Mission Seed Fund Grant: Ministry to Public Schools

Cokesbury UMC – Henderson has received Mission Seed Funds to enhance our ministry with the elementary school in our community. We discovered that our members step up when they are asked to provide specific items—school supplies and Christmas gifts. We estimate that they provided at least $500 in school supplies and gifts for 52 students at Christmas in 2019. The seed funds helped us provide:

• weekend food for students (now on hold due to the pandemic).  
• temporary housing for children and single parents until permanent housing was available. 
• clothing, shoes, winter coats, gloves, hats and undergarments for children 
• school supplies, including backpacks for children and the school system.  We stock them twice a year (at the beginning of school  and after Christmas) and hope this alleviates the pressure teachers feel to buy supplies for their classrooms. 
• We have been able to take families grocery shopping and assist with food, toiletries, and personal hygiene items.  

These are only a few things that we “touch” on. We have assisted single moms with programs that may help situations they may be in. These programs are generally free, but we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to help them if we had not assisted their children. Carver Elementary school has been “our school,” but with the funds made available by the grants, we have been able to reach out to assist other schools. Social Services in Vance County will often call on us for assistance, especially when children are involved.

*Submitted by Rev. Tracy Sexton and Cokesbury UMC