Service to others is a vital part of the life at First United Church at Christ. We give generously to many worthy projects through our Benevolence envelope collections. But we also strive to do more than just give of our money – we also provide countless opportunities to give of ourselves. Listed below are many of those opportunities. For more information, or any questions, about any of our programs, please contact our church office at office@firstucctroy.org.
Weekend Food Program
This outreach group gets together each week to pack nutritional food items for Troy elementary school age children that may not have nutritional food available to them on the weekends.
Staying Ahead
Tuesday evenings, First United Church of Christ hosts the Troy Partners in Hope program Staying Ahead. This is a faith-based family development program whose focus is to provide ongoing support and resource development for individuals who are seeking to move beyond generational poverty. Each week, 30-60 people from the Troy Community gather for a meal before breaking into small groups to continue to work on the 11 key resources (as taught in the Getting Ahead Curriculum). For more information about Staying Ahead, or Partners in Hope, please visit their website at www.partnersinhopeinc.org.
ABLE (Adult Basic Literacy Education) Program
In conjunction with the Upper Valley Career Center in Piqua, Ohio, First United Church of Christ hosts the Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE) Program. The ABLE Program teaches basic academic and workforce skills, and access to affordable, high-quality higher education options. The idea is to improve your reading, math, writing or English skills, prepare for the GED test, prepare for college, or an adult certificate training program or to get a better job. The Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) program of the Upper Valley Career Center Adult Division offers no-cost classes in GED preparation, math/reading/writing refresher skills, employability, and post-secondary entry preparation. Classes are held on Mondays, Tuesdays, & Wednesday from 9am-1pm, and Mondays & Wednesdays from 5pm-9pm. For more information about the ABLE Program, please visit the Upper Valley Career Center’s Adult Division page at http://www.uppervalleycc.org/adult-education/literacy.html.
Share-A-Meal Program
Offered on the first Saturday of each month, the Share-A-Meal Program offers a meal for anyone in need of a meal and fellowship. Each month a different cook from our congregation prepares a menu and a delicious meal is served for the community in our dining room.
Relay for Life Team
For over 10 years, members of our church have been walking to find a cure for cancer through the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life event. While the team may only have 10-15 members, all members of the congregation are invited to join in the walk. With their many fundraisers throughout the year (such as holiday raffles for ham and turkey, peanut butter chocolate eggs for Easter, and dinners to name just a few), our team is able to achieve the Gold Level for donations. Our co-chairs, Stephany Deeter and Robin Bigelow, have been very passionate about this cause, and have represented our church well over the years. For more information about Relay for Life, please visit American Cancer Society’s website at www.relayforlife.org.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s Team
Our newest team, our Walk to End Alzheimer’s Team participated in their first annual walk at the Troy Community Park in October 2014. Someone who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s affects many people, and our congregation is no exception, which is why a team was formed at our church.
Bingo at Troy Center
Women’s Fellowship leads Bingo at the Troy Rehab Center on the first Tuesday of every month at 2:30pm. Fun is had by all as everyone plays Bingo and socializes.
Summer Lunch Program
Each summer, a group of our members helps with the Troy Summer Lunch Program to either prepare meals or deliver them to children in Troy that might not otherwise have a lunch. This is a great way for our church to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It also helped inspire our Backpack Program.
Disaster Response Ministry of the UCC
Disaster Response volunteers are the hands and feet of Christ in the world, helping people who experience loss in times of disaster. The general working process is to identify the needs of disaster victims and, by sharing those needs with local churches, develop an effective response. Team members visit disaster locations, assess needs and work with other agencies (FEMA, Red Cross, other church organizations, etc.) to provide immediate and long-term help. For more information about the Disaster Response Ministry of the Ohio Conference of the UCC, or for information about joining, please visit their website by clicking here. Or, visit their Facebook page to see all of their work.
