Community Outreach

As Christians, we are called to help others.  “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says they have faith but does not have works?” James 2:14

Grove has an abundance of outreach opportunities.   Hopefully you will find one that touches your soul.

Immediate outreach opportunities are listed in ‘What’s Happening’ on our Home Page.

There are year round Ongoing Opportuntinites and Seasonal Opportunities that happen at specific times of the year.

Jump in and join us for any or all of them!

Ongoing Opportunities

Many Outreach opportunities happen monthly or all the time.   Look and see what appeals to you. There are opportunities for all.

Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” —Philippians 2:4

 

+ -

Good Works helps local homeowners by repairing homes and restoring hope…

Like to paint, hammer, or install flooring?   Have limited skills and want to learn more by helping others? Come join the Grove Good Works team on the 2nd Saturday of each month to help repair the homes of families in need in Chester County. Working with the Christian non-profit organization, Good Works Inc., we strive to improve living conditions for qualified low-income homeowners by making their homes warmer, safer and drier.

Don’t worry if you think you don’t have the right skills. Willing hands and an open heart are all you need. Everyone learns by working side by side with our more experienced volunteers and with coaching from our Technical Adviser.  New volunteers are always welcome, and the team enjoys working with them, helping them acquire new skills and learning from them as well!

The work is interesting and fun, and it’s incredibly satisfying to build the relationship with the homeowner and to see their happiness and gratitude as the work progresses. But best of all, we’re helping to transform lives by sharing the hope found in Jesus Christ.

If this has caught your attention, please reach out to Betty at Goodworks@GroveChurch.org and join us as you can!

 

people working on a roof to repair it

Good Works home repair

+ -

Free Little Pantry and Library...

The Free Little Pantry and Library is located in the church parking lot. People in our community who are in need of food and personal care items can stop by 24 hours a day to take what they need. Books are available for both children and adults. Anyone is welcome to donate to the pantry. Books are donated by the community and the Laundromat Library League.  Donations of non-perishable foods in the unopened, original packaging as well as small toiletries are welcome. No glass, expired items or medications please.

Join our Facebook group Free Little Pantry and Library for regular updates about when and which items are needed.

Contact Lilian Rubin at churchandsociety@GroveChurch.org for more information.

Free Little Pantry
+ -

Adopt-A-Highway keeps Grove and Whitford Roads clean for commuters...

Come join a committed group from Grove to clean a three-mile stretch of Grove and Whitford Roads through an agreement with PennDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program.  New volunteers are paired with experienced workers and safety is a high priority.  Picking up the trash keeps it out of the streams and wildlife habitats and moves it to landfills where it can be managed safely.

Come share in this environmental activity that increases everyone’s pride in our community. Adults, youth in middle school age and older are welcome to participate if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Grove has proudly participated in this program for almost 25 years.

Reach out to Susan at  ChurchandSociety@GroveChurch.org to get more information and get involved!

 

Group that participated in trash pickup for the Adopt-A-Highway program.

Adopt-A-Highway Grove Team

+ -

Community Youth and Women’s Alliance (CYWA) provides food and shelter for many in the Coatesville area, but is so much more...

Opportunities abound at CYWA (Community Youth and Women’s Alliance.)   Grove hands are involved in:

  • The Food Bank provides over 200 boxes of food a week to people in the local community.
  • The 5 Year Planning effort for the building and its services with a goal of making it a much needed resource to the local and surrounding communities.
  • Specific planning for the renovation of the kitchen and event hall so that it can become a teaching kitchen for the residents and the Coatesville community, as well as a hub for social events.
  • An annual coat collection.
  • Provides support for the women and children who are in the shelter on the 2nd floor as as they become ready to leave it and move out into the community.
  • And much, much more.

There is always a need for more helping hands at CYWA.   Reach out to Susan at CYWA@GroveChurch.org for more information.

 

CYWA Food Distribution Program

+ -

Prison Ministry has strong support within the Grove community...

As Christians, we are called to be involved in prison ministry, as in Matthew 25:36c (NRSV) “I was in prison and you visited me”, or Hebrews 13:3a (NRSV) “Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them.

At Grove Church there are a variety of ways we happily do this, allowing everyone to be involved in some form of this ministry, for example: 

Christmas cards for inmates:  Individuals write encouraging notes on Christmas cards, which are delivered by facility chaplains, letting those who are incarcerated know that someone “on the outside” is caring about them.

Pillow Projects: Congregants work alongside women residents at the Chester County Correctional Center to prepare no-sew, heart shaped pillows.  Our youth then deliver them to local nursing home residents.  This project allows us to understand and change our often-unrecognized preconceptions of people who are incarcerated.  It provides an opportunity for those incarcerated to reach out and care for others.

Christmas gifts for children of incarcerated parents: Christmas gifts for assigned children are purchased by congregants and distributed by correctional department staff.

