News at Joining Hands Community Mission

Outstanding!

2011-06-13T10:55:00.005-04:00

On Friday night, June 10, Joining Hands Community Mission received the 2011 Outstanding Non-Profit Organization Award at the 67th Annual West Pasco Chamber of Commerce Banquet.

We love our volunteers

2011-04-04T14:44:00.004-04:00

Joining Hands summer programs are successful because of volunteers like you! If you would like to learn about ways to serve at Joining Hands this summer, please attend our next Kids Camp & Summer Volunteer Planning Session. No matter what your gifts and talents may be, you are welcome and appreciated!

Servant leaders may help prepare hot, healthy breakfasts and lunches (we're preparing all of our own meals throughout this summer programming); or spend time with our campers reading or teaching art or music. Perhaps you have a special hobby or talent you would like to share, such as sign language or dance! Come and meet old and new friends while serving together at Joining Hands!

Joining Hands Summer Programming

2011-04-04T14:39:00.002-04:00

We're going to be busy!

The Mission is gearing up to host 10 weeks of low cost or FREE special camp experiences for children whose families are experiencing homelessness or are at-risk of becoming homeless. The Mission's programs include Morning Stars (for rising elementary students), Rising Stars (leadership camp for rising middle-school students), and, of course, Joining Hands Kids Camp, our 5th annual full-day, one-week camp for elementary students. The fun for our campers begins on Monday, June 13th and runs through Friday August 12th.

For more detailed information, see the Summer Programming page of the JHCM website.

You may also print and distribute our flyers: [PDF]

Joining Hands Receives Best Neighborhoods Grant

2011-03-20T12:25:00.001-04:00

Volunteer Florida, through its Best Neighborhoods Grant, has awarded Joining Hands Mission $5,500, enabling the development of a camp opportunity for middle school students.

Called Rising Stars, this will be a new component of the on-going summer camp program for homeless and at-risk children in West Pasco County. Students are being identified and recruited to participate in leadership camp through collaborative efforts with local school staff. "Graduates" of Rising Stars will then participate as leaders at Joining Hands Kids Camp.

In addition, the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church is providing us $5,000 in matching funds to have five college interns this summer to help at our summer camps.

Welcome, Donna!

2011-03-11T12:21:00.001-05:00

Joining Hands Mission is pleased to announce that Mrs. Donna Duink has been hired to direct the Resource Center every morning. Donna has been a 4-year volunteer at Joining Hands and possesses a great deal of knowledge in client services. We are grateful for all of the many blessings she brings to the Mission. Feel free to stop by the Resource Center, introduce yourself, and welcome her aboard!

Thank You and Happy New Year!

2011-01-30T12:11:00.002-05:00

You made it possible to serve 1,449 families this holiday season!

In spite of this period of economic hardship, you gave your time, talents, and treasure to bring hope to so many who had none! The community surrounding Joining Hands Mission collected and donated over 50,000 pounds of food and 5,000 toys and gifts. In addition, over 550 volunteers served 4,100 hours during the months of November and December to make this outreach possible.

Thank you for standing alongside Joining hands Community Mission to serve those in need. You are a blessing!

What a Wonderful Summer

2010-09-16T15:05:00.004-04:00

A message from Nancy Dougherty, Mission Director:

What an incredible summer at Joining Hands Mission! I want to thank everyone who supported our first ever, 8 -week program for kids. With all of your help, over 140 homeless or at-risk children were provided a safe, hopeful environment throughout the entire summer. In addition, each child was given new shoes, socks, undies, a fully stocked backpack and several outfits to begin their school year. Nutrition, of course, is very important, and every day the campers received healthy breakfast and lunch- weekend meals went home with them, as well.

Thank you for showing Jesus' love to so many families that are struggling desperately during these hard economic times. You are an inspiration, and I'm humbled and privileged to be in ministry with each and every one of you!

Blessings,
Nancy

The Value of Volunteerism

2010-07-23T14:01:00.002-04:00

Besides the humanitarian and spiritual virtues of volunteerism, the gift of time and talents may be measured in tangible ways.

For the month of June 2010, volunteers at Joining Hands Community Mission logged a total of 1,115 hours of service. Multiplied by Florida's minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, our volunteers collectively gave a gift of service valued at $8,083.75 to the Mission in one month!

Here at Joining Hands Community Mission we value our volunteers and truly appreciate their generosity. If you would like to join their ranks, please call or email us to find out how you can volunteer (727-937-3268 or nancy@joininghandsmission.org).

