- Home
- About Us
- Ministries
- Adult Education
- Changing Gears
- Children's Special Programs and Upcoming Events
- Congregational Care
- Discipleship Classes
- Youth Ministry Koinonia
- Membership
- Nursery
- Presbyterian Women
- Sign Ups
- Sunday School for Children
- Wednesday Night Dinners
- Westminster Friends
- Westminster School for Young Children (Preschool)
- Calendar
- Outreach
- Worship
- News & Events
- Members Area
Outreach
OutreachWith the help of the Holy Spirit, the Westminster Presbyterian Church Outreach Committee’s mission is to research and develop ways in which members may identify and fulfill calls to service. Members of the church are invited to join the committee in our mission and in helping the least of these as Jesus did. The organizations we support are listed by impact area. Please find the impact area of interest to you and then choose an organization where you can serve others. Questions? Contact Ben Kane (staff liaison), Fran Linley and Amy Shurden (committee chairs) or the designated Outreach Committee member or the organization’s contact listed below. Impact/Interest AreasChildren & Youth Children’s Projects | Cockrill Elementary School | Habitat for Humanity | Martha O’Bryan Center | Monroe Harding | Nations Ministry Center/Refugee Assimilation | Oasis Center | Preston Taylor Ministries | Strick’s Gift Disaster Relief/Mission Work Disaster Relief Mission Trips/Presbyterian Disaster Assistance | International Missionaries | Living Waters for the World | Red Cross Families Habitat for Humanity | Martha O’Bryan Center | Monroe Harding | Nations Ministry Center/Refugee Assimilation Health & Wellness Living Waters for the World | Project C.U.R.E. | Siloam Family Health Center Homelessness/Hunger Habitat for Humanity | Martha O’Bryan Center | Rooftop | Room In The Inn | Room In The Inn’s Campus for Human Development | Second Harvest Food Bank Seniors Habitat for Humanity | Martha O’Bryan Center Women’s Services Impact Areas at Westminster Presbyterian Church Alternative Christmas Market | Children’s Projects | Disaster Relief Mission Trips/Presbyterian Disaster Assistance | Environmental Stewardship | Habitat for Humanity | Room In The Inn | Special Offerings Organizations SupportedBetter Decisions Committee Contact: Fran Linley Organization contact: Kathy Masulis Impact/Interest area(s): Women’s Services Better Decisions is a volunteer-driven program which teaches decision-making and problem-solving skills to women incarcerated in Nashville. Over 1,400 inmates have successfully completed the 8-week program, which includes weekly classes using a nationally-recognized curriculum and weekly mentoring sessions where each inmate student practices skill building with a trained volunteer partner. The annual training weekend for new volunteers is held in mid-September. Once trained, the volunteer mentor meets with her inmate partner one hour per week in the afternoon or evening. Cockrill Elementary School (PENCIL Partner) Committee contact: Jennifer Anderson Organization contact: Loretta Green Impact/Interest area(s): Children & Youth Cockrill Elementary School, our PENCIL Foundation partner, serves more than 550 students in grades PK-5. Westminster provides volunteers as tutors and office assistants, as well as in-kind donations like school uniforms, school supplies and books. More information about our involvement with Cockrill » Disaster Relief Mission Trips/Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Committee contact: Fran Linley Impact/Interest area(s): Disaster Relief/Mission Work, at Westminster Presbyterian Church Westminster is a host site for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). PDA focuses on the long-term recovery of areas affected by disasters. Westminster PDA is the hospitality center for volunteer work crews coming to Middle Tennessee from all over the country. Volunteers are housed in our church’s facilities. Additionally, the church provides meals and use of its kitchen facilities. We work with local non-profit organizations active in flood relief to connect volunteers with this work. More information » Habitat for Humanity Committee contact: Amanda Gaines Impact/Interest area(s): Children & Youth, Families, Homelessness/Hunger, Seniors, at Westminster Presbyterian Church Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian ministry that provides the life-changing opportunity for people to purchase and own quality, affordable homes. Westminster will build its 15th Habitat House in October 2011. Volunteer opportunities include construction and providing food. More information about our Habitat project » International Missionaries Committee contact: Paula DeWitt Impact/Interest area(s): Disaster Relief/Mission Work With several missionaries working around the world, the committee stays in communication with them to broaden the church’s understanding of their work and the locations in which they are sharing the Word of God. Living Waters for the World www.livingwatersfortheworld.org Committee contacts: Terry Allen & Beth Weaver Impact/Interest area(s): Disaster Relief/Mission Work, Health & Wellness Living Waters for the World; a mission of our Synod of Living Waters, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); trains and equips mission teams to share the gift of clean, sustainable water with communities and institutions in need. Founded in 2007, Westminster’s Living Waters for the World partners with families, communities and institutions in rural Tennessee and Peru to provide simple, affordable and sustainable water purification systems while promoting health, hygiene and spiritual education. More information about our involvement with Living Waters »
Committee contact: Beth Weaver Organization contact: Katherine Avery Impact/Interest area(s): Children & Youth, Families, Homelessness/Hunger, Seniors The Martha O'Bryan Center is a Christian family resource center that supports, shepards and empowers individuals and families in need living in Cayce Place, Nashville’s oldest, largest and poorest public housing development. Volunteers are needed for the following programs and services: Meals on Wheels; tutoring for grades K-12; food drives; special occasion events such as Valentine’s Day parties, birthdays and baby showers; the Christmas Toy Store; professional guidance for “Tied Together” parenting program; and support for East End Prep, the new area charter school. Monroe Harding Committee contact: Janet Hirt Organization contact: Amber Clemons Impact/Interest area(s): Children & Youth, Families Monroe Harding partners with at-risk youth and their families to provide a bridge toward independence and success. These are two main types of programs – residential and non-residential. The residential programs provide a home for these at-risk youth. The non-residential programs include Project S.H.A.R.E., which matches at-risk elementary students with adult mentors, and Youth Connections, which fills the gap in services for those youth leaving state custody with no support system. Volunteers are needed to serve as mentors and tutors to residents, yard workers, handymen/women, and event committee members and office assistants.
