Association of Unity Churches

             Faith Based Initiatives

             In The

               Unity Movement

NOTE: Church of Today (Wendy Craig-Purcell) provides an “in the Unity community” outreach page on their website http://www.churchoftoday.org. To view a replica of this page on the Virtual Resource Library, press this link ~  Community Organizations ~ or the Community Organizations button above. 

Unity in Muskogee, OK

(Barbara Huffman)  Serves the community by supporting the local Salvation Army homeless shelter with tithes and contributions during the year and new, wrapped holiday gifts in December.  Supports our community’s Narcotics Anonymous group by providing meeting space in our church seven nights a week.  Tithe to local, state, and national charities and groups such as TheraPetics (service dogs) Operation Christmas Child.  We also provide direct assistance with purchasing food for the needy, and no-charge spiritual counseling to all who request it.  We provide transportation to and from church for the residents of the Monarch drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.

 Our board and membership are currently looking into what our community needs the most, and how we can be of more service to more friends.

UNITY in SEATTLE, WA

(Steve Towles and Karen Lindvig) Involved with a group called “New Horizons Ministry” taking on the task of feeding street kids. Sponsors at least one dinner per month and participate in holiday meal.

UNITY in MEDFORD, OR

Supports a coalition working in areas of child abuse and abused women’s shelter. Supporting other organizations focusing on empowering children and taking a stand against child and spousal abuse.

UNITY in CHESTERLAND, OH

(Sandra Hymel) Looking at involvement with service in corrections facilities.

UNITY in HEMET, CA

(Donna Maurice-Winchell) Former minister was instrumental in starting a homeless shelter. Church continues to open their friendship hall to allow homeless to sleep; hire many homeless at minimum wage to do work; invite them to church events like bowling night; underwrites and serves a monthly dinner.

UNITY in CHARLESTON, WV

In planning stages for outreach program to youth and elderly; considering opening church for a youth workshop monthly and perhaps an afternoon program for children during the summer if they can find funding.

UNITY in LAS VEGAS, NV

Unity Center for Spiritual Growth (Vivian Huber) Provide items and service to the homeless; conduct a “telephone reassurance” program for elderly or bedridden who need a daily call (cooperative with Catholic Charities). Would like to work on establishing a homeless shelter with job training program, and alternative-method healing center.

UNITY in SAN DIEGO, CA

Christ Church Unity in San Diego (Blair Tabor) participates in Interfaith Shelter Network - part of  two-week rotation housing and feeding the homeless; provide food, shower, toiletries, bedding, towels, etc. Other denominations in area take weeks before and after. 

Sponsor with Neighborhood Housing Services, organizing over 30 groups to paint 24 houses in the neighborhood including volunteers to paint the houses, donate paint, food, prizes, plaques, supplies. 

With City of San Diego, sponsored a neighborhood cleanup including getting information to people in the neighborhood about the day, time and activities. Officer Appreciation Day provides breakfast, snacks and lunch for police and fire fighters in area. 

Hosted regional Youth of Unity Service Rally - Teenagers worked at Food Bank, children's museum, weeded flower beds at a local park, visited nursing home, baked cookies for AIDS program, painted at church. Participate with graffiti abatement in neighborhood. 

Future possibilities for an after school program for neighborhood children, providing people with skills and experience to do an extensive program.  Money would be used for equipment, salaries, building new facilities. 

There is also a strong need for low income housing in San Diego.  Millions of dollars could be spent on building or renovating apartment buildings. Church is in a position financially and administratively to make this feasible with financial help.

 CHURCH OF TODAY, SAN DIEGO, CA

(Wendy Craig-Purcell) The Church provides a back pack program (school supplies for underprivileged kids), dance instruction to schools in poor areas, and contributions of services and supplies to Mexican orphanages.  

We provide Monarch Schools, a school for homeless children,  with "cool clothes" and toiletries for their teens. 

Strive/Second Chance, an organization helping homeless men and women trying to re-enter the business market, is the recipient of "gently used" business clothing contributed by our congregation.

UNITY in NORWALK, CT

(Bonny Gilbert Ashe) Planning stages to create a multi-use community facility with specific space for latch key kids and senior citizens to come together and build relationships in a positive environment. Want to included computer lab for the kids to teach the elderly, a library, music equipment and instruments and other resources for elderly to tutor kids, a simple kitchen and family resource information. “Many elderly are alone with nowhere to share their wisdom and be of use.  Many kids are isolated from the wisdom of the oldest generation in their own families.”

