Ongoing Ministries We Support with Our Presence

The BackPack Program

A program of America’s
Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, the mission of the BackPack Program is to
help alleviate child hunger by addressing the lack of food resources on
weekends and holidays for children who are at-risk for hunger through the
provision of groceries for them to prepare and consume at home. During the
school year, Isle of Hope UMC volunteers pack nutritious, child-friendly foods
in plastic bags which are placed in the children’s backpack at school on Friday
afternoons. This ensures that the children, enrolled at Isle of Hope Elementary
School have something to eat until they return for breakfast at school on
Monday morning. If you would like to volunteer or have questions please call
Marjo Zelinsky at 355-8527.

Kairos Prison Ministry

A Christian, lay-led, ecumenical, volunteer international prison ministry,
in which volunteers bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to incarcerated
individuals and their families. Kairos volunteers go into prisons in teams
of 30-40 to pray, share Christ’s love and forgiveness, share meals and
fellowship with the inmates on a one to one basis. The first visit is a three
day event in which the team teaches a short course on Christianity. Subsequent
visits are monthly half day reunions with the prisoners over a 12 month period.
If you are interested in serving with Kairos, would like to sponsor an
incarcerated resident for a Kairos weekend or have questions please contact
Fred Daniel at 658-2452.

Coastal Jail Ministries of Georgia

The Coastal Jail Ministries of Georgia, Inc. was organized to provide a
locally based Christian mission and ministry to the Chatham County
Detention Center.
Inmates who choose to be a part of the ministry live in separate dormitories
and receive intensive counseling/mentoring by the chaplains and participate in
Bible study and worship. Volunteers are needed to grade Bible study tests for
inmates involved in this prison ministry. A grading score is provided and you
may pick up and return the tests at the church and do the grading in the
comfort of your own home. Personal instruction is provided.  Volunteers
are also needed to teach Bible study to the inmates in the detention center. If
you would like to volunteer, please call Julie at 355.8527.

Inner City Night Shelter

Inner City Night Shelter provides emergency shelter for homeless men and
women. They also provide a hot meal to men, women and children every night.
Isle of Hope UMC sends volunteers to serve dinner on the second Sunday of each
month from 4:30-6:00 PM.  We also provide
20 gallons of soup or canned fruits and vegetables (large cans) and 150
sandwiches. Sign up in your Sunday school class or call Martha Nesbit at
355-5049.

Interfaith Hospitality Network

The Interfaith Hospitality Network of Coastal Georgia is an independent,
non-profit organization that works to alleviate family homelessness by
providing shelter, meals and intensive support through the faith community of Savannah and Coastal
Georgia. Each host congregation furnishes overnight lodging and meals for three
families for one week, every three to four months on a rotating schedule.

Isle of Hope UMC will host families in the Green House during the following
weeks in 2012: February 26-March 4, July 1-8, and October 14-21. Volunteers are
needed to help with set-up, prepare and/or serve meals, play with the children,
serve as evening and overnight hosts, and clean-up. This is a great way for
families to volunteer together! Call Joan Connelly at 912-398-3807 to
volunteer.

L.O.V.E. Mentors

Volunteers who are trained by L.O.V.E. Mentors (Local Outreach Volunteer
Educators) mentor/tutor students at Isle of Hope Elementary School during the
school year.  A weekly commitment to a child who needs a one-on-one
relationship with a caring adult is the only qualification. Thirty minutes at a
time of your choosing twice per week between the hours of 9:30AM to 3PM could
be a life-changing gift for a child. Please call Betsy Hines at 354-8957 for
more information or to sign up.

The Living Vine

The Living Vine is a Christian maternity home that ministers to women in
crisis pregnancies by offering a safe and loving home environment. Along with
providing the basic needs this organization also offers counseling, educational
opportunities and biblical instruction through their extensive program.

Isle of Hope UMC supports this ministry through our “Baby Bottle Fundraiser”.
Pick up a baby bottle at the church office and return it with your spare change
to support the Vine. Volunteers are also needed at their Blessingdales Thrift
Store to sort and shelve items and for ongoing maintenance and grounds keeping.
This is a great opportunity for families and groups to work together. Call the
Living Vine or Julie to volunteer.

Meals on Wheels

Each client enrolled in the Meals on Wheels program receives a hot, noontime
meal that provides one third of the daily nutritional requirements, as well as
personal contact to homebound seniors. Isle of Hope UMC volunteers are
responsible for delivering Meals on Wheels midday to elderly residents in the
Southside area Mondays-Fridays. The meals are picked up at the church between
11:00AM-1:00PM. The delivery route usually takes about 1-1 1/2 hours to
complete.  If you are interested in serving, please call Lynn Kritter at
354-1260.

Prayer Shawl Ministry “Friends ‘n Needles”

Prayer Shawls are knitted or crocheted for people in need of comfort,
solace, encouragement or celebration. Knitters pray for the recipient while
they are making the shawls. Baby blankets, knit hats and chemo turbans are
other items that can be prayerfully made. This is a ministry that you can
participate in as part of a group or individually when convenient for you. The
Prayer Shawl group, Friends ‘n Needles, meets the second Thursday of every
month from 11:00-2:00 in the Seeker’s classroom. Please call Julie for more
information.

Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House Charities began in 1974 with the purchase of their
first house. Now there are 300 nationwide, including Savannah. Their mission is to provide
families with seriously ill or injured children a way to stay together in
proximity to their treatment hospital and be comfortable and cared for during
their stay. This is done with little to no cost to the family.

Isle of Hope UMC supports this organization by collecting aluminum tabs from
soft drink cans. Drop off your tabs in the RMH house on the shelf outside the
office. RMH also utilizes volunteers to prepare meals and make cookies for the
families at the house. For more information, please call Julie at 355-8527.

We Care Meals

Our church pays for a hot lunch (prepared by Memorial) for family members of
patients in the Intensive Care Units at Memorial Health
University Health
Center. IOHUMC volunteers
are there the first Tuesday of every month from 10:45AM- 12:15PM to help serve
the meal to the family members and to provide support and compassion in Jesus’
name. Please email Joy Gainer at jgainer12@comcast.net
if you are interested in serving.

Wesley Community Centers

WesleyCommunity Centersof Savannah, Inc. is
celebrating 60 years of service to women, children, and families in this
community. Wesley’s Early Childhood Education and Development Center
serves children ages 1-4 and is Nationally Accredited through NAEYC.
Wesley also operates and manages The Lady Bamford Center for Early Childhood
Development.  Wesley also has several other programs including Crisis
Intervention, Quilting classes, Adult Education classes, Computer classes, and
a Summer Youth Arts Program, which all operate out of the Wesley Women’s
Center.

The Isle of Hope UMC church family collects non-perishable food items and
paper bags the first Sunday of every month for Wesley. We also collect Campbell’s soup labels to
help Wesley receive items needed in the child care center.

For more information, please call Julie at 355-8527.

The Christ Child’s Nest

During a Faith In Practice medical mission trip in 1999, team members became
aware of an orphanage in Guatemala
with many needs. In December 2001, our church began a program where church
members may financially “sponsor” a child at the orphanage on a monthly basis
or with a one-time gift. You may also collect spare change in our “milk
cartons” available in the church office.  If you would like to know more
or would like to give a gift to The Christ Child’s Nest, call Julie Vann.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, contact Julie Vann at jvann@iohumc.com.