Burke United Christian Ministries
David Burleson
Burke County
Summer is a busy time at the Burke United Christian Ministries (BUCM) since there is an increased need for food and clothing due to children being home and not attending school. BUCM has already seen an increase in the number eating in our soup kitchen, picking up food in the pantry, and receiving clothes in our clothing closet. There are several opportunities for members of our community to be involved at BUCM and provide assistance during the summer months.
One of our greatest needs is food to be distributed in our food pantry. Doing a food drive for BUCM during the summer months would be greatly appreciated. BUCM also needs gently used clothes, shoes, and new underwear to be distributed in the clothing closet, especially as we prepare to provide clothes and shoes for students getting ready to go back to school.
Shop in the BUCM Saved for you Clothing, Thrift, and Craft Store. The store will be having a special Christmas sale in July. This provides those who love decorating for Christmas a head start on decorations for Christmas 2019. Be sure to come by and see all the beautiful crafts our elves have crafted.
Your help is definitely needed as a volunteer! As we all know, volunteers are an essential piece to every organization in our country and this is especially true for BUCM. Year after year, volunteers contribute time and energy to assist our ministry in meeting the needs of others. During the last fiscal year, volunteers at BUCM gave 42,112 hours of their time to help and encourage others. People volunteer for many different reasons, but one of the major reasons is to make a difference in the lives of others. There are many such opportunities at BUCM to assist those who need a hand up.
The Burke United Christian Ministries would like to invite you to partner with our ministry and serve with us. Here are some volunteer opportunities for you to consider:
Food Harvesting – Going to local grocery stores and restaurants to pick up donated food.
Clothing Closet – New opportunity – Assist clients in our clothing closet as they shop with a clothing voucher. The social workers write up a clothing voucher that allows the client to shop. Volunteers assist clients and then tally up their selection. No money is exchanged.
Sorting, Inspecting, and Hanging – Interested in being behind the scenes of the clothing closet or Saved for You Clothing Store? Volunteer to prepare items for the sales floor or clothing closet.
Warehouse – Unload, sort and organize perishable and non-perishable food items. Assist in stocking the Food Pantry. Help keep the warehouse, freezers, and refrigerators organized.
Clerical Support– Assist with production of newsletters, bulk mailings, flyers and more.
Front Window – Check clients into the ministry and greet those who need assistance.
Life Enrichment Center Volunteer – Assist students as they work on their GED, take ESL Lessons, navigate the WEB, work on their financial budget, or develop their financial budget.
Willing to do whatever or being on-call – Is your volunteer time flexible? Are you interested in just being called on in a time of need? Volunteer to be called on when the donations are plenty or support is needed in the food pantry, clothing closet, dining room, front office, or anywhere in the ministry. We are especially in need of an on-call soup kitchen team for times when something comes up for the scheduled team or in times of bad weather.
Wanting to volunteer or find out more about BUCM, just give me a call at (828) 433-8075, email me at bucmdirector@gmail.com, or come by for a visit and let’s talk about how you can make a difference with BUCM.
As we have stated many times, our ministry is stronger because of the support and participation of our volunteers, board, and staff. A special thank you to the following retiring board members:
- Mark Rostan
- Brad Arrowood
Your continued support and encouragement have been greatly appreciated.
Remember that our ministry is here to assist those in Burke County who need a hand up and we ask that you consider being part of what we do for others.
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David Burleson is Director of Burke United Christian Ministries. You can visit them online at http://www.bucm.net/
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