Ministry Partners
Outreach at Lynnewood includes: financial support; regular donations of food, clothing and other goods; and volunteering our time. We devote a significant portion of our church budget to outreach programs. We offer the opportunity for our members to participate in at least one outreach activity each month.
We collect a monthly offering for particular needs. These offerings are for: disaster relief (such as the Tsunami in Indonesia, the earthquake in Pakistan and Hurricane Katrina); United Methodist Programs (such as Peace With Justice, One Great Hour of Sharing or World Communion Sunday); or a specific local or regional need identified by the Outreach Committee.
Here are the profiles of some of the organizations Lynnewood supports.
The Fred Finch Youth Center, based in Oakland, California, seeks to provide a continuum of high quality programs for the care and treatment of children, youth, young adults and their families. Programs include both residential treatment and community-based mental health and social services.
Programs at Fred Finch include: the public school-based day treatment program; Coolidge Court, their affordable housing and supportive service for mentally ill young people; a dual diagnosis program for children who are severely emotionally disturbed and developmentally disabled; and Project Destiny, a joint effort of three agencies, geared to helping unite young people with their families or to become independent.
Habitat for Humanity has become a worldwide success thanks largely to the efforts of President Jimmie Carter and his wife Rosalyn. Habitat builds homes for low-income families locally, statewide, throughout the U.S. and around the world. Lynnewood supports these efforts with our time, talents and treasures.
Hope Hospice provides compassionate care for patients and their families facing the challenge of a life threatening illness when curative treatment is no longer appropriate. Patients receive palliative and comfort care (for pain and symptom relief) in their home so that they can live their lives as fully as possible, with dignity, surrounded by their family and friends.
Based in Dublin, Hope Hospice serves the Tri-Valley and neighboring East Bay communities. The Hospice relies on donations of time and financial support to provide care and bereavement support, regardless of ability to pay.
The Open Heart Kitchen (OHK) was founded as a soup kitchen in 1995. Lynnewood, along with several other churches, was a founding sponsor. We hosted meal preparation for a number of years, until OHK outgrew our church kitchen and moved into its own facility.
OHK now provides 10,000 free meals each month to Tri-Valley residents in Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton. Meal preparation and serving is mostly staffed by volunteers from various churches. In addition to its core lunch program, OHK operates school lunch and senior meals programs. Food donations from stores, parishes and the community help. Monetary donations and grants cover other operating expenses.
Pleasanton Community Counseling Center
Lynnewood helped found and hosts a community counseling service known as the Pleasanton Community Counseling Center. The Center provides individuals, couples, families and children counseling in a safe and supportive environment. They address the many issues of life - marital problems, addiction, depression, parenting, grief, abuse, stress and more.
Counselors are available to see clients, with both daytime and evening schedules. All counseling is provided on a sliding fee basis that is meant to enable anyone and everyone to receive the services they need, regardless of income and expenses.
Pleasanton Gardens is a low income senior living community located in a campus setting near downtown Pleasanton. The low rise bungalow style apartments offer independent living at a very affordable price.
Lynnewood, along with several other churches, was an original sponsor over thirty-five years ago. We continue to provide members of the Board of Directors. Members of our congregation routinely volunteer their time assisting residents with chores and errands.
The Tri-Valley Haven operates shelters for abused women and their children and homeless families. They provide sexual assault prevention programs, community outreach, counseling and a crisis hotline. The Haven also operates a food panty in Livermore. Their traveling HOPE Van visits sites in the Tri-Valley as a means to provide hygiene, health and counseling support to the homeless.
During the Spring of 2006, Lynnewood entered into a three year partnership with Tri-Valley Haven to further address the needs of the homeless. Our commitment is to:
- Assist with transportation: We have donated a van and money to operate the van.
- Provide transitional assistance: Help homeless families get into housing through financial aid for utility deposits, initial rent payment, etc.
- Provide supplies and support: Thus far we have provided hygiene kits, clothes, new and used books, and “graduation baskets,“ laundry baskets filled with household goods to help start a home.
Wesley Youth Homes was founded in 1996 through the efforts of generous United Methodists from Pittsburg, Pleasanton and San Ramon congregations and continues to minister to the needs of girls between the ages of 10 and 17 who have been removed from their homes due to neglect and abuse. The primary goals are to provide a safe and nurturing living environment and to assist the girls in rebuilding their lives through education, counseling, mentoring and support.
Wesley Youth Homes operates one home in Contra Costa County. All of the girls attend public schools in the area. The home is staffed with state certified counselors. Lynnewood houses the offices of Wesley Youth Homes, provides financial support and donates operating supplies. The organization’s leadership is from our congregation.