UNITY MINISTER working in KANSAS CITY, MO

Helen Nelson is Executive Director of an ecumenically supported nonprofit organization with support from  businesses, individuals, congregations, and foundations to provide recreation programs with help from the YMCA, neighborhood projects, GED Plus (for academic, life skills, and job readiness training), and numerous other programs of benefit to the community. Lunch 'N' Learn program for GED students and senior citizens in neighborhood.  The only government funding directly received so far is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental and Economic Justice Small Grant (for the maximum amount, $15,000) for Neighborhood Environmental and Economic Justice Program.  This allowed contract with a local environmentalist to write and pilot a curriculum specifically for urban adult basic education students who have little or no understanding of the environmental and economic factors which so directly impact their lives.  The students will do a science project that will involve making posters and displays and hosting neighborhood environmental and economic fair. Have three other community events dealing with environmental issues this year covered in the grant. 

Also had an AmeriCorps program in place for GED class; discontinued using AmeriCorps volunteers to teach GED and contracted with the Kansas City MO School District's Adult Basic Education Dept. to provide a certified instructor and teaching materials for classes.  In return provide the classroom, a computer lab, administrative and technical support, and social services. 

Organized neighborhood association for blighted community. Brings in hundreds of volunteers from across the U.S. of all races, religions, economic and educational backgrounds to serve at the center and in the neighborhood. Volunteers do everything from mowing the grass, to painting and construction, to picking up litter and recycling in the neighborhood, to painting houses or mowing grass for elderly, disabled, or impoverished residents. “Sometimes our community police sensitively guard us as we trespass on abandoned and neglected properties to mow the grass, remove debris, or board up houses that have been an attractive nuisance for drug deals, prostitution, etc. as we wait for all the legal proceedings to hold the absentee landlords accountable to unfold.”  

Board recently approved a vision paper and conceptual plan for a "sustainable renovation" and expansion of our facility using environmentally responsible principles and technology, such as solar power, fuel cells, and rainwater filtration and reuse.  Becoming a teaching prototype for sustainable renovation throughout the nation. “Imagine if every congregation could re-channel the $10,000 to $30,000 spent each year on utilities into worship, education, and outreach!  It is possible and now it is quite cost effective with the skyrocketing costs of fossil fuels.”

UNITY in KANSAS CITY, MO

Holy Spirit Healing Ministry (Anyanwu Samionu) Outreach program provides “healing through celebration” and professional counseling for psychological and emotional trauma around social issues in African American community; does HIV and AIDS counseling. Provides support and reference services to local resources for community with high rate of diabetes, blood pressure, heart problems. Conducts advocacy to help individuals get medical assistance. Provides a grief/loss and life transitions program for community. Working to establish an interfaith AIDS ministry.

Unity Temple on the Plaza (Duke Tufty and Karyn Bradley) has established an independent Cornerstone Foundation to bring top name national speakers on a variety of current topics to the city. Provides a meeting place for community organizations e.g. Bloch Cancer Center.

UNITY in ST LOUIS, MO

Unity Center of Christianity (Inuka Mwanguzi) has a drill team/marching band for African American children in midtown St. Louis. Also provide counseling and support for teens to stay in school and seek donations to help students attend activities e.g. prom.

  Unity Christ Church (Lawrence Palmer) is planning to open a Community Center to provide education opportunities for developing job skills, GED, parenting, 12 steps, nutrition, tutoring, etc.

Unity Church of Peace (Diane Sickler) has a prayer outreach ministry in which the church prays for local schools on a rotating basis. This idea came as an outgrowth of the escalation in school violence and has been well received by school administrators.

UNITY in CHICAGO, IL

Unity in Chicago (Ed Townley) Support efforts of other interfaith groups. Goldie's Place is a support center for the homeless offering some of the practical help they need to cross the huge, often invisible barrier between the homeless and the rest of society—things like free dental care and wardrobe so they can be more presentable when they apply for jobs, assistance in preparing for interviews and a phone number where messages can be left classes and workshops in self-esteem, self-empowerment, etc.  It was not founded directly by Unity in Chicago, but by Unity in Chicago congregants who met here and came together with a shared vision. Help with fundraisers and serve as a spiritual resource for the homeless who are drawn there. 

