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Mission & Outreach Ministry: 2025 Year in Review
The FCCW Outreach Ministry would like to thank our wonderful and generous congregation for all of the support over the last year.
Most recently, during the fall “Just Peace” offering, you raised $3,430 for Friendship Home, an overnight respite and activity center in Norwell, MA. Friendship Home provides day and evening programs for individuals with disabilities and those who care and advocate for them. These funds will go to support programming that helps guests lead meaningful and productive lives by fulfilling their essential need for belonging and socialization. Thanks to all who were able to donate to the Just Peace Offering this fall.
To address food insecurity with renewed focus during recent government funding uncertainty, FCC Winchester delivered eight food cards to the Woburn Council for Social Concern along with the regular weekly food donations. Thanks to all for your generous offerings. We continue to deliver food donations and food cards throughout the year. Nonperishables may be dropped in the little red wagon in the hall area by the church office. Food cards (Stop & Shop and Market Basket) may be dropped in the lockbox outside the office door.
Every year for Christmas we as a church, give presents to those in need. With your generous support, we were able to provide gifts for 25 children through the community-based program Youth Villages. Thanks to everyone for helping bring some cheer and warmth to kids in on our community this season.
The Outreach Committee completed the FCC grant distributions for 2025. The average gift this year was $2100 to the following 21 nonprofit registered 501c3 organizations:
- Allo Hope Foundation – practical medical assistance to mothers in the US and Africa facing Rh disease, risking their babies health
- Boston Medical Center’s Grow Clinic for Children – a focus on helping at risk young children from low income backgrounds physically thrive
- Catie’s Closet – providing clothes and supplies for low income and foster children so they have clothing like their school peers
- The Children’s Room – Arlington based group that provides services and support to children who have lost a parent or sibling
- Essex County Habitat for Humanity – engaging communities and volunteers to build and renovate homes for those for whom such a home would be out of reach
- Outdoor Church – providing spiritual, emotional, and physical care for the homeless across Cambridge and the greater Boston area
- More than Words – a nonprofit youth run social enterprise empowering young people in foster care, with court involvement, facing housing challenges, or out of school to take charge of their lives.
- Protect Global Children – providing clothing and supplies to Ukraine children and families
- Women’s Money Matters – proving practical training and support towards financial stability for low income women
- Woburn Council for Social Concern – many faceted support organization with social workers and extensive food pantry
- Women’s Lunch Place – providing a healthy breakfast and midday meal, companionship, and a daytime shelter in the heart of Boston
- Mission of Deeds – providing furniture and home furnishings for those moving from shelters and other housing supports into a home.
- Neighborhood Counselling and Community Services – Sommerville based nonprofit focused on accessible mental health services for surrounding communities and a therapeutic alternative high school experience
- End Hunger New England – volunteer- based group that prepares full meals and provides them to a series of food pantries and soup kitchens
- Food Link – in partnership with the Winchester Housing Authority, provides and delivers food to those in need of groceries and meals
- Immigrant Support Alliance – provides practical support to immigrant families, including housing and transportation, access to job training, language skills, and health care access
- Lowell Transitional Living Center – a full service shelter and meal program with support for current needs and programs towards supporting a better future
- Mass Coalition for the Homeless – underwrite our annual Build-a Bed event that provides beds for children and families moving into stable housing
- UTEC – extensive programs in workforce development and support for young people leaving the criminal justice system towards learning practical job skills
- Winchester Farmers Market – supporting Anna’s Fund to provide ‘tokens’ allowing purchases at the Farmers Market for lower income patrons.
- ABC House – across the street from our church, our Winchester home for promising teens who have earned their way into this program, enrolled at Winchester High School and supported with tutoring and social opportunities
Grant recipients tend to be organizations in which our church members can actively volunteer. The Outreach Committee focuses on homeless services and meal programs, women’s shelters and parenting education, services for at risk children and teens, services for the mentally and physically disabled, other programs that provide services to people in significant need.
Our Christmas offering last year set a goal to raise $10,000 toward a new stove for the Dwelling Place Located at the United Methodist Church in Woburn, The Dwelling Place is a free meal program. Church members exceeded the goal and raised a staggering $14,242, enough to pay for removal of the old stove, purchase and install the shiny, new one pictured below. Thank you everyone for making this possible.
We will be sending a letter for the 2025 Christmas offering in the next week or so. Please keep an eye out and a heart open for this next opportunity to bring some cheer to those who need it most this holiday season.
