Luke House

Luke House provides a community meal program serving 100-150 people, most dealing with some aspect of poverty. Bethany is one of about 40 faith communities taking responsibility for shopping, making stew, and serving a noon and evening meal each month.

Porchlight

Porchlight operates an emergency shelter for men at Grace Episcopal Church. Several volunteer organizations prepare and serve two meals each day to more than 100 individuals using the shelter. Bethany volunteers currently serve the evening meal on the first Sunday of the month, and provide and serve breakfast on the following Monday morning.

Allied Partners

Allied Partners is an interfaith coalition of congregations working together to assist residents in the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh neighborhood. Bethany participates by contributing food, financial donations, and volunteers for the Food Pantry, the Eviction Prevention Fund, and the Wellness Center/Cooperative, and by providing representation on the Allied Partners Board.

2012 Million Pound Challenge Benefit for Allied Dunn's Marsh Food Pantry

For every pound of weight lost or hour of exercise completed between January 1 and May 31, the Princeton Club and other sponsors will donate 10 pounds of food to Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin  - up to one million pounds of food.  You don't have to be a member of the Princeton Club or any other health club to take part.

Each participant registers and reports information by email and must register separately as an individual or member of a team.  You may also choose which local food pantry receives the food donations you earn.  The Outreach Team invites you to join Bethany's team.  The donations for Bethany UMC are designated for  Allied Dunn's Marsh Food Pantry.  In 2011, 19 persons joined the Bethany team and earned 7815 pounds of food for the food pantry in the Allied Drive area.  The need for food assistance is greater this year; we hope to do more. Go to www.princetonclub.net/mpc to register or find more information.

Allied Dunn's Marsh Food Pantry

Bethany collects and periodically delivers food and grocery items for this Food Pantry located in the Boys and Girls Club in the Allied Drive area.

The following items are often in short supply and needed by the Food Pantry:

Corn Bread Mix
Ramen Noodle Soup
Cream of Mushroom or Chicken Noodle Soup
Canned Green Beans or Corn
Canned Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce
One pound packages of Spaghetti
Canned Fruit (peaches, pineapple, etc.)
Canned "Meals in a Can" (spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli, stew, etc.)
Toilet Paper (large or double rolls)
Disposable Diapers (sizes 3, 4, and 5)
Hamburger and Tuna Helper
Canned Meat

Copies of this list are also located by the donation bins near the elevator; please take a list for future reference. Maximize the impact of your donation by watching for sales. Let's help our neighbors who need our assistance.

Other nonperishable items are also appreciated including items such as canned vegetables or soup, common varieties of jam (such as grape or strawberry), bottled juice, or dry cereal. Please do NOT donate perishable or partially used items.

Monetary donations to the Food Pantry are also accepted. Put your check or currency in a Mission envelope and write "Allied Food Pantry" on the outside, or deliver or mail your donation to the Church Office. Make checks payable to Bethany UMC and write "Food Pantry" on the memo line.

The Road Home

In collaboration with local faith communities and organizations, The Road Home is committed to the empowerment and long-term success of homeless families with children, and to serving each family with dignity and respect. Four times a year, Bethany serves as co-host for families for a week with Temple Beth El and Blessed Sacrament. Volunteers are needed to help with set-up, dinner preparation, childcare and overnight supervision.

Habitat for Humanity (HFH)

Habitat for Humanity (HFH) of Dane County has been an outreach activity of Bethany for over 20 years. We see the commitment of HFH "to build affordable housing for God's people in need" as being at the core of our work as United Methodists as we live out the Wesleyan precept that "All the World is Our Parish." Each year Bethany strives to engage in at least two volunteer weekend workdays at a Habitat project site in the Madison Area. Within the past five years Bethany has supported two Apostles Builds. An Apostles Build is the combined effort of twelve churches, where each one raises a portion of the funds to support purchase of the building materials needed to complete an HFH house. Then each church coordinates three Saturday workdays during the construction season. These 36 weekends represent the majority of the volunteer labor that completes the house. In Dane County, HFH builds to an Energy Star standard that assures the owners low utility costs, and a pleasant environment in which to live. There are opportunities to volunteer during the week if your schedule does not allow you to participate on the weekends.

Information about Habitat's work in Dane County is available at www.habitatdane.org

For some photos of our most recent project, click here.

Simple Gifts

Fresh vegetables are not often available at local food pantries. The Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens Project grows vegetables for food pantries. All work is done by volunteers and all expenses are funded by donations. During its first twelve years, the Project has delivered over 1.1 million pounds of fresh produce to be distributed by local food pantries .

Your February Simple Gifts (loose coins in the offering plates, and donations by cash or check in mission envelopes) will be used to help purchase seeds, plants and supplies needed for the four plus acres that will be planted this summer. Make checks payable to Bethany UMC. Write Food Pantry Gardens on the outside of the envelope and the memo line of your check. Please help our neighbors in need have access to fresh produce. For more information about the gardens, click here.

Simple Gift Offerings for the coming months:

March:  Bread for the World
April: New Hope for Newcomers
May:  Porchlight
June:  Thiu Rancho (Global Mission Partner)

Special Offerings:

Ash Wednesday (Feb. 22):  Meals on Wheels
Easter (April 8): Mujila Falls (also a Global Mission Partner)

Bethany United Methodist Church

Bethany United Methodist Church encourages volunteer service and financial support of many organizations and projects that provide immediate assistance to those in need and/or create long-term solutions to improving the lives of people in need. Opportunities include: work teams, special offerings, emergency appeals, and our Simple Gifts program designating an organization or project each month to receive currency or checks placed in mission envelopes and loose change in the offerings.