Local Mission Outreach

Click on the following links for more information about each of the following ministries

     Soup 'n' Such - Soup Kitchen   Dine-in or Take Out

     St. Paul's Clothing Closet - Free Children's Clothing  Open during Soup & Such

     Neighborhood Mission Work: Stay-Near-Home Mission Trip

     Mind, Body, & Spirit Club (MB&S) - After School Kids' Program  Currently Suspended

     Conrad Weiser Food Pantry- Food Distribution to Those in Need 

     Pet Food Pantry for Seniors - Free pet food for seniors & disabled

     Community Vacation Bible School (VBS) - Successfully Completed!

Soup 'n' Such - Free Meal For All

     Soup & Such is St. Paul's soup kitchen, where anyone and everyone can come and receive a free meal.  This ministry began in 2010, serving a meal on Thursday once a month.  We currently serve about 100 people.  Volunteers generally begin preparations around 3:00pm.  Meals are served from 4:00 - 6:00pm.

      For more information about Soup & Such, please contact coordinator Steve Miller or the church office at 610-621-5770 or office@sprucc.org.  For more information about the Conrad Weiser Food Pantry, please call 610-693-8313.

     The schedule of Soup & Such can be found below and on our website's calendar.  Please note that currently meals are dine-in or take out.  Depending on the Covid situation this may change.  Contact the church office for the current situation.

           Schedule - 2022: 

                Thursday, January 27

                Thursday, February 24 

                Thursday, March 31

                Thursday, April 28

                Thursday, May 26 

                Thursday, June 30 

                Thursday, July 28

                Thursday, August 25 

                Thursday, September 29 

                Thursday, October 27

                No Soup & Such in November

                Thursday, December 8

Volunteers

Donations

More Information

     For more information contact the chair or vice chair of the Mission Committee.

St. Paul's Clothing Closet - Open during Soup & Such

     St. Paul's UCC Clothing Closet hands out children's clothing.  St. Paul's Clothing Closet began in 2013.  The Clothing Closet is now open during Soup & Such.  If you do not feel comfortable and would prefer to schedule an appointment time to pick out clothing for your child(ren), please call the church office at 610-621-5770.  Leave your name and phone number and our coordinator, Robin, will get back to you.  Thank you for your cooperation!

     We provide one FREE bag of clothing per child in a family (bags are given by the church).

     Donations of clean children's clothing in good condition are welcome, as well as donations of new children's underwear in its original packaging.  Please put the clothing in a plastic bag and leave it under the shelter of the roof by the double doors on Pearl Street.  You will see a sign on the door.  

Neighborhood Mission Work

Stay-Near-Home Mission Trip

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Rain Date: Saturday, September 25, 2021

Need to Know Deadline: August 1, 2021

     On Saturday, September 18 the congregations of St. Paul's UCC in Robesonia and Zion UCC in Womelsdorf will be going on a mission trip together, without even leaving Berks County!  On this day, we will be sharing the love of God within our community by helping people needing assistance with small but important projects in and around their homes.

     We are compiling a list of potential projects, which the Property Committees of both churches will evaluate and make the decisions as to which ones we will do this September.  If you or someone you know in the community has an indoor or outdoor project, with which we can potentially be of help, please let us know.  Examples of potential projects include pruning, weeding, trimming, patching drywall, hauling trash from a basement to the curb, painting a fence, etc.

     If you are available to help with our Mission Trip, we would like to know that too.  Please click on the following link which will take you to our Interest Survey. 

     If you are not available to help, but would like to provide monetary support for our mission work efforts, you can do so by making a secure online donation by clicking on "Online Giving" at www.sprucc.org, and type "Mission Project Fund" in one of the mission lines.  These funds will be used to help provide supplies, such as paint, brushes, cleaner, etc. 

     Whether you can help or have a potential project that you would like the committee to consider, we need to know by August 1st.

     The schedule for the day will be to meet at 1:00pm in St. Paul's parking lot.  Have an opening devotion & reflection, receive instructions, and then be sent off.  We will work until 5:30pm at our mission project sites, then return to St. Paul's at 6:00pm for dinner and concluding worship.

