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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
Rooted & Rising: Your Generosity Makes a Difference
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our congregation, 233 pounds of food and hygiene items were delivered to Rooted & Rising on June 23. Every donation helps provide hope and practical support to our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
The need continues to grow. During the month of June alone, Rooted & Rising served 441 households, impacting 1,262 individuals. This included 558 children and youth (ages 0–17), 535 adults (ages 18–59), and 169 older adults (ages 60 and over). These numbers are a powerful reminder that even the simplest donation can make a meaningful difference in someone's life.
When packing your donations, please help our volunteers by lightening the load. If you're donating heavier items, we kindly ask that you divide them between two bags to prevent bags from tearing and to make them easier and safer to carry.
How you Can Help
August Needs
Needs
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Hygiene items: paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, deodorant
Breakfast: instant oatmeal, cereal, grits, granola, etc.
Lunch: canned soup, mac n cheese, rice a roni, etc.
Dinner: Canned meat - chicken, tuna and salmon
Extras: salad dressing, seasoning, hot sauce, cooking oil, pasta sauce, etc.
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.)