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 Community Food: Digging In for Our Neighbors

At Community UMC, one of the most meaningful ways we live out our

mission is simply by digging in — making sure our neighbors

have the food and essentials they need.

Our Rooted & Rising Community Food partnership got off to a

strong start in 2026. On January 20, Jeff delivered the first supply

run of the year — 550 pounds of food and hygiene items to the

Community Food Center. These donations help keep shelves stocked

for families in our wider community.

The impact of that support is powerful. In January alone, the Community Food Center served:

349 households
500 children and youth (ages 0–17)
475 adults (ages 18–57)
112 seniors (60+)

That’s a total of 1,087 individuals who received food and support during the month.

Behind every number is a person, a family, and a story. Through Rooted & Rising and the generosity of our congregation, we continue to help ensure that no neighbor has to face hunger alone.

Thank you for helping our community stay rooted in compassion and rising together in care.

How you Can Help

March Needs

Needs

Extras: Cooking oil, salad dressing, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup, juice, nuts, & granola bars
Lunch: Rice-a-roni, mac n cheese, hamburger helper, & canned soup
Dinner: canned chicken & tuna
Hygiene Items: toilet paper, individually wrapped toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, & deodorant

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.)