At Embry Hills, the UMW does more than meet in small groups (called circles) once a month. We are passionately involved and working to make the lives of women, children, and youth better both locally and abroad. We are doing our best to live the 2010 UMW theme of “Faith, Hope, and Love in Action.” Beginning this month, we will share information about each of the mission projects that the UMW at Embry Hills supports, through active service work or financial contributions or both.

One very important program that EHUMW supports is the Women’s Community Kitchen, a program of the Atlanta Urban Ministries, which is a division of Action Ministries, Inc. The Women’s Community Kitchen, located at Grace United Methodist Church on Ponce de Leon Avenue in midtown Atlanta, provides a safe, friendly place for homeless women and children to receive a hot and healthy lunch in a “restaurant” type atmosphere.

Embry Hills UMW supports the Women’s Community Kitchen in three ways: first, each of our circles take a turn each Spring making and serving lunch; second, we provide financial support through our annual mission offering; and third, each December, we put together and deliver Christmas stockings of useful items to give to the women.

Each weekday, between 50 and 80 homeless women and children receive hot prepared meals served to them in the main fellowship hall at Grace UMC. Embry Hills UMW is but one group of many who help make these lunches happen. Serving in this way is a very hands-on way to make a small difference in the lives of these women and children.

Financial support comes out of the UMW’s mission money, which we collect through the voluntary pledges and donations of our members as well as from our fundraisers, like the annual bake sale and craft sale. Because Action Ministries is no longer receiving financial support through the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, Embry Hills UMW voted recently to donate $1000 this year to this very important ministry.

Each December we provide Christmas stockings that contain practical items that we collect throughout the year. For example, in February, we will collect socks, and in March, we will collect toothbrushes. In mid-December, we put all of the collected items in practical gallon-sized zipper bags along with a few candy treats. We deliver the “stockings” to the Women’s Community Kitchen, where the folks of Atlanta Urban Ministries handle the distribution to the women in need of them. In 2009, we put together and delivered 100 stockings!

We encourage all of you readers to consider joining us in supporting the vital programs of Action Ministries, including the Women’s Community Kitchen. You can find more information about the programs of the Atlanta Urban Ministries at http://atlanta.actionministries.net, and you can learn about Action Ministries at http://www.beliefinaction.com.
~Judy Campbell