Church and Society for Social Justice
Author: Mark Ohlson Published: May 1st, 2012
2012 Downtown Compassion Clinic on Saturday, June 16th:
New: First Church to Sell Stock Certificates!
First Church is one of the downtown churches that is helping to sponsor the 3rd annual Downtown Compassion Clinic at the Portland Memorial Coliseum on June 16th.
This one-day event is focused on providing free medical and dental care to the underinsured, the uninsured, and the homeless members of our downtown community. Each sponsoring church has chosen an area to support.
First Church, under the guidance of our Church and Society for Social Justice Committee, has pledged to raise $600 for Medical Pharmacy cards. Last year over 350 individuals received medical/dental care and all were able to obtain needed prescription medications through this service.
Beginning on Sunday, May 13th, you will be able to purchase $5 Medical Pharmacy Card “Stock Certificates” in the Commons following church worship.
In July, there will be a Shareholder’s meeting, where you will receive a report on your investment. Thank you in advance for your support of the 2012 Downtown Compassion Clinic.
Please stop by our table on any Sunday between May 13th and June 3rd to purchase shares and to check out the opportunities for volunteering at the clinic.
You can also contact Mark Ohlson (503-228-3195, ext. 220) or Debby Fisher (503-645-4802) if you have questions.
If you are interested in volunteering, please visit the website, www.downtowncompassion.org
Or check out the sign-up sheet in Collins Hall on Sundays after worship.
On the Compassion website you’ll find information about volunteer opportunities and a sign-up for this year’s event. As always, there is a special need for licensed dentists, dental assistants, family practice or internal medicine physicians, and registered nurses.
If you, or someone you know, is able to help in this way, please visit the website and add your name to the volunteer sign-ups.
Tags: Edie Jensen and Tom Foster at the 2011 Clinic
Category Church and Society for Social Justice, Congregational Life, Featured, News |
Author: Mark Ohlson Published: February 29th, 2012
Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Greathouse Intern Program at First Church.
Two applicants will be selected to work for six weeks during the summer at a non-profit or social services agency of their choice. Interns each recieve a stipend of $10 per hour for 30 hours per week or a total of $1800 for the entire internship. The non-profit or agency recieves their work without cost to them for this summer term.
The Program’s primary objective is to help to initiate, strengthen and support ministries that alleviate human suffering, by forming a partnership with community service organizations whose operations reflect the ability to minister to human needs that society, at least in part, has neglected.
Last summer, interns from First Church worked at the Macdonald Center in downtown northwest Portland and at the Portland Police Bureau’s “Girl Strength” training program.
For more information and an application for an internship, high school and college age youth are invited to contact Mark Ohlson, Outreach Coordinator via email: mohlson@fumcpdx.org.
Category Church and Society for Social Justice, Headlines |
Author: Mark Ohlson Published: February 28th, 2012
Bread for the World Letter Writing Now Underway
At First Church, we add our own voices to Bread for the World’s collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger.
We do this by participating in the “Offering of Letters” whereby we submit handwritten letters to our Congressional leadership urging reform of U.S. domestic and foreign assistance to reducing poverty and enabling millions of people to move out of hunger.
Letters will be written here during March. When completed, the letters you write will then be blessed during worship before sending them to our members of Congress.
It only takes a few minutes, so do your part in Collins Hall during Coffee Hour after worship. You can also take a sample letter and craft your own message at home before returning it to the Church for the blessing.
Category Church and Society for Social Justice, Congregational Life, Headlines |
Author: Mark Ohlson Published: February 23rd, 2012
Introducing FUMC Compassion Coins:
Remember the last time someone did something unexpectedly kind for you? Maybe they let you ahead of them in the grocery store line? Or out of the blue, gave you a sincere compliment? Or offered to help with directions when you appeared a bit lost?
Well, now’s your chance to give back. And here’s how it works.
Take your Compassion Coin and put it in your wallet/purse. Next time you see someone who could use a little kindness, help them out. Then hand them the coin and ask them to do the same for someone else someday.
It’s just that easy.
And it’s your chance to reach out and do some simple good for the world…and your fellow inhabitants thereof. As you will see on the back of the coin, each coin has an email address (coin@fumcpdx.org) where people can send their stories to track their own encounters with “your” coin. Just to keep you updated, you’ll hear about some of these stories from time to time. But it won’t work if you don’t get it started.
Go ahead! Start spreading some kindness today. And put your heart into it!
Compassion Coins: From the Church and Society folks at
First United Methodist Church, Portland
Category Church and Society for Social Justice |
Author: Phyllis Leonard Published: February 3rd, 2012
On Sunday, February 12, 2012, at noon in the Fireside Room, The Church and Society for Social Justice Committee will present a forum on Hunger in Our Neighborhood. It will address issues like: What can we do about the food Insecurity in our neighborhood? How is it that the children of Oregon are among the hungriest in the nation? How does the food that we bring to the FISH barrel relate to Oregon Food Bank, and what is SNAP and SNAP For Seniors?
We welcome the insights of two leaders in our city on hunger issues: Robyn Johnson, Community Advocacy Coordinator at Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon (PHFO) and Oregon Hunger Task Force (OHTF). Both organizations work to end hunger before it begins by promoting the well-being and economic security of all Oregonians and eliminating the underlying causes and consequences of hunger through public policy, advocacy, coalition building and Monica Beemer, the Executive Director for Sisters of the Road. Since 1979, Sisters Of The Road has been an essential part of the Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood. Sisters offers a space to build community, empower, learn from one another, dine with dignity and organize for justice and human rights for all. It seeks systemic solutions to the issues of homelessness and poverty.
Category Church and Society for Social Justice, Forums |
Published: January 9th, 2012
We will continue our new way of receiving gifts for local missions with our “Thank Offering” this coming Sunday, January 15th.
Please come prepared to say just a word of thanks for specific people, occasions, opportunities in your life as you bring an offering to help support the Macdonald Center here in Portland.
Presently the Macdonald Center serves about 350 people each week who are living in single room occupancy hotels downtown. Their work helps to keep these people in current housing and off the streets.
Here is a little bit about the Center’s work from their own website at www.macdcenter.org:
“The Macdonald Center enhances the lives of the forgotten poor through relationships, service and housing. We foster sacredness and dignity of all individuals, building community by breaking down isolation through outreach and hospitality for low-income residents. We are ‘Hope in the Heart of Portland.’”
Category Church and Society for Social Justice |
Published: December 20th, 2011
Sunday, December 18 we took our first “thank offering” – which is the new form of “let’s make change” giving. Many folks brought gifts and their word of gratitude during this service; over $400 was collected for the Goose Hollow Shelter, proving once again that our gratitude and generosity goes a long way in this community!
The next Thank Offering will be held on Sunday, January 15; Church and Society committee will be choosing each month’s local recipients of these gifts.
Category Church and Society for Social Justice |