Committee contact: Karen Richardson Organization contact: Chris Lovewood Impact/Interest area(s): Children & Youth, Families Nations Ministry Center, a validated mission of the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee, assists Nashville’s refugee community by providing services and programs to help these newcomers on their journeys to self-sufficiency. The Nations Ministry Center services refugees by promoting access to educational opportunities by providing after-school tutoring for youth and English classes for adults, by engaging refugee preschoolers in creative learning, and by providing essential social services to individual families. Volunteer opportunities are offered in these areas. Oasis Center Committee contact: Bill Yancey Organization contact: Andrew Suitter Impact/Interest area(s): Children & Youth Oasis Center is one of the nation’s leading youth-serving organizations, offering safety and support to Nashville’s most vulnerable and disconnected youth, while seeking to also teach young people how to transform the conditions that create problems for them in the first place. Oasis Center has more than 300 active volunteers. Some cook meals, mentor, and help with administrative tasks in the organization’s Shelter, Lofts Transitional Living Program, or main office. Others hand out survival packs to homeless youth, teach workshops, or help with school work. Volunteers also go out and educate the community about Oasis Center and National Safe Place.
Committee contact: Carol Brewer Organization contact: Chan Sheppard Impact/Interest area(s): Children & Youth Preston Taylor Ministries is an after-school and mentoring program serving children and youth living in the Preston Taylor community of West Nashville. Currently, volunteers provide after-school tutoring, which includes homework assistance; spring break job shadowing; Bible study groups before school; as well as morning Bible studies and reading groups in the summer. Project C.U.R.E. Committee contact: Mary Baysinger Organization contact: Greg Cox Impact/Interest area(s): Health & Wellness Project C.U.R.E. is a benevolent health care foundation that collects, categorizes, and distributes medical supplies to health care professionals and facilities around the world. Donations are collected from hospitals and other health care providers, then prepared and shipped internationally to people in need. Volunteers sort, package and inventory medical supplies for shipment to the developing world.
Committee contact: Amanda Gaines Impact/Interest area(s): Disaster Relief/Mission Work The American Red Cross, Middle Tennessee Chapter provides relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The church aids in these efforts by sponsoring a blood drive at least once a year. Rooftop Organization contact: Lisa Wooley Impact/Interest area(s): Homelessness/Hunger Rooftop is a partnership of more than 30 faith-based congregations in Metropolitan Nashville providing rental assistance to individuals and families. The assistance is provided to those in need of emergency financial help in order to maintain stability in their housing and to prevent homelessness. Volunteer opportunities with Rooftop are administrative or event planning in nature. Room In The Inn Committee contact: Bill Yancey Organization contact: Mary Wilder Impact/Interest area(s): Hunger/Homelessness, at Westminster Presbyterian Church Room In The Inn offers an array of services for people who call the streets of Nashville home. Each winter (November through March), Room In The Inn partners with more than 150 congregations to provide emergency shelter in houses or worship throughout Middle Tennessee. Westminster is one of these partners, and volunteers provide meals for participants and stay overnight. More information about our involvement » Room In The Inn’s Campus for Human Development www.roomintheinn.org/website/about.php Committee Contact: Stephanie Hardcastle Organization contact: Hilary Barnett Impact/Interest area(s): Homelessness/Hunger Room In The Inn’s Campus for Human Development is a religious non-profit organization, which provides comprehensive services to the homeless in Nashville. Quarterly, Westminster provides food for and serves lunch to more than 200 homeless people. Second Harvest Food Bank Committee contact: Virginia Reynolds Organization contacts: Karen Benson & Meghan Markie Impact/Interest area(s): Homelessness/Hunger Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest and most comprehensive of more than 200 food banks and food distribution centers nationwide. Second Harvest has many volunteer opportunities, including sorting and boxing food donations and BackPacks. On Thursday nights, families (with children as young as 6 years old with parent/guardian) are invited to participate in Family Volunteer Night. Siloam Family Health Center Committee contact: Mary Baysinger Organization contact: Kate Tanis Interest/Impact area(s): Health & Wellness Siloam Family Health Center is a Christian, volunteer-supported medical clinic providing primary and specialty care to the uninsured and those who slip through the cracks in the traditional health care system because of financial, language or cultural barriers. A majority of Siloam’s patients are refugees and immigrants. Qualified volunteers assist with medical care while others help with patient support services. Strick’s Gift Committee contact: Fran Linley Organization contact: Lena Levendoski Interest/Impact area(s): Children & Youth Strick’s Gift is dedicated to helping newborns in need. While many children are born to families who have the means to provide plenty in terms of clothing and blankets, many other families are unable to afford these necessary items. Strick’s Gift bridges this need. Other Committee InitiativesAlternative Christmas Market Contact: Stephanie Hardcastle Interest/Impact area(s): at Westminster Presbyterian Church An event to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas by offering an opportunity to give to those less fortunate while also giving to loved ones. Children’s Projects Contact: Amy Shurden Interest/Impact area(s): Children & Youth, at Westminster Presbyterian Church The children of the church conduct two service projects each year – one in the fall and one in the spring.
Committee contact: Lane Harvey Interest/Impact area(s): at Westminster Presbyterian Church Helping us to become more aware and responsible for our environment. Special Offerings Committee contact: Ben Kane Interest/Impact area(s): at Westminster Presbyterian Church Four opportunities – One Great Hour of Sharing, Pentecost, Peacemaking and Christmas Joy. |