The Night Ministry is an interfaith alliance that reaches out to the homeless—particularly homeless and/or runaway kids.  It maintains a residential center where kids can crash and get help they need.  It also maintains RVs that go out into the city, into neighborhoods where the homeless tend to gather, fully staffed with loving, non-judgmental volunteers.  The vans offer snacks, practical assistance, medical referrals, counseling services, safe sex kits and basically just an opportunity for people to talk with someone willing to listen without judging or preaching. “I am proud that Unity in Chicago was honored as "Congregation of the Year" for our work with Night Ministry at their recent annual banquet.” 

Church also has a very active Pet Ministry; police and others often bring animals they have found, abandoned and/or injured.  Volunteers nurse them back to health, using the services of local vets who work with the church for greatly reduced rates, and when they're ready, they're brought into Sunday services and offered for adoption. 

Also provide needed school supplies for students in elementary schools in neighborhood every September. Have "adopted" a nearby nursing home staying in touch regularly, and visit them often, especially at all holidays.

UNITY in LOS GATOS, CA

New Thought Spirit Center (Twyla Reece) is building a practice in the community of life recovery counseling using codependency recovery principles as well as Unity principles.

UNITY in SAVANNAH, GA

(Margee Grounds) Team that holds monthly in-hospital activities for emotionally disturbed children. Prepare and serve meals and perform other services, e.g. overnight supervision, for homeless families. Currently working to establish an umbrella organization with others to offer a hand up to those in temporary need, and to work on environmental projects networking with local service organizations. Church teams serve Hospice Savannah, Safe Shelter, Rape-Crisis Center, Open Arms (orphaned infants who are very ill), Coastal Georgia, Adult Literacy, other educational programs for elderly.

UNITY CAMPUS MINISTRY in ANN ARBOR, MI (Ernestine Griffin) Outreach to meet needs of college student community.

UNITY in JONESBORO, GA

(Ray Wiggins) Projects include work with DFACs, Meals on Wheels, community liaison for ex-welfare recipients, Rainbow House Shelter, buddy system for seniors.

UNITY in SPRINGFIELD, VA

(Eileen Goor) Partnership alliance with a local elementary school in culturally diverse to provide backpacks with all essentials and several extras, Thanksgiving meals for several families, full Christmas for 5-8 families (usually about 60 people in extended families), one on one tutoring and “big brothering,” Mom's Day out. Have annual  "Recirculation Day" where about 10,000 items from clothing to furniture and appliances are distributed free to hundreds of families, most of whom do not speak English. Planning a prison connection to “adopt” a parent who has children waiting for them, work with the children, the parent, and others involved to make the transition back as smooth as possible including job support etc.

UNITY in INDEPENDENCE, MO

(John and Lauren McLaughlin) A Family Place provides professional therapy on a donation basis. The program (1) provides space for master’s degree candidates from a local university who are specializing in Marriage and Family Counseling to have a work space and clientele base to complete the service component of their degree requirement; (2) provides Marriage and Family Counseling that serves families who are facing such problems as adults, and teens with substance abuse problems, teen pregnancies and basic family communications issues, community-wide; (3) provides counseling on a freewill offering basis to those enrolled in the program—those who most likely could not afford this kind of quality counseling if not offered in this manner.

Recently developed a "Love Zoo" in which pets are trained, tested, and if they pass they can go to hospitals and nursing homes to give love to patients and residents. 

UNITY in LUBBOCK, TX

Unity in Christ Church (Julie McKay-Wilkinson) provides free counseling for substance abusers, teens and children in trouble, licensed by state.

UNITY in UNITY VILLAGE, MO

(Sharon Connors) Outreach through Season For Nonviolence including junior high essay contest on "how I practice non-violence at home, school and in my community,” gives an award to an organization in KC that is making a difference in the area of nonviolence. 

UNITY in TULSA, OK

Unity Church of Christianity (Terrence and Catherine Padgett) Facilitates weekly spirituality groups at the Women's Correctional Facility here in Tulsa and may provide Yoga classes. “Women leaving the correctional facility have little support with the problems they face when they return to their homes and neighborhoods.” 

Church youth are exploring the possibility of joining with youth of Temple Israel in Tulsa's "Adopt a Classroom" program.  Kids agree to "adopt" a class of kids from poor public schools and provide tutoring, invitations to fun events, clothing, and lots of loving support. 

