Mission of the Month

In My Father’s Kitchen was founded by John and Leigh-Ann Tumino in 2011. After walking away from a successful restaurant business, they founded a faith-based organization offering non-denominational and non-discriminatory assistance to homeless people through direct street outreach.  They feed people’s spirit, soul and body using food distribution and supplying material necessities to break down barriers, build relationships, and bring hope to those who feel invisible. One area of growing need they are seeing right now is for their friends who are transitioning indoors or working to maintain housing. Because of that, collecting basic cleaning and household supplies would be incredibly beneficial to their outreach programs.  In light of this, we will be launching a “Bucket List for IMFK”.  Along with financial contributions, DCC has set a goal of providing at least 25 of each item.  Some suggested items include:  cleaning supplies such as all purpose cleaners, sponge mops, buckets, brooms, dustpans, laundry baskets, laundry detergent, coffee and coffee filters. There will be collection receptacles in Miller Commons and the Narthex.  These practical items help bring dignity, stability, and a sense of home to those taking important steps forward, and they would be received with deep appreciation. For more information, contact Kim Buchanan at kb4labs@gmail.com, 

Young Life is a Christ-centered ministry that helps kids know Jesus, grow in their faith, and serve Him. Staff and volunteers go to kids, build bridges of authentic friendship, and introduce them to Jesus Christ. Young Life in Syracuse East began over 30 years ago and now serves multiple middle and high schools across the East Side! Students gather for “Club” during the evening to play silly games and hear a short talk about Jesus. Small groups of students meet for “Campaigners” (Bible study) before school. There are also faith-forming camps and a mission trip to El Salvador. By supporting Young Life, you are supporting an organization that loves kids and encourages them at any stage in their faith journey. How can you help? Financial donations are always useful. Kids need scholarships to camp and funding for mission trips. DCC sends students, adults, and critical supplies to El Salvador with Young Life each February. Another way to help is by donating supplies for the El Salvador trip. For more information, contact Anne Stock at astock@dewittchurch.org.

The Christian Caring team is excited to offer three options for Christmas Giving this year. The needs are great in our community, and we hope our congregation continues to be the hands and feet of Jesus during this Advent season of love. We pray one or more of the following options touches your heart. Samaritan Center: We will be collecting lap/nap blankets and small stuffed animals to distribute to the families served by the Samaritan Center. We will be collecting these items until 12/10/25. Our goal for 2025 is 60 blankets and stuffed animals. Salvation Army Angel Tree: We will offer an Angel Tree tag which includes suggested gift ideas (toys or clothes) for a specific age group (range from newborn babies to seniors) and gender. Items are returned unwrapped, with the tags attached, on or before 12/10/25. Our goal for 2025 is 60 tags. School Break Bags: With K-12 schools closed for a 2-week holiday break, we will be collecting food supplies for families in need in local school districts. Grocery bags and lists will be provided. Food items must be returned on or before 12/15/25. Our goal for 2025 is 100 Break Bags. 

Thanksgiving is a word of action. It is a time to celebrate the love of sharing food. The Mission of the Month for November is the Thanksgiving boxes. The goal for DCC again this year is to make 150 of them! This challenge addresses the needs of the community as people continue to be in need of help especially with food insecurity. Some of the boxes will be going to the SEAL Community Center and others to Clear Path for Veterans. If you or someone you know are in need of a box, please email Rick Hall at: rhrlhall7@gmail.com.
We hope all of you will choose to be God’s hands and feet by contributing in some way to this mission. You can contribute food, including leftover Halloween candy, $30 grocery gift cards (TOPS, WEGMANS, or PRICE CHOPPER), and cash or checks. We’d also love for you to share the blessing of your presence on November 23rd after the 11 am service. That’s the day you can enjoy lunch down in the gym and help pack the Thanksgiving boxes. This is a great opportunity for the whole family! Look in both the Narthex and Miller Commons for the thermometers which will measure how we’re doing along with boxes for food contributions. We thank you in advance for taking action and sharing!

