Haiti Solar Ovens

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Michele

In response to the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, 960 solar ovens and 4,992 cooking pots were shipped to Haiti. 711 people were trained to use the solar ovens. The sending of pots was necessary because the Haitian factory that previously supplied cooking pots was destroyed in the quake. The factory is expected to re-open in 2011, supplying cooking pots to Solar Oven Partners and providing local jobs again. In August, 1,040 solar ovens will be shipped to Haiti.solar oven partners logo

After the earthquake and even before it, few development efforts in Haiti directly confront the root causes of hunger and poverty, empowering individuals to accept personal responsibility through facilitating personal action. Haiti Solar Oven Partners takes a one-by-one approach, which actually seems to be what’s most often missing in Haiti. To learn more or send support to Solar Oven Partners, please see the project website and recent newsletter.

Solar Oven Partners needs volunteers for short term mission trips to Haiti with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. Two mission trips are scheduled, July 15-26 and another in November, dates to be determined. The work involves assembling solar ovens and helping with solar cooking seminars. If you are interested in participating in either trip to Haiti, please contact outreach@firstpaloalto.com.

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Rebuilding Day Makes Homeowners Happy

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Michele

Twenty people from First Church turned out bright and early Saturday morning, April 30 at a mobile home park in San Jose. The morning was cool and breezy and everyone arrived wearing sweatshirts. After donning Rebuilding Together t-shirts, the group split into two teams. They met their House Captains and got to work on their projects organized by Rebuilding Together-Silicon Valley. Each team painted an entire mobile home! In a day!

group photo project 203

Project Team 203

210 team

Project Team 210

The members of the project 210 team washed the mobile home and taped off the no-paint areas. Then they paired off and settled into their chosen specialty–painting the edges with a brush, rolling out the walls, or trimming around the shutters. After lunch, they did it all again, putting on a second coat! The House Captain was aiming for “picture window quality” and the team delivered. In addition to painting, Team 210 worked on front porch repairs.

volunteers washing walls

The members of the project 203 team painted a “double-wide” with a large awning. First the awning was removed, then painted top and bottom. Meanwhile, the rest of the team washed the mobile home, painted the lower “paneling” and edges all around with brushes. The tall guys climbed ladders and rolled out the walls. Once the house and the awning were dry, the awning had to be hoisted back into position. Team 210 assisted Team 203 with this big job. It required many hands and a lot of coordination!
hoisting the awning Team 203 also replaced two toilets with high efficiency ones and replaced the entry stairs in their homeowner’s mobile.

Pizza, soda, cookies, apples, and cold water provided by Rebuilding Together fueled the teams throughout the day.lunch break

All the projects were completed and cleaned up by 4:45 p.m.

The homeowners were very grateful for the work that was done. They got us going in the morning with coffee and danish. When the day got hot and we were breaking out the sunscreen and putting on our sun hats, they provided watermelon and iced tea to cool us. One homeowner sent us home with bags of grapefruit from her backyard tree. The other made a sign to wear when pictures were taken. The sign said “Happy.”

More than 1000 volunteers renovated and repaired 52 homes and nonprofit facilities in Santa Clara County on April 30 with Rebuilding Together-Silicon Valley. The next Rebuilding Day will be in October. Watch this blog for details and plan to join the next First Church Rebuilding Together team!

 

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Free concert May 7

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Michele

the Valley Chorale singingThe Outreach Committee presents
The Valley Chorale performing in our sanctuary Saturday, May 7 at 4:00 p.m. This concert is free and open to the community.

the Valley Chorale singing and dancingSince 1968, the Chorale has shared its love of fine choral music with Bay area communities and on tour throughout northern California.  The eclectic program brings their audiences a wonderful musical buffet.

the Valley Chorale portraitFeast on deliciously creative new settings of familiar pieces: Rosephanye Powell’s Motherless Child, There is No Rose with handbells, Behold, God, the Lord from Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s lyric Laudate Dominun, Neil Ginsberg’s The Gartan Mother’s Lullaby, the story of Shadrack, a new gospel arrangement of Glory, Glory Hallelujah, jazz favorite Stormy Weather, folk songs Hava Neytzey (Israeli) and Wana Baraka (Kenyan), plus Broadway delights from the musical “Music Man.”

Please invite your friends and family. Perhaps your mother would enjoy this special ‘day-before-Mother’s-Day’ treat? Refreshments will be served after the concert.