Working on a project to provide liaison assistance between the poor who come to church doors and the services available in community to help folks get linked up with the appropriate agency and then help them get through whatever red tape required to get enrolled in a program of ongoing support. 

Looking at way to become a provider of transportation, especially for the poor elderly in the city. “We have been told that this is a huge need.” Have established a fund of grocery store and Wal-Mart cash certificates for distribution to anyone hungry.

UNITY in SEBRING, FL

(Andy Conyer) Working to create programs designed to bring success training to community. Creating a residential retirement community and working with local human service agencies like Hospice, Boys and Girls clubs, YMCA Rotary International, Habitat For Humanity, local hospitals and human services,  Council on Aging to help create and bring programs to this that will address a wide variety of needs. 

Working on creating and presenting financial planning and development courses for local non profit organizations so they can learn to open the doors of opportunity through creative thought, and planning. Retirement community will provide independent living, assisted care and skilled care. 

Working with Youth for Christ so they can build a 3 county youth facility on Unity’s 10 acre campus; will provide space for youth activities and program. “We are working with people in Washington DC who write grants for Boys and Girls Clubs.  They are looking to help us create and be the South East region of the US  Training center for Boys and Girls Clubs Executives staff and for youth. (Summer programs).” 

Looking to present programs for youth that include self esteem building, learning the laws of life and general programs that will prepare them to be successful in the world.

UNITY in WESTMINSTER, CO

(David Ridge) Provides inmate Bible study at county jail.

UNITY in TUCSON, AZ

(Larry and Mary Ellen Swartz) Health Ministry uses Parish Nurse concept to focus on the connection of spirit and health and accesses health care using a holistic approach. Nurse practitioner church member is available to the members of the church and others in community, on a love offering basis to provide screening and routine health care. 

Provides an annual health fair, women's retreat, quarterly blood pressure checks and yearly CPR & First Aid classes. Alternative healing modalities available at the church include Reiki Healing Circle and Healing Touch by appointment. 

“Unity of Tucson's Health Ministry is in the process of becoming a licensed clinic according to the requirements of the Arizona Department of Health Services.  This is a lengthy process because policies & procedures must be developed for the Health Ministry, as well as developing relationships within the community.  

"I am currently researching and becoming a certified Medicare provider.  Eventually the goal is to provide health care to those with any insurance, including Arizona's Medicaid system.  When the licensing and Medicare billing is in place, the Health Ministry will be advertised as a place to get routine health care in a loving, non-stressful environment.” 

Health Ministry is an active member of Tucson's Parish Nurse Network  (TPNN).   TPNN is active in promoting a sexual abstinence program for teenagers to the different churches within the Tucson community.  It is part of a grant that St. Elizabeth's of Hungary received to provide this education to prevent teen pregnancy.  Unity of Tucson intends to become a site for providing this education to teens.  The program is still in development, but would serve county with highest rate of teen pregnancy in the state of Arizona.

UNITY in WILKES-BARRE, PA (Ann Marie Acacio) Church working with neighborhood  association (incorporated as a 503-C group) to apply for grant monies to renew the area; a local bank has offered low interest rates to homeowners to repair and spruce-up homes. 

In the initial stages of developing an after-school program where school-aged children within a certain radius could come for help with homework, learn self-worth, creativity, inter-relationship skills, etc.

UNITY in AUBURN, CA

(Wayne and Janet Manning) Commitment to Habitat for Humanity at the local level. Also support city and county agencies, such as the police and fire departments in special fund raising projects for equipment and so on.

UNITY in WAUWATOSA, WI

(Priscilla Mercier) Work with community programs and organizations to collect both funds and items needed.

UNITY in GRESHAM, OR

(Kathy Harwood Long) Meets at an Alzheimer's center and includes residents in Sunday service; youth do service projects at the center.

Planning a Neighborhood Sanctuary Project to purchase property where a neighborhood of folks will own their own property and share spiritual practices, serve the community, and focus on stewardship of the earth. “We are compiling information for the City of Gresham Neighborhood Revitalization project and will purchase within their 'map grid' for their target purpose of revitalization to increase low-income housing.” Units would be available to church members, and as transitional housing for homeless population and housing for unwed mothers, working with a local organization. Plan to work community gardening project for low-income households and individuals.