Sleep in Heavenly Peace is the only charity providing hand-made bunk beds to children who don’t have beds of their own. SHP is a group of volunteers dedicated to finding those young children living without the luxury of sleeping on a bed, or even laying their heads on a pillow. Through the wonderful efforts of volunteers and generous donations, bunk beds are built, assembled, and delivered to those children who are otherwise sleeping on couches, blankets or even floors. At SHP, we have a mission: NO KID SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR IN OUR TOWN. Since the first delivery on October 6th, 2018, SHP have delivered over 5730 beds and counting. DCC build 45 beds this year with the help of 37 amazing volunteers! You can also donate new twin size sheets, pillows, and bedding items. Bins for bedding donations will be placed outside of the church narthex. For more information, contact Victor Duenas at victor.duenas3@gmail.com or 352-215-6548.

Help fill the cart! The Jamesville Dewitt Food Pantry provides supplemental food to our neighbors who are food insecure. With grocery prices increasing and the closing of some nearby pantries, more and more people are coming through our door to get enough food to make it through the month.
In addition to financial contributions, we appreciate donations of non-perishable food as well as household cleaning and hygiene products. When doing your weekly grocery shopping, perhaps pick up an extra item or two and put them in the pantry shopping cart in the narthex. Right now we particularly need: coffee, pork & beans, chunky soup, tuna, cereal, and spaghetti sauce. If you have questions concerning the pantry, contact Nancy Barnett at nrosboro@gmail.com.

Hope for Ariang partners with communities to provide inclusive access to quality education and opportunities for children and youth in Ariang, South Sudan. To reduce the barriers to the villagers’ educations, HOPE provides additional social services such as clean water, health education, and economic   opportunities. HOPE for Ariang now supports approximately 3,000 students and 60 teachers in three schools through the Ariang Boma School system. HOPE provides school supplies, uniforms, nutritious lunches, teacher development, funds to support students through high school, as well as programs focused on women and girls, among other initiatives. Most recently there has been an effort to digitize various information as the first step in integrating technology into the schools, a step that will equip Ariang Boma Schools with the resources needed to deliver comprehensive and competitive instruction. Currently HOPE for Ariang’s high school sponsorship program (Scholars Empowerment Program) is able to support 21 students through high school. The graduates of HOPE for Ariang’s Women Empowerment Program (WEP) are now operating small profitable businesses that are mainly involved in making school uniforms. Their impact on communities has been made possible by the financial contributions that HOPE for Ariang receives from its supporters. Every donation given truly makes a lasting difference, and no gift is too small. $1 buys a notebook for a student, $10 provides a full year of school supplies for a student, and $600 pays for a student to attend high school for a year. 

We Rise Above the Streets is an incredible organization established by Al-amin Muhammed to help feed the hungry in downtown Syracuse. They provide a meal every Saturday morning, predominantly consisting of sandwiches, protein bars, bottled water, chips, etc. Plus, they distribute clothing and shoes, children’s stuffed animals and books as available. This is almost exclusively accomplished through volunteer efforts and funding. The sandwiches are put together early Saturday mornings at Lincoln Middle School and compiled into paper bags along with the other items. Then they head to the city to distribute the food and other items directly to those in need. Volunteers are “coached” by Al-Amin to treat each guest with dignity and compassion. Guests are served rather than just taking their own bags or meals. They are met with eye contact and cheerful conversation, creating an atmosphere of belonging and inclusion. Al-amin was homeless himself and takes the treatment of the guests very seriously. The volunteers come from all over- schools, colleges, churches, and just loving individuals. The food and other items are provided by generous donations from the community. Please consider generously donating to this wonderful Mission yourself throughout the month of July and beyond. And please also consider participating in Sandwich Saturday sometime. You may contact Christian Caring Committee Chair, Rick Hall, if you would like more information or assistance in getting signed up at rhrlhall7@gmail.com.