We are currently in need of personal shoppers in the Metro Market, hospitality and intake personnel in the Resource Center, and reception/phone answering at the front desk in Administration. For the summer, we also need people to help prepare and serve breakfasts and lunches to children at camp, as well as assistance in preparing childrens clothing and backpacks for Kids Camp.

Online Donations Update

2010-07-11T22:19:00.002-04:00

Due to administrative changes, PayPal service for accepting online donations has been suspended. For your convenience, online donations may now be given via the Metropolitan Ministries website.

PLEASE designate funds for PASCO JHCM.

Any amount will make a difference in the lives of families in distress. We are grateful for any assistance with the work we do for the community. Thank you!

Clothing Needed

2010-04-26T11:55:00.000-04:00

Our Resource Center vouchers out gently-used CLOTHING to children and adults in confirmed need. We are now accepting: men’s and women’s jeans and shorts, as well as children’s summer clothing (all sizes; infant through youth). Please deliver anytime Monday through Friday, 10:00am to 12:00 noon, to the Resource Center or leave in the Narthex on Sunday morning.

Joining Hands is the Model For Church Redevelopment

2010-04-02T17:31:00.004-04:00

The Florida United Methodist News Service's E-Review has posted an article featuring the church redevelopment model that Rev. Dan Campbell and Rev. Phil Maynard have created. Our transition from Community United Methodist Church to Joining Hands Community Mission is the test model for their bold ideas, which they will be presenting to church leaders throughout the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. The article describes how we made the transition from church to mission while showcasing our challenges and successes.

Food & Beverage Tax to Help the Homeless?

2010-03-30T13:42:00.006-04:00

Pastor Dan Campbell was interviewed this week by WTSP 10 Connects News about his presentation to the Pasco County Commission on March 30 to unveil the Homeless Coalition's Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Pasco County. The plan could include a food and beverage tax to help pay for it. Click to play video:

Plan to End Homelessness in Pasco County

2010-03-30T12:53:00.004-04:00

Today, Bay News 9 posted a story and interview with our Pastor Dan Campbell about his involvement with the Pasco Homeless Coalition's Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Pasco County.

READ the story HERE.

WATCH the accompanying Bay News 9 video HERE.

Joining Hands Mission Gets National Press

2010-03-07T10:21:00.005-05:00

Interpreter Magazine, the official national magazine of the United Methodist Church, reported on our transition from Church to Mission in an article in the March/April 2010 issue, entitled Church Reopens as Outward-Focused Mission. Printed copies are available in the back of the sanctuary, or you may read it online at http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/unitedmethodist/interpreter_20100304/index.php#/22

The United Methodist Response To Haiti

2010-01-24T12:02:00.006-05:00

The United Methodist Church, through its United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), is actively providing relief to the earthquake victims in Haiti. Read up-to-the-minute updates at http://www.umc.org/haiti

You may make secure donations online to UMCOR's efforts in Haiti at http://umcorhaiti.org
JHCM members may put checks in the donation plates on Sunday mornings or bring checks to the office. UMCOR asks that donors include the advance code number 418325 on the check's memo line. 100% of your donation will go toward Haiti Emergency Relief.

The Power of Prayer

2010-01-24T11:25:00.003-05:00

Joining Hands Community Mission believes in the healing and transformative power of prayer. We offer several opportunities to gather to pray for those known and unknown.

Sunday Morning Prayer Team meets every Sunday in the Chapel from 8:55 to 9:20 AM.
Monday Morning Prayer Circle meets every Monday in the Chapel from 10:00 to 10:30 AM.
Prayer Circle with Pastor Gabe meets in the Conference Room at Asbury UMC (4202 Thys Road, New Port Richey) every Thursday from 10:00 to 10:30 AM.
E-mail Prayer Warriors receive via e-mail a weekly list of prayer concerns that we have gathered, in order to lift them up to God on their own time. Please contact the Joining Hands office to be placed on the e-mail list.

In addition, Asbury UMC is planning an All-Day Prayer Vigil in their sanctuary on Tuesday, February 16, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 pm. People will come for half-hour time slots to pray. Everyone is invited to come and pray when possible throughout the day.

A Message From Mission Director, Nancy Dougherty

2009-12-01T16:45:00.001-05:00

Due to your generous support, Joining Hands Community Mission provided Thanksgiving meals for 277 families in our community!

