Reaching Out to Those in Need

Bishop’s In-Gathering

November 1, 1980, the campus at Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa was alive with people bringing blankets, kits, animals, and corn.  The people were excited, curious, expectant, joyful and full of questions!

From that day in 1980, Iowa United Methodists have been sharing their abundance.

In Iowa, from $44,882 in 1980 to $1,619,000 in 2000, who knows the limit that can be reached in the next millennium?  In 2005 $433,000 cash and in-kind value of $789,000, totaling $1,220,000 (including Hurricanes Rita and Katrina relief giving) was received.  Totals for 2006 are $333,089 cash and $643,058 in-kind value for a total of $976,147.

The Hudson UMC has contributed hundreds of school kits, layettes, blankets, teachers’ kits, health kits, and more with a cost of thousands!

Summer Sack Lunch Mission

Each summer, in partnership with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank and thanks to a Matthew 25 Grant, we are able to provide sack lunches each week to children at Country Terrace Mobile Home Park.  In addition to a nutritious lunch each week, milk and other food items are distributed each week.  At the end of the summer, we also provide school supplies, groceries and personal care products to each participating child.

Disaster Relief Fund

Since the floods and tornadoes of 2008, the Hudson UMC has established a fund to receive funds to help in times of disaster.  Funds were sent to UMCOR for Haiti Relief.  Additional funds were sent for tornado relief in western Iowa the spring of 2011.  We will be ready in the future if and when another disaster strikes.

Hudson Churches Emergency Fund

Special offerings are received during the community-wide Thanksgiving Service and Good Friday Service  for an emergency to help those in need who might need a tank of gas or a meal.  This is administered through the Hudson Ministerial Association.

COAD

Community Organization Active in Disaster is a Black Hawk County organization in which the Hudson UMC participates.  If and when a disaster strikes in the Hudson area, we would be ready to open our church doors and help where needed.