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If I had a hammer . . .

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Michele

Join the team from First Church at Rebuilding Day on April 30.

Our team paints the repaired fenceRebuilding Together gathers donated materials and hundreds of volunteers to repair and rehabilitate homes and non-profit facilities on Rebuilding Days each April and October. Volunteers must be at least 14 years old. All skill levels are needed.

Pick up an application at church or apply online. On the Project drop-down menu, be sure to choose First United Methodist Church Palo Alto 2011 Spring when you apply online.
Deadline to submit applications to church is April 3.
Deadline to apply online is April 4. The fee to participate is $5, payable to First Church, which includes lunch and a Rebuilding Together t-shirt.

Interested in one of the following leadership positions? Training is provided and required before April 30. Please email outreach@firstpaloalto.com which position interests you and when is a good time to have the training.

Volunteer Coordinator: communicates with their project’s volunteers prior to Rebuilding Day, making sure they have all of the details pertaining to the workday. They help coordinate the Project Kit pick-up from our warehouse prior to Rebuilding Day. They are in charge of the check-in process on Rebuilding Day, welcoming volunteers, checking them in, distributing t-shirts and nametags, etc.  They monitor the well-being of the volunteers throughout the day, making sure they take breaks, are being productive and stop for lunch!  The Volunteer Coordinator works with the Rebuilding staff to organize lunch for the volunteers.

Resource Coordinator: works with the House Captain to oversee and implement resource efficiency improvements and modifications, to include, but not limited to installing CFLs, insulating water pipes, and adjusting the temperature on water heaters.  The Resource Coordinator also works with the homeowner to educate them about these tasks. In addition, they are responsible for managing the onsite project resources (materials, tools, etc.) by distributing materials in the morning and monitoring clean-up as tasks are finished.

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The Imagine No Malaria Challenge

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Michele

boy holding mosquito netMalaria is a serious problem in Africa. We will hear more about that when the Rev. Gary Henderson speaks in worship March 13. The goals of the Imagine No Malaria campaign are to raise enough money to wipe out malaria in Africa by 2015.

What can you do?
First, have faith that healing is within reach.
You, as an individual, can give money to Imagine No Malaria. That is admirable and welcome. A special offering for Imagine No Malaria will be collected March 13. pregnant women and toddler with mosquito net

Second, go to extremes to stamp out malaria!
You, as part of a group at church, can raise money for Imagine No Malaria. The Outreach Committee challenges the groups of the church to host some EXTREME events to raise awareness and funds for Imagine No Malaria.

Here are some extreme event ideas:

  • Host a music festival with various musical groups of the church providing entertainment.
  • Hold a fundraiser at a local restaurant – Fresh Choice is one restaurant that does this.
  • Design a mug or tote bag for the church and sell them.
  • Hold a raffle.
  • Set up a Lemon – ‘aid’ stand.
  • Put on a Game Show.
  • Host a Chocolate Tasting party.
  • Sell tickets to a Stanford Women’s Basketball game.
  • Start a Flamingo Flock.

What is your extreme event idea? What will your group do?

After a few days, Jesus went back to Capernaum, and people heard that he was at home. So many gathered that there was no longer space, not even near the door. Jesus was speaking the word to them. Some people arrived and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. They couldn’t carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Jesus raised him up, and right away he picked up his mat and walked out in front of everybody. They were all amazed and praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:1-5, 12 (Common English Bible)

Those friends were willing to go to extremes to restore their friend’s health. They believed he would be healed!

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Respite for families of children with special needs

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Michele

First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto will host
making artSaturday Morning Respite
March 26, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
for families of children with special needs.
Children with special needs and their siblings are invited to enjoy a morning of  Crafts, Games, Recreation, Music and More! (ages preschool – age 12)
Parents: Take a Break, Go on a Date, Do Some Shopping!


Each child is matched one-to-one with an adult or teen ”buddy.”
Activities are led by trained volunteers.
A nurse will be on site all morning.

Registration for this Event is closed.
If you have called and secured a space, please return your completed registration form by March 23.