Healing Communities Training: Congregants learn how to become more welcoming and supportive of those impacted by the criminal justice system.

Prison Ministry Book Study:  Congregants read and meet to discuss books providing additional information regarding prison ministry and restorative justice.

Additional Opportunities:

  • Support inmates, their families, victims and staff of correctional facilities
  • Prevention
  • Advocacy
  • Continued education of ourselves and others

Deacon Marilyn Schneider would be happy to address any questions you may have; as well as discuss with you how you might be able to become involved in this ministry.  Please reach out to her at DeaconMarilyn@GroveChurch.org with any questions you may have.

You can also learn more by visiting the Eastern Pa Conference Prison Ministry page.

Prison Ministry pillows and cards

+ -

Laundromat Library League (LLL) provides books for children in multiple languages to enjoy while in laundromats and to take home...

Get involved in promoting early literacy and give moms and dads a break while doing their laundry.   

Partner with your family, your school, your other groups and collect books or do a fundraiser for the Laundromat Library League (LLL).  

The local LLL makes children’s books available at no charge in laundromats in PA, but also in many other states.   Various service groups, churches and individuals work voluntarily to create and maintain free children’s books in laundromats in the Philadelphia area. New laundromats are added regularly and helpers who donate, sort, and deliver books are always needed. 

Children are encouraged to use the books while with their parents at the laundromat, as well as take them home with them.   Books are provided in both English and Spanish languages.

Over 122,200 books have been donated through the local LLL since it started in 2014 of which ~ 16,000 have been during the pandemic!   

This is an Outreach opportunity that can be individualized as you see fit, give it some thought!  

Send an email to Donna at LLL@GroveChurch.org to find out how the local LLL group is working; visit the local LLL Facebook page or the National LLL site to learn more!

collection box for children's books

Box of Books Ready for a Laundromat

+ -

Youth Community Outreach...

Grove Youth Ministries (GYM) offers age-appropriate rotating service opportunities throughout the year. While the exact projects may change, the opportunities for youth to actively express their faith through love of neighbor is consistent. No specific skill sets are needed as youth will be trained as needed.
In previous years youth have:

  • Cleaned and stocked apartments for families experiencing homelessness.
  • Prepared meals for young mothers.
  • Built shelves to house baby supplies.
  • Delivered pillows and cards created by teams of congregants and inmates to senior living facilities.
  • Organized inspirational snack bags and Biblical bookmarks for youth in the juvenile justice system and youth escaping domestic violence.
  • Prepared care packages for college students.
  • Packed hygiene, layette, and school kits for distribution by the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

More information about Youth Ministries at Grove

Youth are also invited and encouraged to participate in the outreach and mission opportunities offered to the church at large.

Chester County Food Bank truck being loaded with food

Unloading the Chester County Food Bank Truck

Seasonal Opportunities

 

Some Outreach opportunities happen on a specific date or during a specific time of the year.   Lots of variety in these for you to look at and lots of choices for families and individuals of all ages!

+ -

Rise Against Hunger helps feed the world community...

Imagine a room full of 100+ people (children, seniors, all ages) working together to package over 27,000 meals to be sent overseas with a prayerful start, great toe-tapping music playing, a gong being rung every 2K meals packaged and a conga line to finish the evening.   All of this happens in 2 hours.

Rise Against Hunger (RAH) is a once-a-year event at Grove with fundraising throughout the year.

Many Grove members bring other family members and neighbors to join in the fun knowing that this is part of working toward eliminating world hunger.

Want more information on this?   Reach out to Linda and Cindy at RiseAgainstHunger@GroveChurch.org.

You can visit the RAH National site to see the impact this organization is having on the world.

 

 

group of people packing food for Rise Against Hunger

Rise Against Hunger - Packaging 30K Meals

+ -

The Community Garden helps feed our local community...

Do you like digging in that dirt and planting, then encouraging those little seedlings to grow into larger ones that can be harvested to benefit the Chester County Food Bank and other local food cupboards?

Grove’s Community Garden, also known as Elmer’s Garden, in memory of Elmer Duckinfield, a long time Grove member who was active in many community food programs, is located behind the church office building.   It has 5 raised beds with fencing to protect the crop from local hungry critters.

Lots of produce was harvested in 2023, including lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, broccoli, and peppers

Interested?  Reach out to Donna at CommunityGarden@GroveChurch.org.   Looking forward to getting more hands dirty in the garden!

 

Community Garden

+ -

Grove’s Christmas Programs help in a variety of ways…

Our Giving Tree warms hands and heads…

Winter clothing items, including; hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, pajamas, socks and slippers are collected. Which are then donated to a charity to distribute.

Christmas Food and Christmas Gifts 

In early December of each year, the Grove congregation makes a monetary commitment to support the feeding and gifts to low-income families in the Greater West Chester area. With the money collected, we purchase gift cards to deliver to the families.

