WHAT WE DO
The Central United Methodist Church (CUMC) Outreach ministry serves the Homeless and Food-Insecure population from the Traverse City area. We feed 70-90 meals at breakfast 5 days a week in the summer and 7 days a week in the winter (Saturday and Sunday breakfasts range more in the 35-70 for attendance). In addition we serve a Community Meal every Thursday from 12 Noon to 1:00pm year round as part of the Traverse City churches rotation. By the end of 2016, CUMC Outreach served nearly 25,000 meals. Our guests may also shower, pick up hygiene products and cold weather clothing, receive their mail and store a tote container of personal belongings. BATA bus passes are also available.
Along the way Outreach provides funeral services for this community, offers counsel and a listening ear, problem solves and, most importantly, provides a place of respect and fellowship.
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THE NEXT GENERATION
We have a number of school related groups bringing in teams of students for service and education:
Greenspire School (environmentally-focused school housed at The GT Commons) sends a team of 6 students once a month to prepare and serve the 2nd Thursday Community Outreach Meal. The students receive an overview of the program and an opportunity to join our Coordinator at a table with Outreach guests for conversation. Kudos to teacher Sarah Payette for initiating this partnership.
Children’s House Montessori is spending a month of Wednesday mornings in the kitchen at our Breakfasts. The children prepare a coffee cake on site which they then personally serve to our guests.
TBAISD MOCI (Life Skills Center for teen/young adults with disabilities) Justin Vandermeer brings his crew over to clean our tables and floors after Thursday lunches.
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OUT ON THE STREET
Father, daughter and boyfriend arrive in TC at the bus station 2:00am from Indiana. A second daughter living in TC was to have taken them in but at the last minute that plan fails. They sit in the bus station for an hour until they are escorted out. At 3:00am they walk to Meijer with their backpacks and belongings because Meijer is open 24 hours.
Some kind soul knows about Safe Harbor and they call the current location of this rotating homeless shelter. Safe Harbor connects them with Goodwill Street Outreach Coordinator, Ryan Hannon. Ryan brings the family to Outreach Breakfast here at CUMC. Father, daughter and boyfriend look shell-shocked as we educate them on the resources available to them: Safe Harbor to sleep; local churches that offer meals; and Jubilee House for a storage tote. We feed them a hot breakfast, supply them with local bus tickets and point them to their next stop.
This story repeats itself with a different cast of characters every month. It is hard to imagine being so desperate that you would move your family on a bus to a new state in hopes that an estranged family member or old friend will house you. The reality is that there are many families and individuals who are that desperate.
It is also a reality that here in Traverse City we have a circle of organizations that can provide displaced persons experiencing homelessness some basic necessities such as food and a place to sleep. Then the next circle of organizations can assist them in navigating their next step. It doesn’t always end well but when it does there is no joy like celebrating progress in attaining housing and/or employment.
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MUNSON PARTNERSHIP
Munson Healthcare Advance Care Planning is partnering with CUMC Outreach to offer periodic workshops for our guests on “Making Your Medical Wishes Known.”
Stephanie VanSleight will train some active volunteers on how to be a patient advocate for the first time on March 1st. The following Wednesday (3/8) there will be a 30 minute workshop for our Outreach guests. They will be given a few simple steps to help the medical team hear their “voice”. The list of patient advocate volunteers from CUMC Outreach and Jubilee House will be available to them so they can choose a person they trust as their patient advocate. We plan on offering the workshop twice a year.
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SHOUT OUT!
*Thanks to Boyne Country Sports for a donation of hand warmers.
*Thanks to Gary Horn and the Traverse City Elks Lodge for the multiple ways they support our work year round.
*Gratitude to Taylor Moore and Food Rescue as they deliver free healthy food items every week.
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CENTRAL OUTREACH
HOURS
8:30am–10:30am Sunday-Saturday
in the Winter
8:30am–10:30am Monday–Friday
in the Spring/Summer
8:30am-1:00pm Thursdays
Year Round
STAFF
Jane Lippert, Outreach Coordinator
Jennifer Rountree, Outreach Assistant