Respite Registration March 26

Fax registration forms to 650-323-3923
or Email to outreach@firstpaloalto.com
or Mail to First UMC, 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301,  ATTN: Respite

Respite Invitation Flyer

 

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Executive Director of Sierra Service Project Spoke Jan 16

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Michele

Rick Eaton, Executive Director of Sierra Service Project (SSP), spoke with us at First UMC Palo Alto during worship on Jan. 16. Sierra Service Project is a non-profit organization providing life-changing experiences to youth, young adults, and their counselors through acts of service repairing homes in Native American and urban communities, and building homes in Honduras.

From the pulpit, Rick told us about the history and purpose of SSP – to provide opportunities for young people to develop a strong and deep understanding of God’s gifts and God’s grace through the direct experience of being in service to others – and about the various programs in which the organization accomplishes this purpose. We know firsthand that SSP is very successful in accomplishing its purpose, as evidenced by our own youth who have participated in SSP experiences.

Rick talked about how the lives we live often are quite different from the lives we want to live as Christians. He told how a personal tragedy helped him reduce that gap in his own life, gave him new perspective on the importance of giving, and led him to become executive director of SSP. You can listen to this portion of Rick’s moving testimony here. Listen to Rick Eaton’s full sermon on the church website.

A black pick-up truck was parked at the curb in front of our church that Sunday morning. Volunteers in Mission from Los Gatos United Methodist Church presented the truck as a gift to SSP and Rick drove it to SSP headquarters in Sacramento that afternoon.

A light luncheon was served in the Patio Room after worship, where about 25 people took advantage of the opportunity to have a more intimate conversation with Rick and his wife Toni.

Rick Eaton was invited to speak by the Outreach Committee and is the first of our Special Mission Visitors this year. To learn more about Sierra Service Project, visit the website: www.sierraserviceproject.org

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Mission Handcrafts Sale

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Michele

Mission Handcrafts, an organization associated with the California-Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church, supplied hundreds of handmade items for the Outreach Handcrafts Sale on Sunday, Dec. 5. Sweaters, purses, rugs, jewelry, hats, scarves, toys, musical instruments, ornaments, and more made by artisans in Bolivia, Cambodia, Korea, India, Fiji, Africa, Kentucky and South Dakota were for sale.  Many people went home with treasures for themselves or as gifts. Proceeds from the sale totaled $929. This money supports the artisans as well as mission projects in the countries–such as pastor support in Bolivia, girls’ schooling in India, Red Bird Mission in Appalachia, and Volunteer in Mission projects in Africa and Asia.

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The Joy of Giving

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Michele

Celebrate the holiday season by giving a gift of hope, shelter, care, service, health, education, or a ‘green’ gift. The Joy of Giving catalog lists local, regional and global missions for each theme. Make a donation or volunteer your time. The Outreach Committee hopes you find a mission opportunity that resonates with you.
Go to the Joy of Giving catalog.

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Race to Nowhere follow up

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Michele

About 300 people attended the Race to Nowhere screening Nov 14. Two  purposes of the film are to encourage dialogue and empower people to advocate for change. Evaluations completed by audience members revealed the following ideas for change.

Create a dialogue across all levels – local, state, national – and all players – teachers, parents, students – to develop an updated education system

Redefine success, taking diversity into account

For schools:

  • Less/no homework
  • Give kids chances to explore and fail
  • Provide sports opportunities for less competitive students with fewer required hours of practice
  • Stop teaching to the test
  • Place less emphasis on performance
  • Slower academic pace
  • Less pressure, more fun

For colleges:

  • Place less emphasis on test scores
  • Don’t create stress by setting such high standards to get in

At home:

  • More family time
  • Find like-minded parents
  • Less pressure at home
  • Give children space/time to explore
  • Give kids more free time
  • Work with campanies to reduce work hours so parents can be home weekends and nights
  • Remember that the purpose of college is to become better educated and more knowledgeable, not to get a better job or make more money
  • Make sure teachers are aware of parents’ desires/preferences
  • Limit my own activities, teach my children by example
  • Try to reduce my children’s anxiety about homework by reducing my own anxiety about it
  • Help my child realize she does not have to do what is considered the “norm”

During the discussion, panelists suggested

  • Children need a relationship with an adult – not a parent, such as a teacher, coach, a church member, who knows them well and is a mentor
  • There are viable alternatives to traditional high school that may not be as well known as they should be
  • One source of many kids’ stress is their parents
  • Some kids thrive in AP classes
  • Homework has some merits
  • Focus on finding a “right fit” college for your student, where s/he will thrive

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!

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