Through the generous support of Grove members, over 70 families are served from organizations such as Chester County Families and Youth, and CYWA (Community Youth and Women’s Alliance) as well as individual families.

For more information email ChurchandSociety@GroveChurch.org.

To get involved watch for announcements in November, or email ChurchandSociety@GroveChurch.org.

Giving Tree, Christmas tree with donated socks and hats

Christmas Tree with Donated Socks and Hats

+ -

Appalachia Service Project (ASP)...

Appalachia Service Project is a relationship ministry that repairs homes on the side.  ASP builds relationships between volunteers, local professionals, and homeowners while making homes warmer, safer, and drier.

Grove has participated in over 30 ASP trips.

Our teams include youth who have completed 9th-12th grades, young adults, and adult leaders. Common projects include roofing, drywall, siding, flooring, foundations, porches, and ramps.

Participants spend most of the week in direct service at the homes, experiencing the culture of the region, and fellow-shipping with other volunteers. Grove has worked in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. 

ASP is a transforming experience for volunteers and homeowners alike. To find out more about the ASP organization, check out the ASP website

Get full details about our Youth Ministries and reach out to the Office for more information

 

 

 

 

+ -

Grove Youth Ministry (GYM) - Mission Blitz (MB)...

Mission Blitz is a week-long local mission trip for youth who have completed 6th-8th grades. Each day the youth volunteer at Chester County non-profit organizations where they get hands-on opportunities to meet the needs in our community.

We call it a “blitz” because over the week youth may work with up to 10 organizations. On recent service trips, organizations have asked our youth to build, repair, organize, clean, paint, cook, glean, weed, make blankets, create hygiene baskets, serve food to the hungry and play games with senior citizens.

In the evening, youth can stay overnight and participate in recreational activities such as a pool party, bonfire, and scavenger hunt.

Get full details about our Youth Ministries and reach out to Mike Hardie, Director of Youth Ministries.  

Young lady painting a fence

Mission Blitz Project

+ -

Grove Youth Choir (GYC) brings many voices together for a lot of fun and music...

Do you love to sing and have lots of fun doing so?  Youth in grades 6-12 sing an anthem at the Grove service from September to June.  In addition, various concerts are performed through the year both at Grove and in the community.

They practice most Sunday afternoons and have a lot of fun and fellowship in doing so.  Sunday evening offers the Grove Youth Ministries (GYM) program for those youth interested in participating.

During the Christmas season, GYC will visit local nursing home and perform their Christmas songs warming the hearts of many seniors in our community.

There is an annual auction that supports the annual week-long tour the choir goes on where they perform 5 nights during the week singing Christian Contemporary music as well as some traditional songs.   This experience is magical for the youth, for the chaperones and for the attendees at the concerts.

Get full details about Youth Ministries and reach out to Mike at YouthChoir@GroveChurch.org.

 

teens in Grove Youth Choir
+ -

CROP Hunger Walk is an event in which all can participate to raise funds to help our local community...

Over the past three decades, walkers from local churches and organizations have raised over $426,000 to help feed the hungry through the Downingtown Area CROP Walk event.

Did you know that the food insecurity rate here in Chester County is 10%? The percentage of children experiencing food insecurity is even higher, with 14% of the children in our county living in food-insecure households.  That’s more than 70,000 children in our own local communities who are going to bed hungry. (Source: Feeding America)

The Grove community helps this by participating in the CROP Hunger Walk which is held on a Sunday in early October.    

The walk is a little over four miles, mostly along the beautiful Struble Trail. This is a fun family event, suitable for all ages. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are also welcome.

The CROP Walk can be supported in two ways:

  1. By registering to walk
  2. Donate funds to the Walkers.

For more information and to get registered, reach out to Sue via email at Cropwalk@GroveChurch.org or call the church office at 610.696.2663.

 

Crop Walk Support

+ -

Clothing and Toy Sale provides a great inexpensive shopping opportunity for our local community...

Two times a year, there is the opportunity to find great bargains and to donate items.

Toy and clothing prices are massively reduced from regular prices allowing many in the community to build new wardrobes for their families.

College students love building their campus gear for under $20!

Local social service agencies are provided with vouchers, enabling their clients to purchase gently used clothing at extremely low cost.

This ministry occurs two times per year, in the spring and the fall. Clothing  (clean and without damage) are accepted the week before the event. The Toy sale is only in the fall.

Many hands are needed to:

  • Sort and prepare the goods for presentation later in the week.
  • Set up the display of the goods.
  • Help with the sales.

The proceeds benefit a different charity each year.   

For more information or to get involved, send an email to ClothingMinistry@GroveChurch.org.

 

piles of clothes for clothing ministry sale

Best Clothing Sale, 2x per year