     We are excited to be working with Zion UCC of Womelsdorf.  We look forward to serving together, as the Body of Christ, that people might experience the love of God through us.

Pet Food Pantry for Seniors

     This organization, also know as The Wellness Center for Pets & Their People, is a volunteer operated nonprofit organization.  Their mission is to aid those in our community in need, with a focus on the elderly population.  They hold monthly mobile pet food pantries for seniors and/or the disabled who are in need: low income, fixed income, no income households. 

     The Pet Food Pantry is held the first Sunday of the month (except holidays) from 11:30am - 12:30pm at the Cole Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Robesonia (across from the Conrad Weiser Middle School).  The Pantry is a drive-thru event.  They rely on donations so they can only distribute what they receive.  Income requirements are the same as for the food pantry.  They assist those 65 and older who meet those income limits, and those who are 55 and older that are on disability and meet those income limits. 

     If you have elderly neighbors that are not on social media, please share this information.  If you have neighbors who are homebound, please let the Pet Food Pantry people know, they may be able to help.  Newcomers will be asked to complete paperwork regarding their income and pets.  For more information and for those seniors who are homebound, please call 717-675-4136 or go  to https://fb.me/e/37cii5z0h.

Mind, Body, & Spirit Club - Currently Suspended 

CANCELLED During the COVID-19 Pandemic

     Unfortuantely, we are not able to hold our MB&S after school tutoring program during the pandemic.  For the time being, this program is currently suspended.

       MB&S endeavors to nourish the Mind, Body, and Spirit of youth in a safe caring environment.  The program includes:

        Mind: homework assistance, reading assistance, craft, and math and reading games;
        Body: fun games and a healthy snack (while practicing good table manners); and
        Spirit: peer socializing, interaction with caring adults, positive faith message, prayer, and music.

    We seek to offer youth a safe environment in which to have fun with friends, maybe make some new friends, receive help with homework and reading, nurture their spirit, have a light snack, and know that they are cared about by people in the community.

    Started in Spring 2015, the program takes place after school at Conrad Weiser West Elementary from 3:30pm-5:00pm on Tuesdays for 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders enrolled at Conrad Weiser West Elementary School.

     Each Tuesday, we have about 15-20 minutes of structured active play time (such as a relay race, jumping rope, zombie tag, and the like); 15-20 minutes of a faith-based teaching with a positive message (such as the story of the good Samaritan helping an injured stranger in need); 30 minutes of homework support and/or reading time (we offer help with homework for those students who have homework that evening, or help with reading for those who have finished their homework, or play math or word games with those who have finished their homework); plus snack, craft, and music time.

Registration

     To register, please contact the office of Conrad Weiser West Elementary.

Spiritual Diversity - MB&S

      Our volunteers are coming from Christian churches of different denominations.  We value the religious diversity found within our community; we encourage individuals to continue with whatever faith community of which they are already a part; and we are not seeking to convert anyone from their present religion to that of one of our participating churches.  None of our churches profess our denomination to be better than all other denominations, but rather we seek to work ecumenically with faith groups.  We humbly seek to offer what we hope will be a helpful program to the youth of our community.
    We offer prayer as a part of this program (such as before snack time).  Youth are not compelled to pray, but if choosing not to pray are invited to pause in courteous silence during a prayer.
    If you have additional questions about the faith and perspectives of participating churches, you can visit the websites of participating churches and/or contact their pastors.  The names of participating churches and their contact information is included in the MB&S registration brochures. 

     Our Mind, Body, & Spirit (MB&S) after school program is a combined ministry of the Conrad Weiser Ministerium.   The MB&S program was initiated by St. Paul's UCC, and has been primarily led by St. Paul's UCC and St. Daniel's ELCA churches of Robesonia.  In recent years, leadership has also bee provided by Tulpehocken UCC in Richland and Zion UCC in Womelsdorf, as well as other individuals from a variety of local churches.

More Information about MB&S

      For  more information about the MB&S program, please contact the church office at office@sprucc.org or 610-621-5770.

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