Outside
our walls
Purpose: to engage the congregation in projects, issues and ministries beyond our walls; locally, nationally and internationally.
The Board of Outreach helps manage the numerous activities in which we participate in order to transform our words into deeds. If your church experience calls you to go beyond the pew, we would love to support you in your work and involvement.
Each of the following activities has an Outreach coordinator who provides instructions and the necessary support for volunteers – email the church office at info@ccdcucc.org to get more information on any of the opportunities. If you are moved to participate in any of these ministries, you can join activities alone, with a friend, or with the entire family – just go to our Volunteer Page where you can sign up. All efforts are welcome!
ONGOING
Click one of the links below to learn more about that outreach opportunity.
SEASONAL
Click one of the links below to learn more about that outreach opportunity.
Christmas Market with a Difference
SPECIAL OFFERINGS + GRANTS
Click one of the links below to learn more about that outreach opportunity.
ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES
Community Food Pantry
One of the ways that we’ve been addressing hunger in our area is by establishing a weekly Parking Lot food pantry. Every Saturday, rain or shine, we host a Food Pantry in our parking lot from 10:30am – 12:30pm. Contact Cinny Bensen for more information (cinnybensen@gmail.com) or sign up to help on the Volunteer Page.
LISTEN Community Dinners
CCDC provides food and volunteers to help cook and serve dinner once a month at the LISTEN Community Services Center in White River Junction. Dinners are usually the fourth Wednesday of the month, except in November and December.
Dinner prep begins at 3:30 p.m. and finished by 6:00. The responsibility entails assisting the lead chef in preparation of main meal and salad, setting out rolls, desserts then serving the meal (cafeteria style) to approx. 80 members of the Upper Valley Community from 5:00 – 5:30. This event is finalized by a brief clean up.
Salads (each for approx 25 people) are donations which may be dropped off at LISTEN earlier in the day, or arrangements may be made for them to be picked up at the church.
Children over 13 years of age are welcome.
Contact info@ccdcucc.org with questions or to get involved.
United Valley Interfaith Project
CCDC partners with 16 other local faith-based member groups dedicated to working towards to social change through meaningful, values-based relationships. Regular updates are available in our newsletter or visit UVIP’s website for more information: http://unitedvalleyinterfaithproject.org/
Good Neighbor Health Clinic Dinners
Once monthly, CCDC provides a light vegetarian meal for approximately eight clinicians who are staffing a free health clinic in White River Junction. Visit their website for more information: https://goodneighborhealthclinic.org/
The Hartford Dismas House
A transitional housing program for former inmates. Each month CCDC volunteers plan and cook dinner, and then eat with the residents. You plan the meal and provide the food. Food can be cooked ahead of time and then reheated at the house, or you are welcome to use the house kitchen to cook your meal. You are expected to be at the house by 5:30 pm, and dinner is served at 6:00 pm. You can expect to cook for 10-12 people from the house. Residents take care of setting the table and the clearing and clean-up. The house director and assistant director take care of serving the meal and keeping the conversation going. Children and families are welcome. The Dismas House dinners are a wonderful opportunity for community building and a tangible way to support these men and women as they reenter society.
Refugee Support
We have partnered with groups in greater Manchester to help support refugees in their new lives. The work is varied and rewarding.
Ukama Partnership
Ukama is Shona for “we are family.” Ukama is a one-to-one relationship between a particular local church in the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Zimbabwe and one in the New Hampshire Conference of the UCC. The first two churches joined in this ukama/partnership in 1996. Since then, 45 local New Hampshire churches have become part of ukama, bringing respect and a genuine desire to enter into the lives of their sister churches.
SEASONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Christmas Market with a Difference
Click HERE to visit our page for the annual Christmas Market with a Difference. We hope to be back in 2021!
CROP Hunger Walk
CROP Walk is the name of the community, interfaith hunger-education and fundraising event sponsored by Church World Service. Usually the first Sunday in October @ noon, people from CCDC join others from around the Upper Valley in walking to raise money to fight hunger.The walk begins and ends on the Lebanon green.Proceeds are divided between CWS and local hunger relief program.
More information: https://www.crophungerwalk.org/
Giving Tree
Dominican Republic Mission Trip
Habitat for Humanity Trip
SPECIAL OFFERINGS AND GRANTS
June Russell Fund
The Outreach board, along with the Religious Education board, manages a fund donated by Bob Russell in honor of his wife, June. The fund was established in 2016 and thus far has supported homeless families by loaning security deposits as well as funding legal services for immigrants and refugees seeking asylum. This fund is re-evaluated yearly and decisions are made in the fall for the following year. If you have an idea, please contact the Board of Outreach at ccdc@ccdcucc.org
Christmas Eve Special Offering
The Outreach Board nominates two or three charitable organizations to receive this special gift (choices are approved by the Board of Elders). We seek recipients whose values and mission are consistent with those of our church. We are committed to providing support both locally and on the national stage.
Bicentennial Fund
In 1976, CCDC established a fund to award grants for specific items and projects identified by members of the congregation.Though the amounts of the grants are not huge, they have been valuable statements of our church’s commitment to a variety of programs or endeavors that could easily fall off the charitable giving radar.