get involved
Bringing people together.
Join us!
CommUNITY
Conversations
Our goal is to find common unity through listening and learning, identifying areas of need in our community, developing action plans to address those need, and getting to work – together.
Before we can come together to make our community stronger, we must learn to see our community through the lenses of people who are not like us.
Supported by a consortium of churches, not-for-profit organizations, civic groups, and individuals, this grass-roots initiative formed in the wake of this spring’s racial unrest is bringing people together for honest conversation, deep listening, and reconciliation.
get involved
- Register to participate in our next Zoom gathering.
- Join the organizing team.
- Serve on an action committee (Connections and Contact, Communications, Tech, Site Location, Facilitation)
- Make a financial contribution.
COVID-19 UPDATE:
CommUNITY Conversations organizational meetings are being held virtually over Zoom.
Contribute
Donations
Hundreds of neighbors come together each month to share love and resources as they form community and build a better future.
These neighbors donate thousands of hours, working side-by-side to embrace our city.
As a result, countless lives are changed.
But it doesn’t happen without a building or a patch of ground.
It doesn’t happen without neighbors.
And it doesn’t happen without YOU!
Mailing Address
Checks should be made out to: Staunton District UMC and earmarked for “Embrace”.
Mail to: Embrace, c/o Staunton District UMC, 26 Orr Drive, Fishersville VA 22939.
Help us keep our building (the community’s tool box), city block (our gardens and grounds), and outreach programs open to our neighbors by making a financial contribution today.
Embrace is an outreach ministry launched by the 70+ congregations of the Staunton District United Methodist Church (tax ID information available upon request), and thus contributions may be tax deductible. Please see your tax advisor for specifics.
COVID-19 UPDATE:
Due to a decrease in church tithing and charitable giving In the wake of the crisis, Embrace’s primary guaranteed source of funding has been cut.
As a result, we will need to raise 100 percent of our operating and programming costs for 2021.
Get Involved
Dinner Church
- Pre-register your attendance. (Coming soon)
- Sign up to help with meal prep or clean-up. (form that links to email)
- Join our craft and decoration team. (form that links to email)
- Make a financial contribution. Links to contribution information
Community Gardens
& Prayer Labyrinth
- Volunteer to tend the labyrinth and gardens. contact us
- Donate a plant or garden feature in honor or memory of a loved one. contact us
- Make a financial contribution to pay for water, plants, and prayer materials. contribute
COVID-19 UPDATE:
Face coverings are required in our gardens when members of two or more families are present. Individuals and/or members of different families must maintain at least 6 feet of distance at all times. The community gardens are open to registered members and volunteers by appointment. Contact us for information or to register for a garden plot or volunteer opportunity.
To ensure safe social distancing on the circular paths, only one person or family may use the labyrinth at a time. Hour-long sessions on the labyrinth may be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Those with reservations will have priority access to the labyrinth.
Teen Clothing Outreach
- Host a collection drive.
- Register your home as a standing drop-off location.
- Sponsor a student ($25/mo).
- Make a financial donation to help cover our utilities, operational supplies, and other costs.
Volunteer as a:
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- Shopping Angel to buy requested items that are not donated,
- Sort-and-Stock Team Member to keep our storeroom organized and shelves filled
- Smile Team Member: to write notes of encouragement to be placed in pants pockets, or make small craft items to be included in monthly subscription boxes
- Delivery Driver to drop off monthly subscription boxes to students who do not have transportation
- Distribution Event Volunteer during our monthly curb-side pickups.
COVID-19 UPDATE:
Teen Clothing Outreach: Due to the unprecedented level of need in our community caused by the corona virus pandemic, The Green Hanger Project will provide a teen fashion subscription to registered middle- and high-school students.
Each month, GHP members will receive several outfits — selected by teens — as well as personal care products and school supplies.
These packages will be distributed at a curb-side pick-up event held in the Embrace parking lot.
Student Success Center
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Provide supervision — no tutoring necessary; simply bring a book or work and hang out with our kids, or facilitate a game or activity (adults only — background check required)
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Wash, cut, and style hair (licensed cosmetologists only)
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Purchase school supplies and project materials (see list).
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Make a financial contribution to help cover the costs of computers, internet service, healthy snacks, laundry supplies, and utilities.
COVID-19 UPDATE:
Tutoring center operations for Fall/Winter 2020 will be assumed by the Boys and Girls Club, which will be operating from our building while fire damage in their building is being repaired. As a result, registrations are not being accepted at this time.
Mom’s Morning Brunch Bunch
Get Involved
- Let us know you’ll join us for brunch
- Purchase a Bible or study materials for a mom
- Make a financial contribution to offset the cost of food.
COVID-19 UPDATE:
Due to the corona virus pandemic, this group meets online and through email and text messaging.
Plarn+ Project
- Contact us to join the Plarn Pro team
- Volunteer to be a Plarn Pro Host (background check required)
- Save/collect plastic grocery bags. Contact us for drop-off times
- Teach a crochet or knitting class
- Make a financial contribution.
COVID-19 UPDATE:
As our building is closed for regular programming to prevent community spread of the corona virus, our Plarn Pros are doing their work off-site.
Neighborhood Watch
and Care Program
- Register a need.
- Volunteer to help.
- Become a coordinator.
- Make a financial contribution.
COVID-19 UPDATE:
In order to prevent the spread of the virus, we will not send volunteers into private homes. Volunteers will wear a face covering and maintain 6 feet of protective distance.
Mission Work
- Register your group for a project site
- Sign up as a Watch and Care site worker
- Request assistance
- Make a financial contribution.
COVID-19 UPDATE:
UM ARMY work was suspended in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions. In order to prevent the spread of the virus, we will not send volunteers into private homes. Volunteers will wear a face covering and maintain 6 feet of protective distance.