Mission and Social Action Ministry Team
Kairos-Milwaukie UCC has a long and proud tradition of service to others. Our intention is to develop lasting relationships with those we support. Members and visitors alike feel welcome in bringing an idea, a personal passion or group forward to the Team. Our congregation generously and wholeheartedly provides support with time, money and other acts of the heart.
The Mission and Social Action Ministry is responsible for and coordinates the congregation’s mission outreach in the local community, nationally and internationally.
We are proud to be a “5 for 5” congregation – supporting all five of the United Church of Christ denomination-wide offerings: Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM), Neighbors in Need, The Christmas Fund, One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) and Strengthen the Church.
Some of the other relationships we’ve developed:
Transition Projects Glisan Street Men’s Shelter. The mission of Transition Projects is to serve people’s basic needs as they transition from homelessness to housing. The Glisan Street Men’s Shelter offers 90 men the opportunity to move from homelessness to something better. Once each month members of the church provide and serve a hearty meal at this homeless shelter in downtown Portland. Some members have a personal history of more than 30 years of meal service. Visit the Transition Projects website to learn more.
- Clackamas Service Center. The center provides a variety of services, including hot meals, emergency food boxes, clothing, medical and dental services to homeless people in Clackamas County, Oregon. Through the dedication of our members, Kairos-Milwaukie UCC collects and delivers weekly donations of food and clothing.
- 2-Cents-a-Meal. Our own monthly special offering program has introduced us to numerous groups and organizations.
- Rural Women’s Peace Link, Kenya, Africa. Rural Women’s Peace Link is a department of
the National Council of Churches of Kenya's Eldoret office. It has established 14 area networks of women working for peace in their local communities. Kairos-Milwaukie UCC members have established a tight bond with the young woman in Kenya who runs this program. Among their many projects and programs, Rural Women's Peace Link members work in their local communities to educate people about the dangers of female genital mutilation (FGM). They provide sanctuary for girls fleeing FGM and help resolve conflicts between parents and girls so the girls can safely return home. Kairos-Milwuakie UCC provides financial support to this effort enabling Rural Women’s Peace Link to provide education at a bording school to a group girls who left their rural homes to escape FGM.
- Cetana Educational Foundation.
Cetana Educational Foundation is dedicated to helping the people of Myanmar (Burma) through education. We work with partners to provide educational opportunities outside of Myanmar for students and professionals, while also engaging inside Myanmar. Cetana is a collaboration of Americans in the United States and Myanmar people both in Myanmar and their adopted American homeland. Cetana is unique in its ability to work both inside and outside Myanmar. Visit the Cetana Educational Foundation website to learn more.
- Human Solutions Holiday Store. Human Solutions help low-income and homeless families gain self sufficiency by providing affordable housing, family support services, job
readiness training and economic development opportunities. The Holiday Store provides low income parents with the chance to shop for their children’s holiday gifts. Kairos-Milwaukie UCC provides toys, clothing and other items each year to help stock the Holiday Store. Visit the Human Solutions website to learn more.
Northwest Pilot Project. For at least 2 years running the Kairos-Milwaukie UCC walk-a-thon team has been the top money-raising team in the Northwest Pilot Project’s (NWPP) annual fundraising. NWPP began in 1969 as an all volunteer agency to provide basic supports for seniors at risk of losing their ability to live independently. Today NWPP is the leading advocate for homeless seniors in Portland, Oregon. Their all-professional staff coordinates with volunteers and the community by providing housing assistance, services for seniors and advocacy. Visit the Northwest Pilot Project website to learn more.
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