Service Ministries
Advocates For Justice
The Advocates For Justice team serves to educate, advocate, and participate in efforts to promote the common good aligned with the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church. Our network of over 80 advocates works through various committees and, in affiliation with, other ecumenical and public organizations, including Faith Action Network and The Church Council of Greater Seattle. The Team provides support to members with an interest in pursuing advocacy in new areas of engagement, including:
The mission of the Edmonds Food Bank is to provide, free of charge, fresh and nutritious food to families needing help who are located in Edmonds and in the surrounding communities of South Snohomish County.
Refugee Resettlement Team
In partnership with Lutheran Community Services NW, the Refugee Resettlement Ministry Team provides long-term support of at least one year to assist with the successful integration of refugee families into the local community, by providing tutoring, transportation, health care & food assistance, community guidance & cultural mentoring, and teaching financial literacy.
We desire for refugee families to experience God’s love through a breaking down of “dividing walls” between the dominant culture and the refugee family’s culture. The hope is that the work of the Refugee Resettlement Ministry Team will not only reduce refugees’ suffering, but also create friendships between the team and refugee families.
In addition, the EUMC Refugee Resettlement Team is enrolled in an Immigration Policy Lab research project conducted by Dartmouth and Stanford Universities. This academic partnership conducts research on the impact of resettlement programs on refugees with a goal of informing public policy on best practice to stabilize and promote self-sufficiency in refugee families.
Christmas Toy Shop
The Toy Shop is a community outreach ministry that serves families of the Food Bank and others referred by Washington Kids In Transition during the Christmas season. Those in need are invited to attend a one-day event where volunteers provide hospitality and assist in helping caregivers to choose gifts for their children.
Washington Kids in Transition
There are over 1200 children in South Snohomish County that are considered homeless and part of the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act. These children may live in shelters, tents, cars, transitional housing or other temporary housing. Many of these children leave school each day and may not have anything to eat until the next morning. Some need help with clothes or shoes, others need help finding a place to sleep. The needs of each family are different and Washington Kids is there to provide the resources they require, such as:
Motel vouchers for families facing immediate homelessness
Rental and utility assistance in an effort to prevent homelessness
Rental deposits for families ready to move from a motel to apartment
Emergency closets providing emergency food, toiletries, hygiene, coats, shoes, socks, and underwear
250 bags of supplemental food every school day for students riding McKinney Vento busses
To learn more, visit washingtonkidsintransition.org
