Shoppes

Summer Shop planning is in full swing, and we need your help!

Summer Shoppe: Saturday, June 6, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, with set-up on June 5, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

This year's Summer Shoppe will be serving a minimum of 50 families and 200+ individuals who need support with food and hygiene items. Our two biggest needs are financial support for purchasing the items and volunteers to help set up and distribute.

As we all know, food costs are rising. We can make the largest impact by purchasing in bulk. Financial contributions will help make that happen, and they are incredibly appreciated. If you would like to make a financial donation to the Summer Shoppe, you can do so on the church website. Please have all donations submitted by May 15th to ensure orders are placed in time for delivery.

If you would like to be hands-on, we would love your help with set-up and/or distribution! The setup includes sorting food items, organizing, and setting up rooms for hygiene, books, and toys. We would really like to have 10-12 volunteers to help with set up. On distribution day, we need people to staff each room, help load vehicles, and assist with breakdown after the event. Again, 10-12 volunteers would be greatly appreciated. To sign up for a volunteer slot, please fill out the volunteer form linked below.

Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus, for loving your neighbors, and for feeding the hungry.

To volunteer with the Christmas Shoppe please email fumcorshoppes@gmail.com

For over 50 years First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge has provided Christmas toys, food and personal hygiene/paper baskets to in need families within our Community.

This year, Tennessee has significantly scaled back the state’s summer food program to help families with children access food during the summer months when school is not in session. After speaking with our local school systems in Oak Ridge and Anderson County, the FUMCOR Shoppes committee has assessed that summer food needs are greater than ever, and we have altered our program to step up and try to help some of our community members impacted by this change.

In addition to our weekly community meals, we will provide summer food, toys, and hygiene products to local families referred by the Oak Ridge School system and the Anderson County Schools. We have set a goal of serving 50 families, targeting those with Middle school-age children who are more likely to be home alone while parents are working.

We are striving to provide each family with food items that children left at home are able to access or easily make themselves (ex: Spaghettios, macaroni and cheese, granola bars, peanut butter and jelly, fruit cups, etc), hygiene items, and outdoor recreational toys such as sidewalk chalk, balls, and games .

We deeply appreciate the support of everyone from our church and community who donate to make it possible for us to continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus to our neighbors.

48% of the Anderson County community is living either in poverty or ALICE (Asset limited, income constrained, employed) – this means that a lot of people, right here in our backyard, are struggling to keep up with their monthly expenses. Our Shoppes are seasonal ways for us to provide assistance to families referred to us here in our community.

Shoppe participants are referred from various organizations such: Anderson County Resource Center, Blossom Center, Clinton Middle School, First Recovery, Free Medical Clinic, MIST-Ridgeview, Oak Ridge Family Resource, TORCH, Boys & Girls Clubs of Anderson County.

These referrals help us provide meaningful support to families in our community with the greatest needs. We are pleased to share that we will be launching our first-ever Summer Shoppe in June of 2025. The focus of this shoppe will be to provide food and hygiene items to families referred to us by our local school systems. Summer is challenging for so many families facing food insecurity and there are fewer resources available to assistance during that time frame. If you’d like to sponsor a family, $200 will cover food and hygiene supplies for a family of 4-6. Or contribute an amount of your own choosing. We are appreciative of every donation.

THE SHOPPES AT FUMCOR

WAYS TO GIVE

WHAT ARE OUR SHOPPES?

CONTACT