UNITY in OVERLAND PARK, KS

(Greg Barrette, Nancy Jerome, Gloria Moncrief) Provides financial and volunteer support to COPP (Care ofor People) which is an organization caring for the homeless in downtown Kansas City. Sponsors 3 seasonal outreach programs: 1) Easter baskets filled according to individual needs and delivered to nursing homes and home health care patients; 2) supplies new backpacks that have been filled with school supplies to underprivileged  and disabled children in area shelters and foster homes; 3) Christmas gifts are purchased and delivered to the elderly, shut-ins and children at Hope House.

UNITY in DETROIT, MI (Note—we have extensive file information-see Bets)

(Argentina Glasgow) Serves community with the Holistic Development Center offering tutoring, legal services, health services, counseling and other youth services including tutorial and enrichment, and an HIV educational program, Sisters and Daughters of Sheba. Church also promotes a state program for youth who have been incarcerated.

UNITY in CINCINNATI, OH

New Thought Unity Church (Pat Williamson and Doris Hoskins) In connection with area churches (the 06 Alliance, and Open Door Ministry) and the YMCA , provides financial and volunteer support for the homeless and needy with food, clothing and supplies for  a variety of inner city needs. They also provide Christmas gifts and Thanksgiving food and supplies.

Garden Park Unity Church (Alden Studebaker) "Love In Action Team” has assembled database of talents, services and time that people are willing to share with those in need. Seasonal projects include collecting stuffed animals for National Child Abuse Month, a circulation day with funds going to the One Way Farm for Children in Fairfield, OH (leftover items are donated to an Appalachian outreach of a neighboring church), food drive and Christmas presents for One Way Farm, and Uniteen project to serve food, clean up, and put on a program for disadvantaged children in an inner city.

UNITY in HARRISBURG, PA

(Erica Trantham) Holds an "annual no charge yard sale". The church community provides and collects unwanted items, furniture, clothing, household goods, toys, etc and presents them in a yard sale in under privileged neighborhoods at no charge.

UNITY in MESA, AZ

(Joel Baehr) Supplies used appliances, clothing and Christmas gifts to House of Refuge (organization for working families recovering from family crises).

UNITY in BRANSON, MO

(Michael Catalano) Minister serves on board of alternative school that meets at church to establish the curriculum, and hire college students and part-time teachers to teach teens that come from dysfunctional families and have behavioral problems which have deemed them unacceptable in local public schools.

UNITY in LONGMONT, CO

Facilitate Restorative Justice Community Group conferences as part of service to community.

“Those in the criminal justice system who contract services need to know that they can contract with churches as long as the services are one of several alternatives, thus not required.”

UNITY in RICHMOND, CA (Sheila Cook) Provide HIV education. Have a "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren" support group for those grandparents raising grandchildren, grand nieces and grand nephews. Other services include anger management groups for men and women, Teens "Keeping  it Real" advice/education to help maintain abstinence  or stay healthy if sexually active, Teen Resource Center serving teens in general , teen moms and dads and homeless teens—a collaborative effort with several other churches. Living quilt project by patients living with HIV or friends, family, or congregants who make quilt pieces to demonstrate that HIV is a manageable disease. Participate in interfaith sponsorship of Laws of Life Essay Contest- county supervisor is working with business community and minister is working with faith community.

UNITY in PORT RICHEY, FL

(Dan Holloway) Host group community awareness programs focusing on solutions to neighborhood problems, with community members, some city council members and mayor attending. Charter school plans to be housed on church campus beginning August 2001 to bring 160 children from 5^th to 8^th grades aimed at moving kids to advanced classes as they transition back to the public school system.

UNITY in AUSTIN, TX

(Ron and Lenore Scott) Church teams work to assist people in need both in church and greater community, providing assistance for child care, meals, transportation, hospital visits, sending of cards, work needed around home, cleaning, etc. Provides financial assistance (along with numerous other churches in the area), and supports programs that include a Thrift Shop, food dissemination, limited financial support for crisis needs and counseling. Supports special including special drives for Easter baskets, school supplies, and Thanksgiving dinners. Active involvement with Habitat-for- Humanity, including participation in area’s yearly Interfaith Build. Some volunteers participate in the Interfaith Care Alliance providing needed services as part of a Care Team to those living with AIDS and other debilitating illnesses. Yearly collection point for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys-for-Tots campaign.

