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
As of today, volunteer driver Jeff Turmel has delivered our August donations; the final total will be shared as soon as it’s confirmed. Even without that number, the pantry’s August report shows just how much our community is leaning on this ministry:
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Households served: 435
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Children (0–17): 689
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Adults (18–59): 553
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Seniors (60+): 143
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Total individuals served: 1,385
Thank you for the steady stream of generosity that makes these deliveries possible. Your gifts are meeting real needs—week after week.
How you Can Help
October Needs
CRITICAL NEEDS
Canned meat: tuna, chicken, sardines, etc.
( Hunger Task Force has low supplies and is delivering much less. Families are currently receiving only 1 can per family, much less than before.
Lunch items
canned soup, mac. ‘ n cheese, rice-a-roni, hamburger helper
Extras
hot sauce, jams & jellies, corn muffin mix, salad dressing, BBQ sauce
Hygiene items
individually wrapped toothbrushes, tooth paste, bars of soap, toilet paper
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.)