helped at Calvary’s Bed Build in Adamstown for SHP.

March 12: Blessings in a Backpack

Lead by the youth with the help of many adults and children, we filled over 500 backpacks to help feed Frederick’s needy kids. The Backpacks were distributed later that week to local school children.

February 21: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner

Many diners enjoyed our first Youth Mission Team Pancake Dinner since we stopped during Covid. The donations for the dinner will benefit the many Youth Mission projects.

February: United Methodist Committee on Relief appeal

The United Methodist committee on Relief continues to work with the International Blue Crescent to provide tents, heaters, blankets, warm clothes, ready-to-eat meals, and first aid kits to those displaced by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which killed more than 32,000 people. You can still support the relief and recovery efforts for this and other recovery efforts for international disasters by donating to Calvary UMC and indicating that you wish it to go for “Earthquake Relief.”

January-February: Love Bags and Mission Possible Kids

Calvary packed Love Bags again this year, creating and delivering bags of simple cherry items (i.e. notepads, pens, mints, lip balm, hand lotion, etc.) as an expression of love from the congregation. Our Mission Possible Kids group also collected items and made Love Bags were delivered.

January 31: Mission Central Team

A small group of our members traveled to Mission Central in Mechanicsburg PA to assemble over 240 care kits for the homeless. Mission Central is a Wesleyan ministry that partners with more than 500 benevolent organizations to meet global needs in medical and other supplies.