UNITY in HOUSTON, TX

(Howard Caesar, Karen Tudor, Patricia Bass, Dennis Young) Provides volunteers and financial assistance for community efforts including blood drive held at the church, coat drive for homeless, Rehab Mission Inc project assisting homeless over 50 years of age, metropolitan food bank, community home repair projects, nursing home project, gifts for Salvation Army program, and park project. Also financially assist an area women’s center, care program for children, and a day shelter program offering meals, job training and referrals. Church also tithes to numerous agencies locally and nationally.

UNITY in HONOLULU, HI

(Mari Gabrielson) For 20+ years church has provided people to serve and funds to purchase food for the needy, neighborhood programs. Has sponsored the Governor’s Conference on Volunteerism as well as providing volunteers and money in support of programs. Church collected more than $45,000 in CDs and cash  for the Hawaii State Library System. Refugee Aloha collected approximately $23,000 to help the Red Cross in unifying people to support others.

UNITY in NASHVILLE, TN

(Cherie Larkin) Project SAVE (Students Against A Violent Environment) – church has a 3 bedroom apartment in the Henry Hale Projects providing an after school enrichment care program for children ages 7-13. Each day from 3:00-7:00 p.m. provides a safe place for children of the projects to reside. “Without Project SAVE they would go home to an empty apartment and be all alone or be on the streets subject to the negativity of the area.”

Program includes snack,  help with homework, tutoring on the internet, let them interact with computer educational and game software, and have an arts and crafts room for creative expression. Since opening August 2000 has served over 100 children and serve about 35 each day. Staffed by two elementary school teachers from congregation and volunteer interns from Tennessee State University.

“Last week we broadcast live from the projects on a popular radio announcer's morning time drive show and raised $2500+  and received a host of things to help us like a freezer and microwave. "We auctioned off a skate board and book both signed by the famous skate boarder Tommy Hawk and they brought in $900. Congressman Clement was there, the Tennessee Titan Foundation brought footballs and coats and socks, Microsoft donated 4 new computers but we still need funding for the telephone lines to hook the computers up to the internet.  A local grocery chain donated a spaghetti dinner for the kids each Wednesday night for a year, and Nabisco donated a supply of cookies. The local newspapers and TV stations were there also so we got a lot of good press.

Still we could use regular financial aid. The two teachers working the project need to be paid. Our prayer and heart vision is to have an enrichment care center like this one in each of the 8 housing projects in Nashville, and of course, we'd love to be able to serve more children right where we are now. We have to turn some kids away now as we don't have room for them.

“Interestingly, the drug dealers have given us what is called ‘safe passage’ meaning that though most of us are young white females we can come and go all hours of the day and night and we are not harmed or threatened nor is our apartment under any threat of destruction. They know we are in their community doing a good work for the children so they let us work there in peace.”

UNITY in DALLAS, TX

UNITY in COCOA, FL

(Patricia Wareham) Sponsor and tithe to a group of boys who reside at the Center for Drug Free Living, a state agency located in a near-by community. Provide needed supplies and big ticket items to enhance the program.

UNITY in TALLAHASSEE, FL

(Nancy and Bill Worth) Active in community-wide Equality Action Ministry to build coalition organization that seeks justice. Becoming involved in community organization to rebuild distressed inner city neighborhoods; includes partnering between ethnically diverse congregations to cooperatively set goals and strategies and follow through on projects to completion. Also active in a variety of community service organizations.

UNITY in MIAMI, FL

Unity Center of Miami (Charline Manuel) Long-term commitment to feeding 500 people one Sunday a month at the Dade County Partnership for the Homeless (purchase all food, prepare and serve). Church members tutor youth in the community.

UNITY in WOODBURY, MN

(Festus Umeojiego) Provide link to resources available in the community e.g. consumer credit counseling, social / health services, housing. Visiting nurse ministry based on parish nurse model. Personal mentoring program. Organize church teams for such programs as Habitat For Humanity, Paint-a thon. Have adopted a mission in Honduras, connects to mission services for Native Americans. Organize donations e.g. baby blankets or clothes for the battered women’s shelter, cell phones for battered women, glasses for the Lions Club, suits for people needed to go to job interviews etc.

UNITY in ROANOKE, VA

(Diane Scribner Clevenger) In international outreach, there have been 4 mission trips to Honduras to provide medical services and one trip to Costa Rica to work on the Softly International project building wooden beds for children who sleep on dirt floors, and to provide medical services. Participate in area ministerial conference project feeding 800 people per day in the Roanoke Valley area. Sponsor a quarterly blood drive. Community appreciation program provides baked goods to firemen, police and emergency units. Participate in interfaith ecumenical projects e.g. Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Participate in Habitat for Humanity. Collect teddy bears for Social Services.