I would like to thank all of our volunteers who have given so selflessly over the past few weeks to aid in our Thanksgiving Holiday food distribution. Monday, Nov. 23, was our largest distribution day and we’ve continued to provide dinners for needy families since that day. As many of you are aware, this is the first year that Joining Hands conducted Thanksgiving assistance, and we were painfully short of food about a week prior to our give-away. Miracles occur, however! Individuals, businesses, houses of worship, schools, and other service agencies supported this outreach, and we were able to serve everyone who pre-registered for assistance – down to the last 23 cans of yams that we needed!

Thank you so much for your continued support of Joining Hands Mission, and I wish you and yours a joyous holiday season.

An Easier Way To Volunteer

2009-11-04T23:36:00.004-05:00

Joining Hands Community Mission has partnered with Meet the Need to provide a way for potential volunteers to search and sign up for opportunities to give of their time. The available dates and time slots for the Holiday Center are currently listed. Click the big red button to take a look and register to help!

Official Mission Launch

2009-10-10T15:42:00.001-04:00

A ribbon was cut. Lives will be changed.

The official launch of Joining Hands Community Mission was held on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, with a ribbon cutting and opening ceremony. Our RedX praise band started playing at 8:00 am, followed by a ceremony and blessing attended by many of our volunteers as well as city and county leaders and members of the faith community. Speakers included Tim Marks and Rev. Morris Hintzmann from Metropolitan Ministries, Port Richey Mayor Richard Rober, Pasco County Commissioner Pat Mulieri, and our CEO and Pastor, Rev. Dan Campbell. Metropolitan Ministries simultaneously launched their Compassion in Action initiative by bringing a truck filled with 100 food boxes to be distributed to registered families with children that morning. Read the St. Petersburg Times article about the Joining Hands grand opening HERE.

Above: Rev. Dan Campbell addresses the gathering.

Above: Distributing food to clients.

Do You Enjoy Poetry?

2009-10-04T16:04:00.000-04:00

Come To Me, a book of Holy Spirit inspired poetry by Frances Costa is being offered for a $7.00 donation. Please complete an order form at the table in the narthex in the back of the sanctuary, and your book or CD will be delivered to the worship service that you attend. All proceeds will be donated to Joining Hands Community Mission, Inc.

Resource Center Expands

2009-09-28T13:46:00.003-04:00

The Joining Hands Resource Center has expanded its hours and services.

It is open in Room 203:

Mon - Thurs, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Fri & Sat, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Services consist of:

ACCESS Site - Assistance in applying for food stamps/EBT, Medicaid enrollment, and temporary cash asssitance from the state
Metro Market - Crisis food distribution with a personal shopper
Clothing Closet - Clothes for infants, children, youth, and adult career clothing
Personal Case-Working - Social worker is on-site 10 hours every week
Mail Boxes - Providing mailing addresses for clients
Pathways - HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) database

Joining Hands By The Numbers

2009-09-09T16:39:00.003-04:00

Summer Statistics:

For the month of July, Joining Hands Community Mission served 130 clients and gave out 46 food boxes.

For the month of August, 233 clients were served, and 163 food boxes were distributed.

Our annual joining Hands Kids Camp hosted 107 campers with the assistance of over 150 youth and adult volunteers.

New Group Study to Begin Sept 14

2009-09-09T15:29:00.004-04:00

"Building a Strong Faith on a Solid Foundation"

This 6-week study covers foundation-of-Christianity topics, upon which strong faith is built. Topics include:

The Bible
Jesus
Prayer
Faith and Grace
The Holy Spirit
Service to God

This study is appropriate for first-time and ongoing attendees, and is offered at two different times:

Sundays at 10:45 am in the Fellowship Hall
Mondays at 10:00 am in the Chapel

Visit the Thrift Shop

2009-09-09T14:25:00.001-04:00

Find bargains galore and discover some treasures at our Thrift Shop. It is open every Tuesday and Saturday from 9:00 am until noon.

Training Opportunities For Volunteers

2009-09-09T11:38:00.004-04:00

We have several sessions available each month to train volunteers for service at Joining Hands Community Mission. Please note that training is mandatory for all volunteers.

Volunteer Orientation for new volunteers will be held on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 10:00 am in the Administration Conference Room.

Volunteer Orientation lasts about 90 minutes and is an opportunity to learn about:

All of the changes that have taken place as we’ve transitioned from a Church to a Mission
Ethics and boundaries for those who volunteer
An overview of the services that we provide at the Mission
The layout of our campus and where outreach services are located

More volunteer training opportunities at different times and days will be scheduled in the near future. Please call the Mission office for further information at (727) 937-3268. We hope to see you there, and thank you for your help!

