Community Service
Adopt-A-School Tutoring Program
Church of the Saviour partners with Reaching Heights, a community organization offering volunteer and funding support to the public schools to offer volunteer tutoring to students at Fairfax Elementary School. This program began last year at Roxboro and is gradually being extended to other Heights elementary schools, including Fairfax. Most of the tutors are parents of students attending the school, but of the 36 Fairfax tutors roughly a third are volunteer church members.
Tutors volunteer one or two hours per week, and work at the school during school hours with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders on social studies, math, and English. We work closely with classroom teachers who know which students need extra help and in which subjects. Students appreciate our time and interest (which makes them feel special), and the school's principal feels strongly that we are having a major impact in improving student achievement.
Our "adopt a school" tutoring program is another fine example of the commitment of our church to community service, not as a substitute for faith, but as an expression of it.
Recruitment for new volunteers for the next academic year (September - May) is underway.
Metropolitan Ministries
Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness" (Isaiah 58:10, NLT)
Hunger Ministries
Hunger is not seasonal. Hunger isn't something that exists only at the holidays. It is a 365-day-a-year challenge for people to provide for their families. Church of the Saviour generously supports many local and global mission concerns, and you can make a difference.
Sunday school classes and other groups within the church are encouraged to adopt any of these concerns as a mission project at any time during the year.
Broadway Meals
On the last two Saturday's of the month Broadway UMC prepares and serves a hot meal for those in need. Church of the Saviour participates in this program on the last Saturday of every month.
Directions - travel down Carnegie Avenue to East
55th Street. Turn left on East 55th and travel all the way down to
Broadway Avenue. Turn right onto Broadway. You will see the church
about 250 feet ahead on the left.
Service project time - 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Number of volunteers needed - 4-6
Average number of meals served - 50
Schedule - setup tables and meal preparation begins at 3:00,
meals are served at 5:00 p.m.
Contact Melinda Carter at (216) 321-8880.
Hunger Task Force
The Hunger Task Force coordinates the collection of food donations that go to Cory Methodist Hunger Center on East 105th Street. Cory Hunger Center, located at Cory Methodist Church in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the state of Ohio, serves nearly 4,500 families monthly by providing them with groceries three days a week. Food is collected here at our church in the Tower entrance to support this ministry. Mary Taylor has introduced a Birthday Food Basket program and invites church members to bring a bag of food on their birthday. Sunday school classes and other groups within the church are encouraged to adopt this as a mission project at any time during the year.
Heights Emergency Food Center
The Heights Emergency Food Center is supported by many faith-based organizations in the Cleveland Heights/University Heights area. It operates out of Euclid Avenue Christian Church and serves the emergency needs of local residents. The Center receives donations of food from collections here at the church and local food drives.
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Over the past seven years, Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland has offered hospitality to more than 170 families and almost 500 children through the generosity of IHN's participating volunteers, congregations and financial supporters.
IHN enables religious groups to unite hearts and hands to provide temporary shelter, meals and compassionate assistance for homeless people at churches and synagogues. Volunteers provide a variety of services: cooking and serving meals, playing with children or helping with homework, staying overnight, setting up sleeping quarters, cleaning up and doing laundry at the end of the week. As a host church, we have an opportunity to house homeless families overnight, interact with guests, treat them with respect and respond to them with compassion.
Church of the Saviour's support is an essential part of this effort, making a direct and positive impact on the lives of those who come to IHN for help. A gift from the church this past summer helped IHN provide school transportation for these children, enabling them to get the education that is so important to their future.
Angel Tree Project
You are invited to be part of the Christmas Angel program this holiday season. Stop by the parlor on Sunday, November 12 or November 19 to select the name of a child and their Christmas wish from one of four area organizations: Cory Hunger Center, Prison Fellowship Ministry, West Side Community House and the Heights Emergency Food Center. Gifts should be purchased and returned to the church on Sunday, December 3.
Join us in making a child's Christmas dream come true. Please contact Kristen Gebhardt, Elizabeth Henton or Kim Smeach-Williams of the Believer's Class with any questions.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity builds homes in partnership with people in need. Through this program, volunteers and families work side-by-side to build simple, decent, affordable homes. The Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity is building new homes for low-income families in the Fairfax neighborhood. Our church helps with local Habitat for Humanity projects on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Website: www.gchfh.org.
Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity build homes in partnership with people in need. Through this program, volunteers and working but poor families labor side-by-side to build simple, decent, affordable homes. In addition to home construction, volunteers may become involved in the rehabilitation of existing houses or the development of playgrounds and parks.
Habitat for Humanity continues to be an active ministry in our area providing homes for people who otherwise could not afford a home. All labor is donated (much of it by the future homeowner), but the organization also incurs significant costs for building materials. Our Christmas donation will help pay for some of the building materials and supplies.
For more information about donations or Church of the Saviour Habitat work days, please contact me at (216) 991-0984 or doug.gebhardt@sbcglobal.net.
Hospitality Homes
A non-profit medical lodging ministry that offers a caring response to the housing needs of individuals and families seeking medical treatment in Cleveland, Ohio. This ministry offers a home away from home for families from out of town who have relatives in local hospitals. Website: www.hospitalityhomes.com
Church of the Saviour also has important connectional ties with the following local ministries:
- Berea Children's Home - Helps children, youth, and adults become better participants in society by providing a wide variety of services including schools for kids who cannot be in a traditional classroom, foster care, mentoring services, and programs for children who act out. Website: www.bchfs.org
- Near West Side Partnership
- Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland - A receiving center for youth and adult groups who wish to do mission work in the city of Cleveland. Website: www.ncdistrictumc.org/Nehemiah_mission.htm
- United Protestant Campus Ministries (UPCaM) - A campus ministry of mainline denominations that develops Christian faith, Christian leadership and Christian community by providing opportunities for community service, study, worship, fellowship and pastoral care. Website: www.upcam.org
- West Side Community House - Website: www.gbgm-umc.org/westsidecommunityhouse
- Zelma George Family Shelter - Provides shelter, safety, security, food, clothing and programming to meet the needs of the homeless.