UNITY in LOUISVILLE, KY

Unity of Louisville (Carole Mahaffey) Youth Enrichment Services for ages birth to 19 provides community outreach for downtown Louisville. Summer 2001 program will be called Celebrating Oneness: Art and Community Diversity and World Religions. “Our community is gifted with many talented artists, who will join us this summer to guide the youth in creating collaborative pieces of art as well as individual pieces for themselves.”

UNITY in EUGENE, OR

(Baine Palmer) Food, supplies, furniture and other items are given to food pantry and to abused women.

UNITY in PALMDALE, CA

(Alfred Johnson) Involved in Interfaith Council (Orthodox Christian, Roman Catholic, Moslem, Jewish, Mormon, Presbyterian, Bahai, Native American and others) and host variety of interfaith activities. Sponsor some seven 12-step groups at church. Offer use of facilities to community groups and invite them to special functions. Involved in Crop Walk; collect food for elderly, AIDS sufferers, needy; Habitat for Humanity projects. Collect toys for needy children at Christmas.

UNITY MINISTER in GOVERNMENT SERVICE

(Judi Venturini) Works at a center for federal funding of programs for substance abuse prevention, treatment and mental health. Working on proposal for how to support the faith communities in their programs as promoted by President Bush.

UNITY in WALNUT CREEK, CA

(Max Lafser, Juliana MacPherson-Coppock, Gene Lynch) Group that interacts with Unity of Walnut Creek, called "Challenge Associates.” Their programs are called Challenge Day-mail office@challengeday.com phone 925-957-0234, Challenge Associates P O box 22098 Martinez, CA 94553  They do interactive programs with youth in and out of prisons, high schools, worked in Colorado with the high school when children were shot, and now all around the country. “This is one of the best programs I have ever had happen in our Center.”

FROM CANADIAN MINISTRIES

 – VICTORIA, BC

(Alice and David Durksen) Joint project with the Greater Victoria YM/YWCA to assist in getting children off the streets and into safe environments while they sort out the challenges that brought them to the streets in the first place.  The Y provides street workers who meet the children on the street.  These include a social worker, a health care worker, a counselor etc. all of whom are specially trained for this work.  Unity Church has a Ministry Blessing Team that makes sandwiches once a week.  These are then given to the Y and used by the street workers.  The street workers give the children the sandwiches and while they are eating they talk with them, check their health, and develop a relationship that will allow for further communication. 

Second program - working arrangements with a number of the elementary schools in neighborhood serving a diverse population predominantly from single family homes and those living with relatives for whatever reason.  Church members work with "mentoring" programs in these schools coordinated by Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Victoria. 

Additionally work with these schools in promoting and presenting "Good Parenting" sessions, basically "life skills" programs presented by skilled professionals. “These programs have a need for funding to make them more readily available and to assure there is good support and follow up after the training session.  Usually this is not available.”  The church provides some scholarship funding to the schools to assure that those most in need are able to participate.

- KITCHENER, ONT

(Sharon Clements) Works with Operation Christmas Child (international program), and House of Friendship. Planning to offer community garden plots on church land.

 MINISTRY IN COSTA RICA

(Juan Enrique Toro and Rita Marie Johnson) Organizes various companies and government offices to do something during the Season for Non-Violence. Offer a kick-off and a closing event to honor heroes for peace from all sectors of society.

Also speaks on nonviolence at various offices, clubs, groups, schools, etc. Church volunteers teach English and art at two local schools. Arts for Peace - a project to invite children to draw or express their ideas for peace. 

Does bed building in cooperation with Softly International, building wooden beds for children who sleep on dirt floors. Goal: a bed for every child. Christmas Angels – An annual party for 30 children from poor neighborhoods, in cooperation with the Salvation Army. 

Helps ex-patriots who get into trouble (residents or tourists) with counseling, translation, cultural understanding, financial needs, etc.

OVERSEAS
UNITY MINISTER in AUSTRALIA

(Grace Merrick) Works in hospice services program. Planning a respite center for kids with terminal or life limiting conditions and their families; also grief and loss support for kids who are experiencing loss in the family through death or divorce.