About

Discover Community

Welcome to Discover Community — your hub for connection, stories, and information. Here you can explore our church’s history, meet our staff, find FAQs and visitor information, watch past services, submit prayers, and see upcoming events and meetings. Whether you’re new or part of our longtime church family, this is your place to learn, connect, and belong.

Rooted and Rising Washignton Park

Community UMC partners with Rooted & Rising – Washington Park Food Pantry to help provide food, hygiene items, and essential supplies to families in need. Through ongoing collections, volunteer support, and financial gifts, our congregation works to ease food insecurity and share God’s love in practical, compassionate ways. Together, we’re helping our neighbors find stability, nourishment, and hope—one bag at a time.

Rooted & Rising-
Washington Park

Mission

Rooted & Rising – Washington Park believes in the dignity, potential and worth of all people and is dedicated to helping individuals and families meet their basic needs, establish stable foundations, and pursue their dreams. We are united in our mission to build a nurturing, thriving community where all people feel welcome, supported and a sense of belonging.

Through quality housing, childcare, food security, basic resources, and neighborhood engagement, we are committed to listening to and elevating the voices of our neighbors, serving with humility and compassion, and working with our partners to build a more stable, equitable and prosperous community for all Washington Park residents. We walk alongside our neighbors to help put down roots and rise to reach our community’s fullest potential.

Community Impact

Thanks to your generosity, the Community Food Pantry at Rooted and Rising - Washington Park continues to be a lifeline for neighbors in need. In November alone, they served 525 households, reaching 1,701 individuals—including 851 children, 664 adults, and 186 seniors. Each number represents a family, a meal, and a reminder that compassion in action truly matters.

As we begin a new year, we invite you to help us restock shelves with some specific items that are especially needed this January. Extra pantry staples such as hot sauce, cooking oil, pasta sauce, jams and jellies, salad dressing, and BBQ sauce add variety and dignity to everyday meals. For meal items, we are seeking canned chicken and boxed pasta. And for hygiene needs, individually wrapped toothbrushes, bar soap, toilet paper, and toothpaste are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for being a church that not only cares, but shows that care in tangible ways. Together, we are feeding bodies, nurturing hope, and living out Christ’s love in our community.

How you Can Help

January Needs

Needs

Extra pantry staples such as hot sauce, cooking oil, pasta sauce, jams and jellies, salad dressing, and BBQ sauce add variety and dignity to everyday meals.

For meal items, we are seeking canned chicken and boxed pasta.

And for hygiene needs, individually wrapped toothbrushes, bar soap, toilet paper, and toothpaste are greatly appreciated.

Thank You

Your donations may be left inside the marked bins in the entryway off the courtyard during the week (M-Th 8:00 am-3:30 pm and Fri 8:00 am-2:30 pm). On Sundays, the courtyard door is unlocked from 8:00-11:00 am, so you may also bring your donations when you come to Church or leave them in the Narthex and someone will take them down for you. *** “Rooted & Rising – Washington Park” staff and their clients appreciate all the food and hygiene items that CUMC continues to donate monthly. Thanks for your generosity and ongoing support! (Keep filling those bags.)