SHARE a Holiday Meal This Year

2009-09-08T16:50:00.000-04:00

SHARE Food Program is taking donations for Thanksgiving and Christmas meal packages. Please see Betty in the sanctuary narthex on Sunday mornings at the back table to give. Any amount by cash or check is appreciated.

If you know a family who could use a holiday meal gift from SHARE, give the name and phone number to Betty.

Give holiday blessings thru SHARE.

Worship Team Meeting Minutes

2009-08-27T19:59:00.002-04:00

The Joining Hands Community Mission Worship Team met on August 10, 2009.

The minutes of the meeting are published HERE.

Do You Have Some Free Time In The Morning?

2009-08-23T23:29:00.004-04:00

Front office volunteers are needed to answer the phone at Joining Hands Community Mission while the Resource Center is open. We are seeking recurring volunteers who will be trained for this position.

Joining Hands Mission Covered in St. Petersburg Times

2009-08-16T12:01:00.003-04:00

The front page of the Pasco Times on Sunday, August 16, featured an article about all that we are doing at Joining Hands Community Mission. Click HERE to read the article.

Joining Hands Kids Camp on Bay News 9

2009-08-11T18:56:00.004-04:00

The Bay News 9 website has published a story and posted the video about our Joining Hands Kids Camp.

Click HERE to read the story.... OR ....

Click HERE to watch the news story that ran on television. (There will be an advertisement at the beginning.)

Joining Hands Profiled by United Methodist News

2009-08-11T18:14:00.003-04:00

The Florida United Methodist News Service has published a story in its e-Review about Joining Hands Community Mission and the formation of our cooperative parish with Asbury UMC and First UMC of New Port Richey. Click HERE to read the full story.

A Big Thank You!

2009-08-07T15:00:00.002-04:00

We have completed a phenomenal week hosting the 3rd Annual Joining Hands Kids Camp. Thank you so much to all of the volunteers and donors who made this year's camp a successful and memorable week for all of the kids!

One Door Closes While Another Opens

2009-06-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

On June 21, 2009, the congregation of Community United Methodist Church participated in two very meaningful worship services to bring to completion the life of this church. Together we recited a special liturgy and sang as we gathered together in the back of the church as the cross was carried out of the sanctuary.

Join us on Sunday, June 28, as we carry the cross back into the sanctuary and celebrate the birth of Joining Hands Community Mission in another very special worship service at 9:30 and 11:00 am.

Learn More About Healing

2009-06-23T14:01:00.000-04:00

Dr. Tin Chow, a longtime member of Community United Methodist Church and Joining Hands Mission, has just published his book Everything You Want to Know About Chinese Medicine. This book contains information about how the body functions, acupuncture, and alternative medicine. Copies are available for sale in the administration office (Mon-Thurs from 9:00am-12:00pm) for $39.00. Please bring exact change or a check payable to Joining Hands Community Mission. Dr. Chow is generously donating all of the profit from the sale of the book to the Mission.

Fathers Day Video

2009-06-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to watch a short Fathers Day video in church. Here is a link to view that video.

JHCM On Local TV News

2009-06-13T00:29:00.006-04:00

On June 12, WTSP 10 Connects News aired a story about the transition of Community United Methodist Church to Joining Hands Community Mission.

Click here to view it.

Crisis Food Box Distribution

2009-06-13T00:18:00.003-04:00

With grant funding from the United Way, and collaborating with Metropolitan Ministries, Joining Hands Community Mission will distribute 40 food boxes per week, with additional 30 boxes distributed from a northwest Pasco site. Each food box provides enough provisions to feed a family of four for three days. Volunteers will serve as “personal shoppers” with recipients during distribution hours of Monday through Thursday, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Free Lunches For Kids This Summer

2009-06-13T00:06:00.003-04:00

From June 8 to August 21, Monday through Friday, free summer lunches are available to all kids age 18 and younger in the New Port Richey / Holiday area. Lunch will be served from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm. No registration is required.

During the school year, nutritious meals are available for children through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. But those programs end when school ends for the summer. Children in our community do not need to go hungry this summer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program helps fill the hunger gap.

More volunteers are still needed for this vital service to the children of our community. Please contact Nancy at 947-3268 to sign up for days that are convenient for you.